Moving can be hard on anyone, so changing schools and making friends tends to be a nerve-racking ordeal. As for students that emigrate from a different country, they face an entirely different culture with different customs and beliefs.

Chloe Jarmarche is a freshman from Paris, France, who moved here before eighth grade. Before her move, she expected America to be like the movie “Grease,” where everything is fun and everyone is friendly. What she got was that and much more.

Jarmarche was excited to experience a new culture, but she was nervous about how she would feel in a school as big and different as North Atlanta. In her previous school, students and teachers didn’t speak about anything beside the curriculum. However, she says that North Atlanta is more open-minded, and that students and teachers are more interactive. “Here we have more school spirit and it’s more of a family,” she said.

Another difference she noticed was that Americans are more easygoing about self-expression. It’s common for teenagers to dress uniquely, but in France it’s odd to see someone who’s not dressed fashionably. “It’s weird because students here wear flip flops to school. If you did that in France people would think you’re crazy,” she said.

Many of the same thoughts crossed senior Dimitra Sarri’s mind two summers ago when she moved to Atlanta from Athens, Greece. She had a hard time adjusting because people would poke and prod at her ethnicity. She wasn’t expecting her appearance to matter so much in this culture.

She says that she misses her friends, authentic Greek food, and the fact that wherever she went, people knew her name. In both France and Greece there is a sense of community because teen-agers are allowed to move about their neighborhood and city on public transportation. Both girls contrast their old freedom with the fact that in America you need a car to go anywhere.

Sarri also called out America’s odd drinking customs. In Europe, it’s normal for the whole family to share a glass of wine at special events or just family meals. Sarri says that this benefits young Europeans because they know their limits and can drink responsibly, unlike Americans. “People are finally allowed to drink when they’re in college. Because it’s the first time they’re independent they go crazy and just party all the time,” she said.

Both girls agreed that America is much different than their homelands, but they have made good friends and adapted to the culture. America is known for its multiculturalism and, of course, cheeseburgers, so hopefully foreign students will continue to find their place here at North Atlanta.