By Raman Mama
Studying abroad in London has been quite a different academic experience. In the United States, courses have assignments that are due within two classes, and require your attendance. However, in London, there are rarely any assignments apart from a midterm and a final exam, or a paper rather than a midterm. As a result, classes in London require less attendance, and it’s not rare to see that students don’t usually attend. My experience has been that as a result, students focus more on studying the material outside of lecture sessions rather than attending them and taking notes.
This is similar to what I experienced in China as well. It seems that American schools are the only institutions that require such frequent attendance.
In my opinion, this suggests that European student are expected to be more independent learners. Rather than having constant gauge of what their grades are, and memorizing material, Europeans actually have to work to maintain a working knowledge of their academics, since they have fewer opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.
Another major difference is that college in the UK lasts three years, rather than four. As a result, students here must have a very good idea of what it is they want to study. If a student here decides that they want to change their discipline, then they must start over, and do three more years. In America, school is four years, and costs much more. Most universities in the UK are about 7K, and loan repayment is very lax.
One other major difference is that students here can study law and medicine immediately during their undergraduate careers, whereas in America, that is not the case. I’ve met many Americans who actually decided to do three years of law school in London so that they would only be required to do one in America.
Medical students receive rotation assignments immediately, which is very different in relation to the US.
Each model of education has its pros and cons, but if I had to decide where I would study after having been in America, London and China, I would choose the US ( on a scholarship ). The US gives ample opportunities to discover new disciplines, as well as develop a very deep understanding of your topic.