It turns out you can go to the other side of the Atlantic, a completely different country on an entirely new continent and still your university will insist that you participate in exams. Completely shocking and unfair, right?! It's like they want you do well and get a degree or something instead of just have a ball meandering around this brand new world you've landed yourself in...Well, I have two exams and an essay that will all be completed by Tuesday so I thought what better way of procrastinating than doing a post that compares the American university system with the English one, with some potentially helpful revision tips thrown in.
The two biggest differences I have found between the English and American university systems are the amounts of assessments and when students begin to specialise. In England, as soon as you finish your GCSEs you hit A Levels which are around 4 subjects that you study in depth. After A Levels comes university, when you only study one or, in some cases like mine, two subjects. I'm doing History and Criminology as a combined degree at Keele which requires you to gain 120 credits in each subject come graduation, with one module being worth 15 credits and each year needing you complete 8 modules. This usually turns into 4 modules per semester with a little room for electives, such as the study abroad module I had to take last year. Ultimately though my focus is upon Criminology and History and not a lot else, even when it comes to electives I am restrained to the humanities (which I'm happy with as science and maths make me cry) and foreign languages.
In America however, there are 'core' subjects that are needed such as English, Maths, Sciences and History no matter what your degree will be in. Some smart people can take dual credit classes in high school to get these core ones out of the way but most end up doing them at university. This, along with the fact that degree declarations are not mandatory until just before graduation, means that people can find themselves taking much longer than the standard 4 years to graduate. If, for example, you wish to declare your degree in one subject but struggle to get into those classes, you could end up waiting for the next semester that class is open so graduating later or trying to find another subject that you happen to have the credits to graduate for and declaring that. It's all rather complicated to and I am very glad that us English students don't really have to go through it especially as American students pay tuition fees by the hours they take, rather than the £9,000 standard we have to pay each year in England.
None of that has really affected me though, I picked 4 classes that matched up with Keele's curriculum for this semester and voila, I am the happy student of Texas History, Europe in the Nineteenth Century, Intro to Global Analysis and Managing Criminal Justice Organisations, at UTSA. I say happy in that I found them all interesting, my professors were great, especially my ones for European History and Global Analysis. However, the assessments were far more intense and regular than that of Keele. This may be due to the fact first year does not count towards your degree in England but everything counts in the States, so when I return to Keele I could take this all back! I'll let you know. Anywho, if you're planning on studying at an American university then prepare yourself for never getting a break. Unlike in England when you may have 2 or 3 assessments a term, you'll have around 4 or 5 minimum along with pop quizzes and participation and attendance grades will actually be given and count towards your final grade - a lot. If you have a busy week, you can't just skip a chapter of reading and catch up later because then you won't be able to discuss in class and answer aimed questions, very embarrassing especially when you're brand new and stand out because of being foreign anyway. It is worth it though, I have definitely picked up the work ethic that I lost for a little bit and hope to goodness it sticks with me through the madness of socialising, working and cheerleading back at Keele.
Now for my revision tips, I am on course to get an A and 3 Bs (though 2 of those Bs may easily become As if my revision has worked) so I feel I am not completely inept and revising for exams. I need 2 As and 2 Bs to get a 3.33 gpa which would equate to an English 2:1 - here's hoping! I hate tests as much as the next person, especially multiple choice ones. I would much rather write a paper everyday for a week than do 20 questions of multiple choice. However, life isn't up for that so here are my revision tips:
1. Make notes throughout the term
Every time you have to read something for class and are actually in class, take notes!! No matter how bored you are and tired, making notes then will save you so much agro later on as you won't have to reread chapters or flick through powerpoints, all the information will be right there for you. Also, it has been proven that handwriting notes helps you retain the information better than typing them.
2. Notecards.
Literally, the saviour of my educational experience. Rewrite the notes you've been making all year that are relevant to your exam on notecards a few days before the exam and go over them a few times a day. I currently have the pattern of read notecards, watch an episode of Dexter (having finished How To Get Away With Murder - both are incredible whether you're a crime nerd like me or not, you'll be on the edge of your seat).
3. Snacks
Because when are snacks not important?! Seriously though, when you're stressed about exams and assignments, forgetting to eat is unfortunately incredibly easy to do. Snacking however, will keep you fed and alert as well as constantly giving you something other than reading or writing to do. Drinking water, though rewards pints of beer are totally allowed, regularly falls into this as well - incredibly important!
4. Exercise
And no not just to stop all the snacking from making you fat, but working off all that excess energy that stress and brain work brings with it. Go for a walk, a run, lift weights, do 10 press ups, whatever, just DO something that isn't work and gets your body moving.
5. Don't hide away
I purposely have set up camp in the kitchen of our apartment for a few reasons; it means that if people are watching what I'm doing then I feel I have to work so I don't need to explain why I'm not working but also it means that I see and talk to my friends regularly. That is incredibly important. A quick hi, how's your day can really help keep you positive when your drowning in exam induced doubt.
Hope these tips help! Let me know if they do and best of luck to those of you doing exams and remember if you don't make an effort then
The two biggest differences I have found between the English and American university systems are the amounts of assessments and when students begin to specialise. In England, as soon as you finish your GCSEs you hit A Levels which are around 4 subjects that you study in depth. After A Levels comes university, when you only study one or, in some cases like mine, two subjects. I'm doing History and Criminology as a combined degree at Keele which requires you to gain 120 credits in each subject come graduation, with one module being worth 15 credits and each year needing you complete 8 modules. This usually turns into 4 modules per semester with a little room for electives, such as the study abroad module I had to take last year. Ultimately though my focus is upon Criminology and History and not a lot else, even when it comes to electives I am restrained to the humanities (which I'm happy with as science and maths make me cry) and foreign languages.
In America however, there are 'core' subjects that are needed such as English, Maths, Sciences and History no matter what your degree will be in. Some smart people can take dual credit classes in high school to get these core ones out of the way but most end up doing them at university. This, along with the fact that degree declarations are not mandatory until just before graduation, means that people can find themselves taking much longer than the standard 4 years to graduate. If, for example, you wish to declare your degree in one subject but struggle to get into those classes, you could end up waiting for the next semester that class is open so graduating later or trying to find another subject that you happen to have the credits to graduate for and declaring that. It's all rather complicated to and I am very glad that us English students don't really have to go through it especially as American students pay tuition fees by the hours they take, rather than the £9,000 standard we have to pay each year in England.
None of that has really affected me though, I picked 4 classes that matched up with Keele's curriculum for this semester and voila, I am the happy student of Texas History, Europe in the Nineteenth Century, Intro to Global Analysis and Managing Criminal Justice Organisations, at UTSA. I say happy in that I found them all interesting, my professors were great, especially my ones for European History and Global Analysis. However, the assessments were far more intense and regular than that of Keele. This may be due to the fact first year does not count towards your degree in England but everything counts in the States, so when I return to Keele I could take this all back! I'll let you know. Anywho, if you're planning on studying at an American university then prepare yourself for never getting a break. Unlike in England when you may have 2 or 3 assessments a term, you'll have around 4 or 5 minimum along with pop quizzes and participation and attendance grades will actually be given and count towards your final grade - a lot. If you have a busy week, you can't just skip a chapter of reading and catch up later because then you won't be able to discuss in class and answer aimed questions, very embarrassing especially when you're brand new and stand out because of being foreign anyway. It is worth it though, I have definitely picked up the work ethic that I lost for a little bit and hope to goodness it sticks with me through the madness of socialising, working and cheerleading back at Keele.
Now for my revision tips, I am on course to get an A and 3 Bs (though 2 of those Bs may easily become As if my revision has worked) so I feel I am not completely inept and revising for exams. I need 2 As and 2 Bs to get a 3.33 gpa which would equate to an English 2:1 - here's hoping! I hate tests as much as the next person, especially multiple choice ones. I would much rather write a paper everyday for a week than do 20 questions of multiple choice. However, life isn't up for that so here are my revision tips:
1. Make notes throughout the term
Every time you have to read something for class and are actually in class, take notes!! No matter how bored you are and tired, making notes then will save you so much agro later on as you won't have to reread chapters or flick through powerpoints, all the information will be right there for you. Also, it has been proven that handwriting notes helps you retain the information better than typing them.
2. Notecards.
Literally, the saviour of my educational experience. Rewrite the notes you've been making all year that are relevant to your exam on notecards a few days before the exam and go over them a few times a day. I currently have the pattern of read notecards, watch an episode of Dexter (having finished How To Get Away With Murder - both are incredible whether you're a crime nerd like me or not, you'll be on the edge of your seat).
3. Snacks
Because when are snacks not important?! Seriously though, when you're stressed about exams and assignments, forgetting to eat is unfortunately incredibly easy to do. Snacking however, will keep you fed and alert as well as constantly giving you something other than reading or writing to do. Drinking water, though rewards pints of beer are totally allowed, regularly falls into this as well - incredibly important!
4. Exercise
And no not just to stop all the snacking from making you fat, but working off all that excess energy that stress and brain work brings with it. Go for a walk, a run, lift weights, do 10 press ups, whatever, just DO something that isn't work and gets your body moving.
5. Don't hide away
I purposely have set up camp in the kitchen of our apartment for a few reasons; it means that if people are watching what I'm doing then I feel I have to work so I don't need to explain why I'm not working but also it means that I see and talk to my friends regularly. That is incredibly important. A quick hi, how's your day can really help keep you positive when your drowning in exam induced doubt.
Hope these tips help! Let me know if they do and best of luck to those of you doing exams and remember if you don't make an effort then
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