I really like the education system in America. It just seems to make sense.
In the UK, it's just three years (mostly - some courses are different, like medicine - or if you want to do a sandwich course, with a placement year), on your chosen course. On the majority courses, mine included, you can choose which modules you would like to take - and you can take modules from other courses, but it does mean that you don't have some of the knowledge taught earlier in the other course.
I think as a whole our education system does make a lot of sense. The general education requirements just drive me crazy because it's very different from school to school. But really... I've known people that took years to get their degree.... because they decided to work, or start a family, etc....
I can see how your system works sort of. So you don't have to take general education requirements really? (Like classes in math, science, history, Writing, literature, foreign language etc... in addition to your major) Or is that sort of stuff kind of included in there? (you said you can take other modules, but do you have to?)
Thank you for all of your help and support. I will no longer be coming to RYL. Semi-explanation will be inside my profile.
Nope. You don't do any general education requirements. You can do, but you don't have to. As for taking other modules - that's down to the course and the uni. My uni it's optional, a friend's uni it's compulsory.
But then, our uni starts at 18 - you do GCSEs until 16 (you do around 11 GCSEs in a range of courses, these include maths, science & english etc.), then you can leave, or you can specialise and do A-levels until 18 - normally three or four courses - and then uni.
Okay cool. I've heard people talking about that, but didn't really know what it all meant. I would've loved to specialize in stuff sooner, but at the same time I do like all my random knowledge I picked up through general ed classes).
So it seems to be based more on age than stuff is over here. Does pretty much everyone take the GCSEs at 16? It's more based off of grade level here, though because most people start school around the same age, most people do finish it around the same age, graduating around 17/18 and starting college around 18. You can't really leave school until you are 18 or graduate for the most part too.
Thank you for all of your help and support. I will no longer be coming to RYL. Semi-explanation will be inside my profile.
What philosophy work is it? And what year are you in?
Sorry just noticed this. I am in 2nd year but 1st year philosophy module for credits. We have just done 'what is knowledge' now doing formal logic...fun!
You made up your mind to torture mine!
If you read a scar like a book, you will relise the story in which you over look
Yeah, education up till 16 is compulsory (though they're trying to make it up to 18) so everyone does GCSEs at the same time. After that, everything's optional. My degree is psychology with social science so I have 4 psych units and 1 social science (plus a research project) this year. I have some choice in my Psych units but there are 2 compulsory ones, and the social science one I had no choice about.
I would quite enjoy doing some general ed at the same time, but I find it hard enough to keep up with the psych work, let alone adding more subjects into that.
How much time do you spend actually in lessons in the US? I only have 6 hours a week, only had 7 hours for the last two years. :)
7th July 2007
Hope is the feeling you have, that the feeling you have isn't permanent. (Jean Kerr)
I think in some way the American system makes more sense... sort of leaves room for flexibility... here if a child is particularly advanced or struggling then they sort of get cut out as you have to focus on what the average person of that age can do...
I am now making notes for EVERY SINGLE lecture of this year... due to clashes I cannot attend them all, but if I have notes from them all then it will look as if I have been working really hard (which I have been, but I struggle sometmes which leaves gaps...)
I only have 6 hours a week, only had 7 hours for the last two years. :)
gah! damn arts people...
I have:
1 hour of tutorials (every other week)
3 hours of seminars (every week - but they are optional)
4 hours of physiology lectures (every week)
3 hours of physiology labs (every 3 weeks)
3 hours of history of science lectures (every week)
4 hours of physiology of exercise lecturers (every week)
2 hours of physiology of exercise labs (every other week)
3 hours of apllied sports physiology lecturers (a week)
2 hours of applied sports physiology labs (once a month)
2 hours of exercise and health lecturers (every week)
3 hours biology lectures (every week)
and
2 anatomy reports (no lectures as only sort of semi doing course)
damn science people who think arts students do no work =P
Actually, that does sound like a lot, I feel for you!
BUT. I am actually sick of my science friends thinking arts students are lazy *nods*. I only have 13 contact hours a week, which eeeveryone likes to complain about but I do end up doing just as much work as them. Especially Greek. Greek is taking over my life. It's really very sad.
This term, I'm taking the minimum to be a full student because I don't need more, but I'm sitting in lectures and stuff about 12 hours a week. Last term I took one more class, and was there about 16 hours a week. Do loads more work though and I'm on a magazine and a news writer for a local paper.
So basically I had no life this term if you count all my readings and projects in.
*Nods* I worked on one project for 24 hours straight during the weekend. It's for this insane required class for my major.
Thank you for all of your help and support. I will no longer be coming to RYL. Semi-explanation will be inside my profile.
Okay, I know that was meant in good humour, but it really gets me. You do have a lot of work, clearly, but I have 20 hours a week, and am expected to do 4 hours of extra reading and research for every unit each week. Arts subjects aren't easy options.
/end rant
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Make us all feel wonderful. We'll never forget."
I know I'm a bit late to this, but to add my tuppence worth on the US/Scotland/England&Wales differences and benefits:
The US system is good because it gives you a broad education, which I believe university should be about, no just another hoop to jump through in order to get a job. BUT, it may be a bit too broad in that you can specialise down enough. In the UK a PhD takes three years (in reality, more like three and half to four) and most will require a one-year masters course. In the US a PhD takes about seven years, this is because of the amount of graduate classes and other things they have to do, the graduates can't just go straight into doing their research.
The Scottish system is good because (on the most part) it allows students to give themselves a broad education in the first year as well as the second. Then in third and fourth the students can start to narrow down their subject by taking different options courses.
The system in the rest of the UK always seems to confuse me. I dislike the idea of jumping straight into your course. I did philosophy as a third subject in first year and it has helped immensely with my geographic thought course where others without the philosophical background, however basic, have struggled. In the English and Welsh system I wouldn't have had this option. Also, everything seems much more modular than up here.
grumblecakes! I took my first final for the uni last night (after being in college for 4 years) and the darn teacher made the test too long to finish. he is a part timer and only has 2 classes. The first class didnt get close to finishing, so when we came in, he started off by saying that none of us will finish the test. So of course i freak and rush and try to get as much done as i can... and come out of the test very dissapointed. probably wont know my grade for a week. I was getting an A in the class.. and now im thinking that i did bad on the final and dropped my grade down. I studied a lot and was very prepared for the test. knew how to do every problem, but didnt have the time to do it right.
grrrr. I hope that he curves the test and that i didnt do too many stupid mistakes.
but my calculus final on thursday will be much much easier. (never thot i'd be saying that)
-brian
'in the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see'
awwww *hugs* that sucks! I've had teachers the community college I went to do that (one of mine showed up to our final a half hour late...). If he knows no one was able to finish, he might curve it or throw out a few questions. I've had that happen to me before.
Thank you for all of your help and support. I will no longer be coming to RYL. Semi-explanation will be inside my profile.
I haven't been here for a bit because I've been very nerdy recently getting my essays done. But I finished it yesterday :)
Just as well cos I'm going to Uganda on Saturday. Need to pack today and do some more work on something ridiculously easy tomorrow then I can relax :) yay!
I wish I was in America.. I've actually been looking at Masters courses over there but they're really expensive :|
This group work is starting to really, really irritate me now. I have a few choices:
1. Split the work between the two other people who care and end up carrying the other three.
2. Tell them they need to start pulling their weight and probably end up having to tell them exactly what they need to do.
3. Stop doing any work and seeing where we get. But I need a good grade in this to keep my marks up.
So far I'm leaning towards option two, but I know that will make me really unpopular and will mean telling a friend to get their act together. Today he just expected me to tell him what to write for his literature review! I've not even done mine yet! So I gave him some references and told him to look at them, he wasn't impressed. We all have better things to do, me more so than him, but it needs to be done.
'in the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see'
