In the USA [Questions about USA schools/lifestyle/etc]

Do you (American) own an automatic car?

Yes	50.0%	[ 16 ]
No	21.9%	[ 7 ]
Yes, but most people don't.	0.0%	[ 0 ]
No, but most people do.	28.1%	[ 9 ]
Total Votes:			[ 32 ]

[Ray_Murata]

Ϣelcome!

ɫhis thread was created with the purpose of asking you, residents of the United States of America, things I, a Brazilian girl, would like to know about your country and culture.

ɱy interest on such things is due to, aside from humanly curiosity, my habit of writing. Right now, I am writing five fictions/stories, and three out of them happen in the USA. For that reason, I'd like to keep the stories coherent with the truth.

ɑnd I have questions. Probably a lot of them, which I will post as they come to me, and I hope to have you guys' help gathering enough, reliable answers. If you want to know anything about Brazil and Brazilian culture as well, please ask away. I'd be happy to feed your curiosity as well.

ρlease check next post for current questions.

[[ MODs: I was uncertain whether to place this thread here or at "Lifestyle discussion", I am realle sorry if I misplaced it. ]]

[Ray_Murata]

ℚuestions!

【o1. Automatic x Manual (Gear/stick shift) cars】

ɧow atteinable is an automatic car in the USA? How different is the price, in comparison to manual cars? Are the automatic cars only atteinable to rich people, or are the manual cars only bought by less welfare families?

【o2. School starts at...】

ɑt what time do the high schools starts in the USA? How many hours of classes do teenagers have a day? What time do they leave school?


【o3. Drinking】

I know that the drinking age for you guys there is 21 years old (That's correct, right?), but how likely is it for you guys to get illegal beer/alcohol at bars and pubs? Is the bars/pubs posture absolutely strict about drinking age or is there always some places where minors can buy alcohol without being pestered for ID and such?

[Ray_Murata]

❶ Jiggy jump to the beat, keep bouncin', 30 seconds and counting.
xxxx❷ Hot one, this choice is critical, situation is difficult.
xxxxxxxx❸ My calibre won't allow me to rhyme on a level where you people can hear me,
xxxxxxxxxxxx❹ See me, guess I know you wanna be me. In the meantime bounce to the beat!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx❺ Sing:

〖Art Request〗〖Temp Shop〗〖FICTIONPRESS〗〖Fiction in progress〗
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗



Please answer me. ♥



╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Music is my life cos my life is music.The beat of the drum in your heart...

♡ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
♫ⓛⓔⓣⓢ ⓓⓐⓝⓒⓔ♪xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'cos you need it, better believe it, here we go!xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Ray_Murata]

❶ Jiggy jump to the beat, keep bouncin', 30 seconds and counting.
xxxx❷ Hot one, this choice is critical, situation is difficult.
xxxxxxxx❸ My calibre won't allow me to rhyme on a level where you people can hear me,
xxxxxxxxxxxx❹ See me, guess I know you wanna be me. In the meantime bounce to the beat!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx❺ Sing:

〖Art Request〗〖Temp Shop〗〖FICTIONPRESS〗〖Fiction in progress〗
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗



ninja



╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Music is my life cos my life is music.The beat of the drum in your heart...

♡ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
♫ⓛⓔⓣⓢ ⓓⓐⓝⓒⓔ♪xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'cos you need it, better believe it, here we go!xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Yugenji]

Hello!

:3

It's mostly a matter of preference and location, not price. Manual cars don't do so well in bigger cities with lots of traffic.

My family has 2 automatic and 1 manual.

[Bluu x3]

RAWR. I bite jooo. :]

I agree with the person above ^^ on the cars. Except the part about having three cars.

As for the schools, my classes start at 8am and end at 2:45pm. That's 9 periods of class. Usually people only have 8 periods of class, from 8am to 2:00pm, or from 8:45am to 2:45, depending on if you have a 1-8 schedule or a 2-9 schedule.

EDIT: I go to a public high school in New York.

[Yugenji]

2.

It really depends on location and the type of school. There are year-round public, regular public, charter and private schools.

The public school I attend is not year-round and we begin and 8:00 a.m. and are released at 3:30 p.m. Each class is 55 minutes, and there are seven total plus lunch.

[Ukryu]

Well I'm 16, and I'm able to get my driver's license, but I don't really care much about cars. So I don't have a clue about anything to do with cars. sweatdrop By manual do you mean stick shift?

For high school, mine starts at 7:50 and ends at 2:38, lol. As far as I know, most high schools start and end at around that same time (except for the schools that you let leave the building for lunch, in which case school would end later). Elementary and middle schools typically start and end later however. But they all last for approximately the same amount of time, 6.5 hours. (This is with public schools, however, as stated above, there are private schools with odd schedules).

...Well, that's for most people. I'm an extreme outlier. I'm in a little-known program called PSEO where I'm allowed to go to the community college for free and take classes there for high school AND college credit. So I have absolute freedom with my schedule. Currently I leave for school and 8:15 and get back at 3 on Tuesdays / Thursdays, 5 on Mondays / Wednesdays, and 11 on Fridays. 3nodding

...But that's just me. It's just a cool fact that I figured I'd throw in there. xd

[Ray_Murata]

❶ Jiggy jump to the beat, keep bouncin', 30 seconds and counting.
xxxx❷ Hot one, this choice is critical, situation is difficult.
xxxxxxxx❸ My calibre won't allow me to rhyme on a level where you people can hear me,
xxxxxxxxxxxx❹ See me, guess I know you wanna be me. In the meantime bounce to the beat!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx❺ Sing:

〖Art Request〗〖Temp Shop〗〖FICTIONPRESS〗〖Fiction in progress〗
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗



Thanks for the answers, guys.

@Ukru
Yes, by manual I meant stick shift....Added that on first post so other people won't have the same doubt. ♥



╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Music is my life cos my life is music.The beat of the drum in your heart...

♡ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
♫ⓛⓔⓣⓢ ⓓⓐⓝⓒⓔ♪xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'cos you need it, better believe it, here we go!xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Karo Kiba]

Well I don't know much about cars but I could answer your questions about school. It really varies from state to state, county to county, and sometimes from school to school if you're talking about public schools. Individual states and counties have the most say over how much time you spend in school and how many days you have to be in school. My school year lasts from september until the middle of june. So that's about 9 months. I have four classes and my classes start at 7:20. I go home around 2:20, unless I am staying after for extra help or a club meeting. My boyfriend usually stays at school until 6:30 because he is the stage manager.

[Light Soprano]

ɧow atteinable is an automatic car in the USA? How different is the price, in comparison to manual cars? Are the automatic cars only atteinable to rich people, or are the manual cars only bought by less welfare families?

I don't know the costs, but I have heard that an automatic is more easily attainable than a manual in the US. Automatics are not only attainable by rich people--my family is middle class, and we can afford an automatic. Then you have people who are filthy rich and drive a manual.

【o2. School starts at...】

ɑt what time do the high schools starts in the USA? How many hours of classes do teenagers have a day? What time do they leave school?

It depends on the school. My high school started at 8:00am and ended at 3:25pm. HOWEVER, my high school ran on a 4-period AB block schedule. Most students, especially upperclassmen, didn't have a 4th period, so they would end their day at 1:45pm. Those who don't have a 3rd OR a 4th end their day at 11:30 (which is when lunch time starts), and seniors who are only taking one class (because they've already gotten enough credits and completed graduation requirements) just go to that one class and then go home. Oh, and the classes are 1 1/2 hours each. On minimum days, it gets cut to 55 minutes. On late start days (where school starts at 10am instead of 8am. Late start happens once a month on the fourth Monday. It used to be Thursday, but they changed it to Monday), classes are an hour and 5 minutes long.

EDIT: Oh, yeah--underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) are allowed to not have a first or 4th period (meaning they can start their day at 10am and end at 3:25pm, or start at 8am and end at 1:45pm), but they're NOT allowed to have a free 2nd or 3rd period (this rule was put into effect after a student from one of the other high schools in the district was hit by a car while she was going off campus during free period).

Generally, in a normal high school, teenagers get 6-7 hours of school.

[Madame Royale]

I'm not very interested in cars, but I'll try answering. Most cars come automatic these days, and anyone can get one. The stick shift isn't as common unless it's an older car, and my dad says that certain cars you can order it to come with stick shift.

As for schools, I think it depends on which school and what area. My high school started around 8 AM and got out at 3:17... At my school you had to have at least 4 periods, I think, so students can have 4 to 7 periods. Plus, some students would be on the flag team and be at school for an hour or so before school starts, and of course sports teams would stay after school.

[Bring Demo The Horizon]

I live in Texas United States.
1. Most car are Automatic unless that of older ones.
2. My high school starts at 8:30 and ends at 3:50. My friend's high school starts at 8:45 and ends at 4:10 though.

No other questions?

[preposterousplum]

I'm from Connecticut...as for cars, I've never even driven a manual, and it seems like automatics are more popular these days, just because it's easier I think.

When I was in High School, (public school) we started around 7:30am and went until a little after 2pm....sooo early, I'm glad I'm done with High Scool. xp

[SolsticeXII]

Most cars are automatic now. I actually don't know anyone with a manual.
And for me, school starts at 8:10 and goes to 3:10. I have four class periods a day. First period I have everyday and it lasts 50 minutes. Then I have two more classes, each 100 minutes. Lunch is 40 minutes and then another class that is 100 minutes. The 100 minute classes change every other day. i.e.
Monday:
PE=50 minutes
Literature=100 minutes
French=100 minutes
Lunch=40 minutes
Physics=100 minutes

Tuesday:
PE=50 minutes
algebra 2=100 minutes
World History=100 minutes
Lunch=40 minutes
Fine art=100 minutes

Wednesday:
repeat Monday

Thursday:
repeat Tuesday...
etc...