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Voices of #TerpsAbroad - The Classroom

Navigating a new academic environment
Michelle Rosinski

Studying abroad comes with a host of adaptations, but perhaps what is most challenging is in the “study” part of “study abroad.” Whether you’re taking upper level classes related to your major or courses that will fulfill elective credits at home, it’s important to remember that you are expected to perform on the same level as students around you. This includes learning assignment expectations, classroom dynamics, and the grading system.
 
The Classroom
In upper level English courses, classes are separated into seminars and lectures, both taking place once a week. During seminars, students are expected to participate in discussion. Occasionally, professors will give small assignments to generate weekly conversation, which is much like the structure in the United States.
 
I began my classes at the beginning of the spring semester without any prior knowledge of the course material. I learned, however, that lectures for these courses occur throughout the entire academic year and students have attended relevant lectures in the fall with the foresight that they would be taking the course in the following semester.
 
Being surrounded by those who were more prepared was both alarming and motivating. I had to push myself to read more course material on my own time to catch up with other students and be on a level that would allow me to valuable contributions in class discussions. It was intensely rewarding to match my peers performance in these courses. It turns out there are benefits to being an underdog, and it comes with succeeding in something that you thought was out of your reach.
 
Adapting to Expectations
While I pushed myself to master the course material and adapt to the new structure of seminars and lectures, I still found myself in situations where I felt unaccustomed to smaller academic routines. For example, at the end of one seminar, my professor was returning our mid-term essays. He paused as he reached one paper in particular.
 
“This is just a reminder that we ask you to refrain from placing your names on the top of the paper, as this would lead to potential bias in the grading process…” He cleared his throat, “Most of you know this, however some of you, potentially hailing from…different universities…” He trailed off and glanced ever so quickly in my direction.
 
I knew instantly that he was referring to me. Unaware of the widely known anonymity rule, I had placed my name in bold letters right underneath the title of the essay. I smiled back at him apologetically as he handed me my paper with the title and name viciously scratched out in black ink.
 
This was a moment when I learned that mistakes follow from assuming things about my surroundings. I did not take the time to read carefully through the supplemental assignment instructions for honors courses at GU, and because of this I acted in a way that I assumed was right. I now see it as my mission to gain as much information about my environment as possible.
 
I also found that just as classrooms are different in the UK, so is the grading system. A’s in the United States are not the same as A’s in the United Kingdom, and so on. There is a different spectrum in place, which is based off the notion that a “failing” percentage grade is 40% rather than 70% in the US. What does this mean for the rest of the grading scale? It means that A’s are incredibly difficult to attain, but they are also not expected. Again, I found myself needing to adjust my expectations as I worked to succeed in this new academic environment.
 
Examinations
Exam season at American universities usually means being overwhelmed with a large amount of work in a short amount of time. Many students find their new home in the library, and their caffeine intake to be verging on unhealthy. This is a result of the semester culminating to a dramatic end with final exams occurring all at once and accounting for around 30% of the grade for each class.
 
In the UK, examinations are very different. Courses end during the last week of April- yes, I said April. After that, it begins a month-long time known as “revisions.” Many students go home during this time, but this is NOT a break. Students fill their dining room tables with notes, and the tension in the air across the nation is almost tangible. Even with such an extended period of time, the stakes are very high as the exams that come at the end of the revisions period count for 50-100% of the course grade.
 
While the U.S. style creates a more urgent and condensed exam period, it also means that coursework is fresher in your mind. The UK model on the other hand gives more time for personal preparation, but makes it easier to forget discussions and assignments from class.
 
I know that students in both settings have frustrations with how exams are structured, but I feel fortunate to be challenged by both systems and I feel that I have learned the value in each.
 
Learning from Challenges
I learned how important time management is when final grades are so crucial and that I needed to step up to meet the standards at hand. My semester abroad has been one of the most challenging I have had, making academics one of the areas I feel I have progressed in the most while abroad. I will step away from this experience knowing how to assess my environment and adapt to new structure and expectations to be successful. I’ve become more aware that there is always something to be learned, and that having this outlook can work to my benefit.
 
The academic experience I have had abroad has given me a chance to compare my skills with students halfway across the globe, and this is a life changing experience.