Students at Bruce High School might have noticed a new face walking the halls this year. That face belongs to Daniel Wu, Bruce’s exchange student from Taipei, Taiwan. Daniel’s host parents are Roger and Donna Williams of Vardaman. I had the privilege of sitting down with Daniel and talking to him about his time at Bruce High School.

Q: What has been different about your life in America so far?

A: Well, Bruce is a lot smaller than what I’m used to. Taipei is that capital city of Taiwan, so it is very crowded and there is always something going on. Here, almost everyone in high school has a vehicle. In Taiwan, however, most people use public transportation like subways or buses.

Q: What about school?

A: School is also very different here. In Taiwan, I belong to one class. Our class stays in the same room all day. Instead of changing rooms for different classes, the students stay in the same room and the teachers change rooms. You become very close with your class; they’re like family to me. We have no janitors, and it is the students’ responsibility to clean up the school. Since it is not mandatory to complete high school, everyone takes school very seriously. There is a huge emphasis on education in Taiwan. Instead of 6-weeks tests, we only have 3 major exams throughout the year in Taiwan. They are very serious and people spend lots of time studying for them.

Q: What is your favorite subject?

A: I enjoy math because it is a lot easier here. In Taiwan, calculators are strictly prohibited. People in my class celebrate when they get a 60 in math. It’s very difficult compared to here, where we can use calculators and everyone usually makes good grades.

Q: What is your least favorite subject?

A: History is very difficult for me. I have trouble remembering all of the names, dates, and stories. However, this is probably just because I am not from America and not familiar with the history.

Daniel will attend Bruce High School for the rest of this school year after which he plans to attend a university in America. He is excited about spending the rest of the year in Bruce and looks forward to meeting new people and visiting more places around our area.