Picture living in a busy neighborhood in Paris, France. Without knowing it, this is one of the last times you will take the metro home from school because soon, your family will move to Texas, 5,000 miles away from the place you call home.
Every year, students from across the world move schools, whether for a different education or parents’ jobs. Leaving behind daily habits, family, and their comfort zones, students are confronted with a new educational environment, one that can set you back, build you up, and teach you the harsh realities of navigating school. What may seem like an outlandish idea is a reality for many, including Baptiste de Cormis ‘29.
“All of my classes were in English and not in French like I was used to,” de Cormis said. “It was challenging. For example, math is really different because you learn a whole part of math directly, while in France, you learn a little bit by bit.”
About 44 states in the United States practice the Kindergarten Entrance Laws, which determines grade placement based on birthdays. In Texas, children must be five years old before or on Sept. 1 of the year in which they will start kindergarten. Born in November, de Cormis was placed a grade below what his educational career had set him up to be in.
“I was set back a year because I wasn’t 14 when I moved from middle school to high school, and sometimes [the grade placement] works for others, but for me I had to redo a grade,” de Cormis said. “But even though, in a way, I’m a year behind, at least it’s much easier because I am technically redoing [the schoolwork]. The good thing, though, is that when I was in France, my dream was to be a pro tennis player but I couldn’t make it my prior objective. But now, because [the United States] really encourages people to also do activities, I have a better chance. ”
About 10% of 12th graders have transferred schools at least once since their 10th grade. Some see the difference in difficulty between their old school and Westwood as a dreary blessing in disguise. While the heavy workload and competitiveness poses struggles to transfer students, the prolific opportunities can be a blessing. However, International Baccalaureate (IB) student Grace Xiang ‘26 moved from Auburn, Alabama, to the Warrior community in 2024, affecting her dreams of being a Division I (D-I) swimmer.
“The peer pressure has really affected how I manage everything with [my sports team] practice,” Xiang said. “In Alabama, I thought I could go D-I, but now, with all the time I spend on schoolwork, [Division III] is more realistic if I still want to go to a good academic college [too].”
The IB program provides students with lifelong learning opportunities based on more philosophical approaches compared to non-IB courses. However, it is widely argued by students that IB can deteriorate one’s school-life balance due to the rigorous curriculum.
“At my old school, the IB community was only like 26 people including seniors, so it was really surprising how when I came to Texas, there was like a 100 people in IB,” Xiang said. “[Here], a lot of teachers make courses harder than they should be ‘to prepare us for taking exams more.’ At Westwood, you are expected to achieve, to do good, to get a 100 on this assignment. Here, your maximum is their minimum.”
As parents immigrate, many families relocate their home and dreams. An immigrant herself, Anapaula Becker Vera ‘28’s international move affected her course selection and aspirations, such as pursuing post-secondary education in her home country.
“I want to go to university in Europe, and American education isn’t really focused on the same things as Europe is,” Becker Vera said. “In order to have a better chance at being accepted [into European colleges], I need a special program that is internationally recognized, like IB, but has a lot of strict requirements.”
Coming from a non-English speaking German school, adapting to an English-speaking school across the globe is no easy task. Due to language barriers and different education systems, moving can seriously affect mental and emotional health.
“[Moving] has affected my mental health because in addition to the regular stresses of high school, I have to try to fit in as much as possible,” Becker Vera said. “I think schools should make a special club for all transfers so that you already have a community.”
Though moving allows students to meet new people, gain new experiences, and learn in different ways, it can also set them back in their studies, emotional health, and goals.
“Being a foreigner sets you apart enough already,” Becker Vera said.
