Studying abroad has risen to 40% in Britain, with a third of students aged from 16-36 considering going overseas as part of their studies. Here I interview Sam Levy to investigate what he’s noticed to be the differences and benefits of studying abroad. Sam attended Oxford and Cambridge before moving to America to study at Boston University.
The noticeable differences in his eyes seemed to be the scale – both in terms of the actual floor space and also pupil count, having a student total of 12,876 higher than Cambridge this year. For Sam, this has effected student life hugely, from the much larger class sizes to corridor interactions. America’s universities traditions are strikingly different to Britain’s when it comes to both teaching and layout. The American system, Boston University included, uses spot quizzes, regular homework comprised of short answer questions. To Sam, this “makes university feel more like a high school”. Although this is arguably an extreme position, it is true that his account differs from the British standard of rigorous essay writing with little to no short questions.
Interestingly, despite making the remark above, when asked about the beneficial aspects of both educational systems, far from viewing the American academic system as childish he actually argued that it is very effective. “Given the variety of subjects I have to take here, the constant grading of homework and the quizzes actually make sure I can’t get behind, unlike it Britain where I felt I was left to my own devices”. So despite Oxbridge’s beautiful grounds and ancient traditions it doesn’t necessarily hold the best methods of learning, perhaps it is this, alongside rising fees in Britain that are driving more and more students abroad for their studies.
