What are the main differences between American and UK universities?
I am an American and am considering to apply to SOAS in London for a BA
in Development Studies and African Studies. Can you please inform me
about the British way of teaching and learning? How are students graded?
Are there general education requirements mandatory for every student
regardless of major (i.e. a science, history, art or math)? Is there an
equal amount of tests and papers? Any information would be much
appreciated.
6500 × 3611 - blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk
Best Answer
I'm going to spare you with the course and the 4 unit/year structure
info, as much of that is in the prospectus. I'm going to tell you about
the differences that aren't in the prospectus.
The main difference is what is *actually* assessed, rather than what is taught. Do a comparable course on either side of the pond and you'll be set-up well for a career, but what you get is quite different - the US - you get lots of general knowledge about that area, the UK you get how to reason that knowledge.
In the US, you are continually assessed, so you have a fixed area of knowledge which you are assessed on, whereas in the UK it's terminal assessment - i.e. end of year/course exams.
While this might sound great in that you do little work during the year, and can more or less get away with cramming for the finals. Usually at London University colleges (of which SOAS is one), only your 2nd or 3rd year makes a real difference to your final mark. So yeah, you'll find students party hard for the first two years, and the three terms are generally 2 fun terms, followed by one hellish one spent in the library.
The subtlety most American miss (why many do academically badly) is that what you have to be good at is very different. It's about being able to write on point, and provide an articulate, inventive and imaginative way of looking at the material, which shows you can intelligently look at the material - rather than regurgitating what's been taught to you at lectures.
It is the former which gains high marks, rather than volume of knowledge - this is particularly true for essay subjects such as Development. (This is why in the UK - in my opinion - when it comes to getting a job it doesn't matter which degree you do, but rather the institution and the corollary staNDard that follows)
Don't be put off by this, you'll learn how to do write for exams, as most British students do in your first year, (which is why it doesn't usually count much to the final mark)
2) Academic standards
Depending on the university, you'll find that UK students with good A-level grades, generally, are on a par with 2nd year students at most US colleges, indeed many get to skip the freshman year if they go to US colleges. You often have people with mismatched backgrounds, such as a sciences person at A-level, reading a social science subject. Don't worry too much about your general education requirements, as long as you can show you can write well, reason your arguments are are generally numerate you should be fine.
Good luck what ever you end up deciding to do... :)
The main difference is what is *actually* assessed, rather than what is taught. Do a comparable course on either side of the pond and you'll be set-up well for a career, but what you get is quite different - the US - you get lots of general knowledge about that area, the UK you get how to reason that knowledge.
In the US, you are continually assessed, so you have a fixed area of knowledge which you are assessed on, whereas in the UK it's terminal assessment - i.e. end of year/course exams.
While this might sound great in that you do little work during the year, and can more or less get away with cramming for the finals. Usually at London University colleges (of which SOAS is one), only your 2nd or 3rd year makes a real difference to your final mark. So yeah, you'll find students party hard for the first two years, and the three terms are generally 2 fun terms, followed by one hellish one spent in the library.
The subtlety most American miss (why many do academically badly) is that what you have to be good at is very different. It's about being able to write on point, and provide an articulate, inventive and imaginative way of looking at the material, which shows you can intelligently look at the material - rather than regurgitating what's been taught to you at lectures.
It is the former which gains high marks, rather than volume of knowledge - this is particularly true for essay subjects such as Development. (This is why in the UK - in my opinion - when it comes to getting a job it doesn't matter which degree you do, but rather the institution and the corollary staNDard that follows)
Don't be put off by this, you'll learn how to do write for exams, as most British students do in your first year, (which is why it doesn't usually count much to the final mark)
2) Academic standards
Depending on the university, you'll find that UK students with good A-level grades, generally, are on a par with 2nd year students at most US colleges, indeed many get to skip the freshman year if they go to US colleges. You often have people with mismatched backgrounds, such as a sciences person at A-level, reading a social science subject. Don't worry too much about your general education requirements, as long as you can show you can write well, reason your arguments are are generally numerate you should be fine.
Good luck what ever you end up deciding to do... :)
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