When you think of Cambridge, you picture excellent education, home to arguably many of the best universities in the world. But is high school education truly better in Cambridge than in European countries like Germany? The short answer is, it depends. Even though the European education system is thought to be one of the best in the world, it has harsher education standards that surpass those held across the United States and many other countries. This has caused many European students to feel unheard, uncared for, and stuck in the system. One thing I’ve noticed by living in Europe, South America, and North America (the US) is that oftentimes, American teachers are welcoming, respectful, and work to help students as much as they can. European teachers are not as involved in the well-being of their students, as they care more about how well the student is doing academically, taking a toll on the mental health of students. European schools do not invest in the same resources that American schools do, as European schools are solely focused on preparing students for college and other career paths that they wish to pursue in the future. This is seen by the schools’ lack of school sports, clubs, college prep, and extracurricular activities. In European schools, participating in class is fundamental, as participation in class is worth 60% of students’ grades. This is something that is not enforced in many schools, especially in the US.

Because of these factors and many more, you are inclined to believe that Europe is the worst place on earth to study. Truthfully though, it has its advantages, mostly because of the intense courses students are required to take. These courses will prepare students quite well for university, as students must learn the language of the country they are studying in, as well as two other languages. English is a required language for most schools, but students are also offered the opportunity to learn other languages such as Spanish, French, Greek, and even Latin, although it is a dead language. This causes many European students to be further prepared for other experiences than American students are. Classes in European schools usually take a trip every year to a destination in Europe, which can include Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and more. As traveling in Europe can be done quite effortlessly, students are able to experience more, but at the same time, less. Students in the United States are not able to travel as much and focus primarily on academics, school sports, or extracurricular activities that are usually offered by the school. Students in the US have various opportunities to be involved in the community and have less strict requirements to be able to graduate from high school. You may think that US students are happier overall than European students, so which is better for you? Europe or the US? The answer still stands: it depends on you and you alone.