I’ll never understand the priority American schools place on sports.

Like, we’re here to learn, aren’t we?

And certain details about the American high school experience are just SO confusing to us.

A person with curly hair and glasses stands holding books in front of school lockers. Another person walks by quickly, obscuring part of the view

Here are some of the top responses:

1.

“There are exceptions on both sides, of course.”

u/Joe_Q

“Sports weren’t really a big deal.

Vanessa Hudgens and Keke Palmer laugh and chat while wearing pink jackets at a table in a lively scene from "Grease: Live."

I couldn’t tell you how any of our sports teams did at any point.

I also couldn’t really tell you who was on what team.”

u/PurrPrinThom

2. u/illuminatting

3.In Canada, there are “no cheerleaders.

Kirsten Dunst in a cheerleader outfit, smiling and saying, "This is not a democracy. It's a cheerocracy." Another person sits beside her in a red shirt

That wasn’t really a thing.”

u/Peri_scope

4.

“Fewer shootings, from what I understand.”

A man in a purple tuxedo, played by the character Mr. Collins from "Mean Girls," is awkwardly dancing at a party full of people

u/hercarmstrong

“Gun violence.”

u/Acceptable-Advance87

5.

“Prom also wasn’t really a big deal.

Animated scene from The Simpsons showing students in a classroom with Principal Skinner saying, "Now I know some of you may suffer from test anxiety."

Like we were all excited for it, but it was just in the gym.

We didn’t rent a hall or anything.”

u/tashachara

7.

Lacey Chabert in a scene from "Mean Girls" saying, "We wanna invite you to have lunch with us."

They seem fairly common in the States but they’re very unusual for a high school in Canada."

u/squirrelcat88

8.

“Extracurricular activities are not a big deal.

Ross from Friends, wearing a fur coat and striped sweater, enthusiastically reads a card while surrounded by boxes

u/lkr01

9.

“I was in the band and we used to do band exchanges with kids from the US.

We saw swimming pools!”

Actors in a Glee Club rehearsal: Kevin McHale, Chord Overstreet, Naya Rivera in a cheerleader outfit, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith

“That was so odd to us why would you put a swimming pool in a school?

They belong in community centres and parks.”

“High school teacher here!

u/rhetorical-gear

“I found that high school in Canada didn’t have strong cliques.

And not a strong social hierarchy.”

u/ReactionEuphoric5362

11. u/birdlass

12. u/SuchDevelopment2

13.

“Americans will say ‘ninth grade’ and Canadians say ‘grade 9.'”

“They ask at the border what grade you were in when you were, say, 14.

They can tell your nationality from the answer.”

u/TurokHunterOfDinos

“What the f*** is a junior and senior?”

u/Flyboy019

14.

We just sat on the floor in the hallways.”

u/kittyroux

15.

“Seriously, in Quebec, our school system is totally different from the rest of North America.

We don’t have middle school and we have a mandatory school just before university called CEGEP.

Like, 2 years of preparatory school before university after high school.”

u/sammexp

16.

“Taking a 5th year is a lot more common in Canada.”

Grade 13 was the last year.

People would graduate from high school in the calendar year they turned 19 and then off to university/workforce/college.”

“The winner of the war of 1812.

As far as Canada is concerned the British won.

The U.S. believes they won.”

u/BarrydaBum

18.

“I recently found out that in Canadian schools, 80% is an A?”

u/mrstruong

19.

“Americans have substitute teachers and kickball.

Canadians have supply teachers and soccer baseball.”

u/ling1427

20. u/sanchez198

21.And finally: “Gleeclubs.

My mum told me her high school stood out because it was one of the few that had one.

I’ve otherwise never heard of one in Canada.”