The Pros and Cons of Attending Multiple Schools

This interview discusses the positives and negatives of attending multiple schools, how that can mold you academically and socially, and compares the schooling system of Valley Stream North to a high school in Chesterton, Indiana. In this interview, conducted by Isabella Somma, Valley Stream North Senior Gurjosh Multani, a newer Valley Stream North High School student, reflected on his previous high school years.  

Question 1: Have you ever lived anywhere else besides Valley Stream? If so, where?  

I’ve lived in Germany, Indiana, and Queens. 

Can you explain the timeline?  

Yeah, so I was born in Germany in this little city called Ingolstadt. It’s the home of Ali. Then I moved to America in 2008 and then I lived in New York from 2008 to 2016 in Floral Park, Queens. Then I moved to Indiana in 2016 to this little city called Chesterton. It was actually one of the only Blue [Democratic] cities in all of Indiana, and then in 2020, I moved to another city in Indiana called Bloomington, where the University is: Indiana University of Bloomington. In August of 2020, I moved back to New York, here in Elmont actually, and I went to Elmont Memorial, and then in 2021, I moved to Valley Stream.  

Question 2: Out of all of the schools you attended, which is your favorite? Which has given you the best social experience? The best educational?  

The best social experience has definitely been North. The best educational experience has definitely been Chesterton High School in Indiana.  

What programs did they offer that made it superior in education?  

It wasn’t necessarily the individual programs; it was more of the school as a whole and the budget of the school that allowed for more opportunities. It was ranked in the 1,000s out of the 24,000 high schools in all of the United States. They had a cooler system for scheduling where the day was organized in blocks instead of periods. I really liked that I think about this a lot actually while comparing Indiana to North. So, I would have eight classes, but I would only take four a day and they would all be an hour and a half long so if I had work to do, I would have two days to do it because I take that class every other day.  

Question 3: How has living in multiple places shaped you as a person?  

It definitely has helped me socialize better; I know what to do now in any kind of social situation. I’m also very open to change because of this and I think it’s easier for me to make friends. That’s about it.  

Question 4: How has living in multiple places shaped you academically as a student?  

I actually think moving has ruined me academically. Well not “ruined,” but definitely made it worse because I was on the track to being an advanced student throughout high school in Indiana, which started in 9th grade, but then moving to New York in 10th grade put me in regular classes, and that really messed me up, but then I got back to AP classes in 11th grade. I still think that if I was in Indiana, I would be a lot smarter.  

Question 5: What are your plans for after high school? Do you wish to attend college?  

I do wish to attend college. After college, I definitely plan to stay in New York - just not in Valley Stream. 

Are there any colleges you have in mind?  

I am undecided right now, but probably in the state of New York. I definitely hope to get my bachelor’s degree in Engineering or some kind of computer science.