eHello from Scotland!
One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed about Scotland and Boston is the education style. This is probably the hardest adjustment I’m having to make considering every aspect of studying. Overall, the education process is more focused around self-learning. At Northeastern, we are quizzed, tested, and graded on a weekly basis. In Edinburgh, this is very much not the case. The majority of my classes meet once, maybe twice a week, and the only grade that gets factored into my final grade is the final exam. Some classes have a small course assignment, but normally it’s only worth a small percentage of the overall grade. There are no weekly assignments, no quizzes, and no midterms. Although this is great for traveling and exploring the city, the professors expect students to work through the majority of the course information on their own. They do brief summaries during the weekly lectures, but learning the specifics of each topic is up to the students to do on their own time.
It also appears that the majority of classes are pass-fail. The grades don’t matter as much to the local students. Professors are more interested in making sure the students understand the topics before they move into more advanced classes. Although I much prefer this learning style to the one back in the States, it’s hard to change your mindset and habits to accommodate the new style.
Additionally, the majority of classes don’t require textbooks. That being said though, I feel that I will use the textbooks that are recommended more than the required textbooks back home. Because most classes are based on self learning, professors don’t provide many practice questions. They expect students to seek out examples from a textbook. Again, this is a huge adjustment from learning at Northeastern. My professors back home always provided countless examples, practice problems, and exercises that mirrored what they expected on the exams. I’ve had to make more of a conscientious effort to seek out practice problems in order to stay on top of my course work. The benefit of a university like Edinburgh though is that the library offers free pdfs and hard copies of almost every textbook you could possibly image for every topic. There is definitely no shortage of resources here.
I absolutely love the courses I’m taking, and I already feel like I’ve learned so much. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to take classes here, even if it is going to take more effort on my part. One of my favorite classes, Civil Engineering Construction, has a site visit component in which the entire class gets to tour an active construction site. It has been a great way to see practical applications of what we’ve been learning in class. Pictures to follow!
