Being A Teenager In Britain Vs Being A Teenager In America

    Drinking from red cups vs drinking in parks.

    by
    Hannah Jewell
    by Hannah Jewell

    BuzzFeed Staff

    ,
    Flo Perry
    by Flo Perry

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. In the US, you learned to drive at 15 or 16, especially if you lived in the ‘burbs.

    In the UK one of your friends might have passed their test at 17.

    2. In the US you probably hung out with all your friends at the mall.

    In the UK you spent all your time getting drunk on cheap cider in a park.

    3. In the US you had homework every damn night from a really young age, and lots of tests every week.

    In the UK your whole school career led up to your GCSEs, and nothing else mattered.

    4. In the US pretty much every college and university had a different application.

    In the UK you applied to all universities through one system called UCAS.

    5. In the US it was all about road trips.

    In the UK it was all about Kavos, Magaluf, or Zante.

    6. In the US there was a lot of build-up to school dances.

    In the UK no one really had any school discos after the age of 12.

    7. In the US high school graduation was a BIG DEAL.

    In the UK your last day at school was thoroughly underwhelming.

    8. High school–level American football is taken really, weirdly seriously. And cheerleading, too.

    In the UK no one cares about school football.

    9. In the US pretty much only fancy private schools have uniforms.

    In the UK pretty much everyone has to wear an ill-fitting suit, in a hideous colour scheme, probably from Marks & Spencer, for their whole school life.

    10. In your last year at high school in the US, senior pranks could be anything from toilet-papering the school to more elaborate plots.

    In the UK muck-up days were about playing pranks on your teachers and messing up the school.

    11. In the US you couldn't drink 'til you were 21, so it was all about drinking at house parties when someone’s parents were away.

    In the UK you probably started drinking some ouzo your parents bought on holiday and forgot about at 14. You topped it up with water so they didn't notice.