While abroad, I’ve been thinking about various aspects of my professional identity and how they’ve changed since living in a different country –– worker, traveler, and of course, student. With all the changes I faced studying abroad, from a new grading system to different classroom expectations, I have needed to reevaluate my strengths and weaknesses as a student. Additionally, I have been thinking about how my student profile fits differently in the US and the UK. Now that I am nearing the end of the semester, I can properly assess the differences between the two higher education systems.
Classroom Expectations
I came into the University of London as an English studies student. I did not expect many changes in my course load or class schedule since I assumed English education would look similar here. However, when I got my schedule, I had each of my classes only once a week. At Northeastern, I had each of my classes at least 2 to 3 times a week. Also, unlike classes in the United States, where professors usually state something like “you can’t miss X amount of classes,” attendance (usually) does NOT count toward your grade in the UK. Of course, if you’ve missed a few classes, either your caring professor or study abroad coordinator will email you and check in. Attendance usually holds a small percentage of your final grade in the States and can even help round up your final grade, but it technically does not affect your final grade in classes in the UK.
If required attendance helps you with being held accountable for going, the class structure in the US may be better for you. If you’re a more independent student –– in terms of preferring to manage work individually outside of the classroom instead of doing more of it within the class –– you’d love how the UK goes about their coursework.
Grading Differences
As a CSSH student at Northeastern, my final grade is usually distributed like the following:
5%: Participation
5%: Attendance
10%: Homework & in-class assignments
20%: Essay #1 (1,000 words)
25%: Essay #2 (1,500 words)
35%: Essay #3 (2,500 words)
However, for most of my English classes in London, the composition of my final grade has been so:
100%: Final Essay
For some, a single major paper sounds like an academic dream, but the singular grade seemed daunting to me. Sometimes, it’s hard to gauge how much you understand the material until you have a small check-in assignment. As a result, not having these opportunities was a new concept to me. However, meeting with professors abroad is equally, if not more, telling and beneficial than these smaller assignments. My professors were super patient and understanding when I expressed my apprehension about assignments as a visiting student. So, as with any university, prioritize reaching out to professors and going to office hours.
Final Comments
As I am wrapping up my time in London, I have learned so much academically and about university abroad. The different classroom expectations can be a lot to navigate, and there were definitely bumps along the way. Fortunately, professors in the UK are known for giving good feedback on final assessments, so I will know what I can work on in my writing. I have learned a lot from my four amazing English classes this semester –– as well as from all of my adventures and new experiences outside of the classroom.
This semester has been educational in every sense of the word, and I’m genuinely grateful for every part of it.
