Comparing London to the US
Hi everyone! I wanted to dedicate this particular post to compare the differences in the academic system in the United States to the United Kingdom. I know I have been traveling most weekends to explore the world (what a terrible life), but Monday through Thursday, from morning to night, I commit myself to self-study.
At the University of Maryland, I usually have classes Monday through Thursday, where each class meets for an hour and 15 minutes at least twice a week. At UMD, I am assigned coursework through the semester with approximately 2-3 assignments per class per week. The coursework throughout the semester usually makes up about 30-40% of my overall grade and participation may have some affect, making up about 5-10%. The midterm and final exams usually make up the remaining grade percentage. City University on the other hand works a little bit differently.
(Just as a disclaimer, a “mark” is the equivalent to the term “grade”.)
At City University, I have classes Monday through Wednesday, with a maximum of two classes a day. Each class meets for exactly 2 hours everyday and the professors offer a 10-15 minute break during every class meeting. For example, if I have Real Estate Finance & Funding starting at 11am, the professor offers a 10-minute break from 11:50am to 12:00pm. I was surprised that this break was an actual “thing” so I spoke with some students about it. The reason they offer this break is for bathroom breaks, because it is viewed as rude to interrupt the teacher and walk out during the lecture. Sometimes, the students use this 10-minute period as a smoke break.
Additionally, in regards to the coursework throughout the semester, we do not have any assignments. The focus is on self-study so you must have self-driven motivation. The only marks you have are a midterm or group assignment that is 30% of your overall mark and a final that makes up 70%. Scary- I know.
Lastly, a difference I noticed was the type of teaching. I find that at UMD, the professors are more interactive. Here, in London, my professors lecture as the students listen attentively.
I appreciate the differences between the 2 schools. These differences in teaching styles and academic systems I have helped me learn a lot. However, I have a midterm approaching so I better head off to study- cheers!