NationStates Jolt Archive

Has anyone ever studied abroad in a foreign country? I'm talking about attending a school/university/college in a foreign country. And how does it compare to your native school/education system?

I myself studied in a Catholic private school in the Philippines, although only for a year. Compared to American Catholic private schools, students and teachers in the Philippines are more friendly (although it may have something to do with the prevalent emo culture). Also, my schedule in the Philippines was more lenient. I got a 25 minute break after the first three periods, then an hour for lunch. In my current Catholic school, the only break is a 20 minute lunch period. Also, practically every restaurant in the Philippines has delivery, so we could order food from outside (in addition to the "canteen," where we could order hot plates, consisting of grilled-on-the-spot food and veges. Oh, there was also french fry vendors, chili vendors, japanese food vendors and desert vendors).

Oh, there was also french fry vendors, chili vendors, japanese food vendors and desert vendors).

:eek:
Do you eat Saharas?

No but I wish I had. Too late for that now.

I went on a summer study abroad two years ago through my university. It was half a summer. We stayed two weeks at Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca, and another two weeks at Koç University in Istanbul. The trip mostly involved drinking, finding drink, and adventures influenced by drink. I remember an all nighter alone at a polish train station, nearly getting shanked in Arad, nearly getting stranded in the Czech Republic (when I didn't know I was in the Czech Republic at the time), nearly missing my train in nowhere Romania, getting drunk on really bad alcohol on the soviet era train from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca, getting arrested at the Hungarian boarder, and doing something so vile that it got me banned from an entire city.

So yes, I encourage study abroad for cultural learnings and great success.

EDIT: as to educational systems, both Romanian and Turkish systems were much more..."paternal". Professors get a lot more respect. Also, the socieoeconomic factors are different. Most of the people going to the Universities I studied at, especially in Istanbul, were rich.

Each year in my College there are 8 to 14 Exchange students. They all love it here. They usually get on with the British Education system.

General opinion is, we do alot less work, but the work we do is alot harder.

Specialist Education vs Generalist.

Take me, I do 4 A levels over 3 subjects.

My Hungarian friend, she does 14 of what they call A levels, but she says English ones are alot harder.

My Swiss friend does 12, says the same.

It seems Europe like to "Generalise" the studies of its students while the UK prefers to "Specialise"

I did pretty much all my schooling in Belgium up until I was 16 and then I did my A-Levels in the UK. It's quite difficult to compare the two as I did my A-Levels at a sixth form college which is a very different culture to school. However I did find that though I put in much more contact hours in the Belgian system, I found that the work was easier. It was all about remembering things - I have a good memory, so that's quite easy to do. For A-Levels I found it was a lot more about understanding than recall, which in turn actually made me think.

This said, I think A-levels may be a bit specialist still and do too few subjects. I think a half-way system, such as the International Baccalaureat may be more effective, make the education a bit more generalist whilst keeping the focus on understanding more. Or more move back towards a deeper emphasis on understanding over the ever increasing 'teaching to the test'.

Considering doing Erasmus this next year. Got a week to decide, and it's honestly one of the harder choices of my life. Argh.

I studied as an exchange stutend at Michigan State University for 6 months of the 2 years I lived there. I was, also, an exchange student at the University of Puerto Rico/La Complutence de Madrid program for a year while a sophmore.

It was fun and it enriched my education, but all in all, I think education in European institutions is far superior.

Hmm... primary, secondary and a year of tertiary in 3 different schools in Romania, A-Levels in two different schools in England (a comprehensive and a grammar), and now first year at uni in England. You could say I've been around.

I found that 2 of the three schools I attended in Romania were pretty hard core (perhaps because they were of national reputation, and that some teachers couldn't care less about the curriculum and had no qualms about teaching 2 years in advance if an individual/class could handle it), followed by the grammar school in England (also quite high up in the national league tables) which was both very concentrated on the exams, and doing extra stuff that were not needed for exams.

Uni is mixed. Some of the stuff we get taught is nice and advanced, and stimulating, but the amount of work is ridiculously small, and it's pretty much up to you to research whatever you find interesting, if you no longer have money for a night out.

We have foreign exchange come to Alnwick; St Cloud’s uni students from the USA come and stay at the Duke of Northumberland’s Castle while they do a "Current Britain" course. They all seem to like it but get a shock when they come into a pub filled with 15/15/17 year olds who can drink them under the table, don’t American teenagers get hammered the same way there British counterparts do?

I'd love to but they only teach in English language at universities from what I've seen which I don't have grades for :(

don’t American teenagers get hammered the same way there British counterparts do?

have you tried American beer?

have you tried American beer? Very true, but they only seem to have two or three pints of that piss water and there gone.

have you tried American beer?

Hey, don't generalize. Not all American beer tastes like sheep urine.

I never studied abroad, but I do teach abroad, does that count? :D

Japan's educational system has large structural similarities to the US system (which makes sense, given the post WWII history of education in Japan), but there are some massive differences between the two on focus and expectations. I find that, in Japan, more is expected of the students than in the US and subjects which would be considered elective in the US (such as art or music) is considered not only mandatory in Japan, but a major component of a Japanese student's education (All Japanese kids leave elementary school knowing how to play at least two instruments, even if they are just a recorder and a keyboard). Ironically, given the Japanese cultural attachment to collectivism and America's stated interest in individualism and responsibility, I find that my kids are given far, far more say in the running of the school (Both at the elementary and junior high school level) than they are in the US. Student councils actually mean something here and my junior high students plan and perform the school's major festival each year, including things such as the lights and sound equipment.

All that being said though, I do find there are somethings that the US system handles better. In Japan, you are given your range of subjects, in the US you have some choice as to the class. In Japan, if you don't fit the mold in any way shape or form, you're in trouble. Japan does not have a system in place to deal with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or the gifted and talented. Everything is pitched to the same level, usually with the whole of the nation within a week or so of each other, regardless of school level or local interest (Meaning that, when I taught the national English curriculum in junior high school here, my lesson would be so far over some of my student's heads that they couldn't get bubbles to the surface and so far beneath some of my students that they were bored silly, but we couldn't adjust it at all). For all of its failings, the US system does attempt to address the differences in student ability and backgrounds and makes space for local variations. The US system also offers many more second chances for kids who, perhaps, did not make wise educational choices when they were kids. In Japan, you get one shot and if you mess it up, oh well.

Here in Russia Alot of People go to the USA to Study for a Job and come back here to work, During the Days of The good ol' USSR you dident have to Leave we had Great Everything

LOL, you do realize that to much of this board, education in America would qualify as education in a foreign country?

I went to study music in hell, under prof. Lucifer, in order to master the arts of rock and roll.

Hey, don't generalize. Not all American beer tastes like sheep urine.

I suppose you have import :p

LOL, you do realize that to much of this board, education in America would qualify as education in a foreign country?

does America really count as foreign these days?

I went study music in hell, under prof. Lucifer, in order to master the arts of rock and roll.

you must be fun at interviews :)

i Would have to say that these Days in Russia Getting an Education is Better than After we First Broke up. i Liked the good Ol' Days of the USSR Better

SNIP

whats the USSR? was that a country in Africa :confused:

LOL, you do realize that to much of this board, education in America would qualify as education in a foreign country?
Going to school in the U.S. doesn't necessarily equal education, though.

I've never done less for school than during that year abroad and yet managed to graduate second best from a private high-school. Despite that, I wouldn't want to trade the experience for anything and have very fond memories of my year in the States. Plus, my English and Biology teachers there have inspired me to pursue a degree in education, as did my German English teacher.

However, if you should have the chance to go abroad, do so. It's always a worth-while experience - even if you don't learn that much in school, you learn a lot for life and broaden your horizon.

I studied 1 year (Senior) High school in the USA ;)

The hard part was catching up Latin, Philosophy, History and Italian literature for my final exams in Italy.

Considering doing Erasmus this next year. Got a week to decide, and it's honestly one of the harder choices of my life. Argh.

Do it!

LOL, you do realize that to much of this board, education in America would qualify as education in a foreign country?

Pfft. There's America, and then there are all of the foreign countries.

lern2ethnocentralize :P




I haven't been inside the borders of another country, though I have been outside the borders of my country, so I can't vouch for the education of any other country excepting the US of A. Relaying something I've heard constantly from my Vector Dynamics professor (a Russian national, possibly during the days of the USSR), students in Russia excel in mathematical areas that many American students either don't take or don't do very well in.

Do it!
I miss my pals and they're never more than 100 miles away. Not sure that going to Jena would be easier than Hull to be honest.