American and Canadian Studies Year Abroad Information

University Academic and Social Life:WE SHOULD MENTION THAT IT IS MORE FORMAL IN NORTH AMERICA-- IT IS NOTCUSTOMARY TO CALL A PROFESSOR BY HIS OR HER FIRST NAME UNLESS INVITED TO DO SO.* Academics: Academics in the US and Canada differ from British university systems in several ways. First,US and Canadian degrees are generally four years in length. During those four years, students take classeswithin one discipline (a major) and meet general university or school requirements (e.g., math or languagerequirements). Some universities also require students to declare a minor, meaning that students must take acertain amount of courses in a second discipline that may or may not be related to the major.Second, North American and British courses are structured differently. Longer length of degrees and widerdistribution requirements mean that US and Canadian university classes must meet a different set of academicrequirements than those of their British counterparts. For example, introductory level courses in the US andCanada must fit the needs of both the first-year student taking the course as a major requirement and the fourthyearstudent taking the course as a university distribution requirement. Clearly, these two students have differentobjectives, academic backgrounds and needs. Therefore, the class will most likely be structured around weeklylectures (probably two or three times a week) and will cover a wide range of information. Assessment will bebased on evidence of general knowledge comprehension (i.e., facts and figures related to material) as well asability to analyse course material in papers (essays) and exams. On the other hand, upper level courses aregenerally smaller in size and seminar-based. As most upper-level courses are reserved for students within thecourse’s discipline, these classes are designed to provide a more intensive focus on course material deemedrelevant to study within that discipline. The work-load for upper-level courses therefore tends to be more densewith lengthier reading and writing assignments than lower-level lecture courses.These different class structures often lead to rumours about the fabled “easy course” or “easy A” or howeverelse the campus lingo of the day might describe a class with an undemanding course load. In the weeks beforeregistration period, US and Canadian students will meticulously interview friends, course mates and anyone elsethey happen to meet about the classes they have taken, searching for reports on paper length requirements andassignments, exams schedules and professors’ grading scales. During that period, rumours of easy courses flyamong students. Generally, if a course requires two exams and an essay, it is considered one of those “easycourse.” Be careful, though: a small work-load doesn’t guarantee an “easy A.” Because they cover such a widefield of information, these courses often require a great deal of preparation. Furthermore, with only two examsand an essay, students have little opportunity to prove their abilities. Overall, students returning to Birminghamcaution those beginning studies in the US or Canada to be wary of supposedly easy courses.Third, academic requirements are extremely stringent in the US and Canada. Attendance is generally requiredand monitored. Participation in class discussions is usually included in assessment. Most upper-level classes arestructured around set assignments (e.g., for literature courses, one novel per week) and are assessed withfrequent papers (essays) and presentations. Some classes require a brief response paper each week, othersanywhere from three to six lengthier pieces throughout semester. Due dates for assessed work are generally nonnegotiable,excepting for health or family emergencies, and most universities require some form of documentaryevidence for extensions or absences.Finally, former year abroad students often comment, generally positively, on the different styles of teaching andadministration in US and Canadian institutions. Professors (lecturers) in the US and Canada generally areapproachable and expect their students to make the effort to make themselves known. The friendly relationshipbetween students and staff proves particularly beneficial during registration periods, as professors maysometimes make exceptions for students who speak with them personally about joining or auditing a class. Also,getting to know your professor may make large lectures seem a bit less impersonal.British and American universities often use different vocabularies. It is difficult to provide a comprehensivelisting of titles or administrative positions because of a wide variety within US and Canadian universitiesthemselves. However, there are a few fundamental differences that British students might find helpful in makingthe year-abroad journey less confusing. For example, students in the US often refer to “university” as “school,”as in, “What school do you go to?” Also, higher education in the US and Canada is divided between universitiesand colleges. Universities are generally large (20,000-30,000 students), public institutions divided into colleges(College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, etc.) Colleges, on the other hand, are typically smaller(anywhere from 500 to 7,000 students), private, and based in liberal arts curricula. They have equally stringententrance and assessment standards and comparable graduate qualifications. Within the higher education system