We’re not in Kansas (Tennessee?) Anymore

Studying abroad means a lot of changes and differences but the key word is STUDYING abroad! You’re going to be entering a new university and a new university system, one that may be a bit different than your Maryville College experience.

Academic:

-Most of the classes that are offered at UPN are broken down in a few parts, a large portion of the grade is determined by the final or final paper, and other major categories that are present in grade make up are projects and presentations or participation. Unlike many course in the US, there are not a large variety of categories like homework, quizzes, etc.

-The classroom is a place of learning and respect, especially for the professor who is referred to in the usted form and always properly addressed. Another aspect of this is dress. Spaniards are trendy and this applies to the classroom. Workout and house clothes are not acceptable for class.

-The semester set up is very similar to that of the US except that it goes for a bit longer into the summer. There is an exam week just as there is at Maryville the week after classes end. There is a week-long break around Easter as well that can be spent however.

-There is a high value on students’ self-responsibility and dedication to coursework especially since homework and smaller grades are not taken up.

Credits:

-Most of the courses that you will find are offered at 6 credit hours and usually involve about 75 hours of instruction and class time.

-Most students take between 5-6 of these courses; so about 30-36 hours opposed to Maryville’s 15-18. 6 hours at UPN = 3 hours at MC.

Grades:

The following is the grading scale:

Spanish	US
10	A
9	A
8	B+
7	B
6	C+
5	C
3-4	F
0-3	F

Support:

-There is a support system at UPN similar to the one at MC, but not nearly as extensive. Students have to inquire about tutoring services if they are needed.

Full Time Status:

-Though I am not certain (I have inquired at the school), I think that full time status at UPN is 30 hours. At MC it is 12 hours which would be the equivalent of 24 at UPN.

Can You Meet Me Halfway?

No, Of Course Not. It's almost as impossible as making night and day stay out together, at the SAME time. 

Academic Differences:

The academic system in Navarre is alike most Latin counties a ten point system, 

The students' performance is assessed using a 10-point grading scale. The grades can be expressed in words as follows:

• 10 with distinction: "Matrícula de Honor". 

• 9-10: "Sobresaliente" ("outstanding").

• 7-8.9: "Notable" ("remarkable").

• 5-6.9: "Aprobado" ("pass").

• 0-4.9: "Suspenso" ("failed").

• "Matrícula de Honor": 4.

• "Sobresaliente": 3.

• "Notable": 2.

• "Aprobado": 1.

Furthermore, when a student has passed a subject according to this 10-point scale, her or his grade is converted to the following 4-point scale and recorded in out transcripts: 

UPNA vs. MC

GRADING SYSTEM: 

MC has the typical grading that other institution might have the only difference might be with varying professors, some just go by points ranging from the normal out of 100pts while others might add to that point scale and others might just assign letter grades which are as described below: 

The typical grades given in a course are (from highest to lowest) A, B, C, D, and F. Sometimes these are as A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D−, and F;. D− 

Percentage	Letter Grade	Common Meaning	Numeric Grade
90-100	A	Excellent	4.0
80-89	B	Good	3.0
70-79	C	Average	2.0
60-69	D	Difficulties	1.0
0-59	F	Failing	0

 Workload:
students in Spain tend to typically have a heavy workload in their normal studies yet it seems to me that college students have less of a workload and more hand-on in school instruction then regular school systems, this is because having the 'trail and error' system helps students gain real experience and insight as to what they are doing and what they need to do to succeed.
Classroom Culture: 
Everyone in the classroom setting is very formal speaking with their professors and extremely respectful only calling them by 'Maestro' or 'Professor', the student to student interaction in big universities like anywhere else seems to be very minimum but from the UPNA course information and campus life information there is a chance for social in-class interaction everywhere.
Flow of the semester: 
Like normal Universities with the exception of holy week, things in college seem to stay on schedule.
Expectations of faculty and staff:
Is clearly highlighted in the School's mission statement: 

MISSION AND VISION OF THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRE

The mission of the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) is to contribute to the progress of society through the creation and transmission of knowledge and the promotion of culture, achieving the comprehensive training of persons and promoting values such as quality, the effort, teamwork, coexistence in diversity and social responsibility.

Regarding the vision, the Public University of Navarre contributes to the comprehensive training of its students through methodologies based in learning, with customized processes adapted to the European Higher Education Area.

CREDITS:

Are usually worth 3 credits dependent on the hour of the class and the time it consumes.

It honestly all depends on my class enrollment and what day the Host ISEP coordinator gives me. 

Academic SUPPORT:

SERVICES [+]

• Employment/Internships
• Sports
• Culture
• Basque language
• Human Resources
• Language Center

FULL-TIME STATUS:

At MC to be a full-time student you have to live on campus and have a workload of at least 12 hours in school.

At my host institution to be considered a full time student I would have to enroll like a normal student it has to be at least cinco/ 5 coursos de classes in Spain

Studying in Scotland

Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh Scotland

Academic differences:

• workload
  • As this university is so large, professors tend not to assign regular assignments. As a student, you are expected to take the initiative of practice problems and studying independently. It is not uncommon for the only grade to be from the final exam at the closing of the semester.
• classroom culture
  • This university promotes it's small class sizes, but one must take into consideration the university is home to around 17,000 students compared to Maryville College's 1,000 or so.
• flow of the semester
  • Edinburgh Napier University's year is broken into three trimesters rather than two semesters. Each trimester has it's a few weeks of break and a short break before the nest trimester begins.
• expectations of students
  • It is expected that students will have the self motivation to actively participate in class room material outside of the class room, as regular homework is not assigned.
• faculty/student relationships
  • Students are expected to take advantage of professor's office hours. Because classes tend to be larger, it is harder for instructors to take time out of lecture to answer individual questions.

Credits

• How many credits are classes normally worth?
  • Classes at Edinburgh Napier University tend to be from 2-5 credits.
• Hours a week each class will meet?
  • The number of credits a class is is directly related to the hours a week the class will meet. At this university if a class is 3 credits, the class will meet once a week for 3 hours. There are exceptions for labs.
• How will your credits transfer?
  • In my case, credit hours will transfer but because similar courses aren't offered at Maryville College the grade point credit will not.

Grades

• Are letter grades in your host country different than in the US?
  • A > 70%
  • B = 60-69%
  • C = 53-59%
  • D = 46-52%
  • E = 40-45%
  • FX = 35-39%
  • F = 0-34%

Full time status

• How many credits are considered full-time at your home institution and host institution?
  • > 21 hours a week
• What is the minimum number of classes you will have to take in order to be considered full-time?
  • Around 3 courses

Universität in Deutschland (and how it differs from life at MC)

Germany is similar to the US in a lot of ways, but there are also significant differences in the way that academics are set up.  Preparing for the shift from not only another country, but also to a large university from a small private institution, is going to be tough, but I am confident I at least know the basics of what to expect.

Classes at Giessen University are going to be much different than at Maryville College.  They are going to be lecture based for the most part, especially because of the size of the school.  Most lectures will hold 1000 students at least, and the homework load may be less, but the assignments will be more challenging and rigorous.  Students are expected to do a lot of individual study; it's encouraged to learn on your own as well as absorb what the professors are saying.  The faculty/student relationships are not nearly as personal in Germany as they are at Maryville College, again because of the sheer size of the university and the way that professional relationships are viewed in Germany.  The professors do not have open office hours, and will not be nearly as available through email.

A minimum of 12 hours is required at both MC and GU, but most students take 14 to 18 hours there, which is the same as it is at Maryville.  Most classes are for 4-6 ECTS credits (2-3 hours), and US credits are half of an ECTS point.  Thus if I take the minimum of twelve hours, I will receive 24 credits at MC for my courses.

The grading system in Germany is very different than the US system.  It works on a scale from 1-6, with 1 being similar to an A and 6 similar to an F.

There are no programs for tutoring set up at the University for exchange students, but it would be simple to ask a fellow student for assistance with homework and such the like.

Spot the Difference: Sweden vs. the United States

Academic Differences:

• Workload- workload in Sweden is roughly comparable to what one would receive in the US.
• Classroom Culture- classroom culture is also roughly comparable to the US.
• Flow of the Semester- semesters are almost a full month longer than in the US.
• Expectations of Students- once again, roughly comparable.
• Faculty/Student Relationships- comparable.

Credits:

• Typical Amount of Credits for Courses- most courses in Sweden are 7,5 or 7.5 credit hours, although this number can vary upwards to 15 credit hours. Also, programs are offered in Sweden that consist of 30 credit hours.
• Valuation of Credits- a credit hour in Sweden is worth half of what it is worth in the US. So, a class worth 7.5 credits in Sweden would be worth only worth 3.75 in the United States.
• Meeting Times- classes can meet in the same way as in the US, or they can sometimes meet in four quarters- one for each class.
• Credit Transfer- if one takes a full course load in Sweden of 30 credit hours, it will transfer as 15 upon returning to the US.

Grades:

• Grading System- the grading system for higher education in Sweden typically consists of just three grades- VG - Väl godkänd (Passed with distinction), G - Godkänd (Passed), and U - Underkänd (Fail)

Support:

• Support Availability- Roughly comparable.

Full-Time Status:

• Full Time Requirements- a minimum of 30 credit hours is typically required, which is the same as the 15 credit hour requirement in most US institutions with credit differences taken into account.

Vocation

I don't have any specific vocational goals at the moment, but going abroad certainly can't hurt. The acquisition of experience speaking the Swedish language could make me a more attractive option for positions involving international relations and/or translating. Becoming a more well-rounded international citizen would also help in this regard.

Academics abroad

DISCLAIMER: School normally hurts my head, but school abroad.... brings this headache to a whole other level.

(this is will be the end of my complaints.. for now)

What i have discoverd about schooling abroad/ everything else to with it is that practically everything is done differently than in the U.S. For years ive always that eveeryone else was the problem... but just because we are in fact the United States of America, doesnt mean that our ways are the most effiecient.. just thought about as the best!

I had to do some online research for Academic abroad and this is what i came up with:

Classes:

 4 classes per term- averages about 20 hours in class per week

Term is 15 weeks long

Spanish classes abroad:

The courses have a similar feel to language courses in North America with a smaller student/instructor ratio and an interactive atmosphere.  These courses are offered to all non-native Spanish speakers, so you will find many students in your classes who are not from North America.

If you take integrated courses with Argentine students, they tend to be more informal than in North America and it is not uncommon for students to come in late or to openly disagree with a professor.

Teaching Style:

typically going to be a lecture format where the professor is in front of the class and the students are taking notes; however, students can be more argumentative and vocal in class than what North Americans are used to and class discussions can become very animated.

Since most students work full-time, it is very common for classes to be held at night, and the age range of students is broader than in a typical North American classroom. Taking integrated courses with Argentine students is a great way for you to make local friends and to really get a feel for what university life is like for a typical Argentine student.

Grades: 

Each student starts with a zero. 

The grading scale goes from 0 to 10. 

1, 2, or 3 would all be failing grades

4 and 5 are both equivalent to a “C” here at Maryville. 

A 6 or 7 would be equivalent to a “B,” 

8, 9, or 10 is the equivalent to an A.

Credits/ course:

-Credits and classes are considered on the basis of how many hours the class is a week. 

-My espanol advanzado class is 4 hours a week so im assuming that it will transfer over as 4 credit hours. Aka I need to good !!

-It also seems that most classes are 4 credit (hours) there = 4 credit at MC

While the rest of kirsten questions may still be unanswered, i can say that this whole pre- departure experience has allowed me to learn something new every day.

maybe prior to departture i will learn to answers to these questions; that will also come in time with me interpreting my acceptance letter and detailed instructions in spanish...

Whats Duh Difference?

ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:

Workload, Culture, and Expectations: Independent, self-directed study is heavily emphasized at German universities. There are usually no definite assignments of a certain number of pages to read in textbooks. German students are expected to do independent primary and secondary reading during the course of their studies. Independent study is a crucial element of the academic freedom of a German institution and is designed to encourage self-motivation and promote interesting discussion, since not everyone has read the same material. While less demanding on a daily basis than study at a U.S. institution, independent study may ultimately be more rigorous in its demands.  To be a full-time student, students are expected to participate in 2 to 4 seminars a semester.  The relationships between faculty and students are very professional and similar to the relationships seen in the United States at  large universities.

Credits: 

Credit is usually granted at U.S. institutions on the basis of hours that the course met each week. Classes usually meet once a week.
European Credit Transfers: In a semester about 30 ECTS-Credits are completed which is equivalent to about 600-900 study hours.

German Credit Transfers:there is no centralized recording of grades and transcripts are not automatically produced at the end of each semester. Have to:

1. collect "Scheine" for your coursework from professors

The Schein will contain the following information: your name, course title, your professor's name, year and semester, number of hours per week, how you earned the Schein (e.g., by term paper, final exam, etc.), and your grade (may be on a pass/fail basis, or on a German scale, where 1-4 is considered passing)

2. secure an ISEP transcript.

Grades: Assessment is based on oral and written reports in seminars for which the student receives a Schein, or certificate (a grade can be requested). A certain number of Scheine are required in order to take the intermediate exam. The state exam, for which the student receives a grade, assesses the quality of his or her entire course of study. Grades are given on a five-point scale: 1, very good, to 5, unsatisfactory or failing.

Support:  The Zentrum für Studieninformation und Beratung (ZIB), academic advisors, and student advisors

Different schools, different rules

□     ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES: How does the academic system in the host country compares to MC?  specifically, how are the following things different:

o     Workload, as explained by previous students is not ever too heavy. Whenever there is work it is always relative to what is being taught. There aren't many papers or project presentations, but when there are they are supposed to be very interesting topics.

o    classroom culture is very similar to MC where in the classes that are taught in English, there will not be more than 15 students in each class. 

o    flow of the semester is also similar to MC where there are units within each class that will then be tested on.

o    expectations of students are also similar where it is expected that the student will be present in class, will do homework and study material covered in the classes and if that is done then the student will receive the grade that they deserve.

o    faculty/student relationships from what I have read from other students online, it appears that students and faculty have a close relationship. That the classes are small enough that they can really foster a strong relationship and work according to the pace that each student works at.

□     CREDITS:

o    How many credits are classes normally worth? Class credit is worth the same amount, so most classes are worth 3 credits, with comprehensive Mandarin being worth 6.

o    Are credits/workload valued differently in your host country than here? The number of classes will have to be different at JUFE. The maximum number of credits that I can take is 25. So I will probably try to take a few more classes then I usually would, especially since the amount of work for each one as far as I can tell from reading is less than it would be at Maryville. Also there seem to be a lot more night classes throughout each week which will be an interesting change to the few that I have taken so far in my college career.

o    Can you find information on how many hours/week each class will meet? I can't find a good representation of how often these classes will meet a week.

o    How will your credits transfer? 1 credit at JUFE equals 1 credit at Maryville 

□     GRADES:

o    Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.? They are still on the letter grade system, but the point distribution is a little bit different an A is 100-85, B is 84-75, C is 74-64, D is 63-60. Everything below this grade is failing. No complaints here since that gives me a larger span of an A that I could make.

□     SUPPORT:

o    What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution? There is a Student Services Office with many resources available to me from finding a class room to buying a train/flight ticket. Beyond this office there are also "Chinese Corners" that is the equivalent of study hall where a Chinese student is present to answer questions ranging from language practice to cultural questions. Everything that I have read about support for students has been incredibly positive saying that there was never a point that they felt like they didn't have someone behind them supporting them 100% of the way.

□     FULL-TIME STATUS:

o     How many credits do you have to enroll in to be considered full time at both your home and host institution? At MC the minimum number of credits is 12, at JUFE the minimum number is 10 credits.

o    What is the minimum number of courses you have to take to be full-time there and full-time here? At MC you have to take at least 4 classes. I am unable to find how many I would have to take at JUFE, but I imagine it would be a similar number to be able to reach that 10 credit minimum.

Two Different Eyes See a World of Different Views

A quick drive up there will lead me to my place of study, future filled with lots of driving and even more snow. While I have already touched on the issue of snow, and the cold (it is 7C here while -10C there), there is a certain amount of difference that has yet to actually be touched upon. Albeit important, It still is somewhat untouched in not only my blog but my mind. What is different about the students and the school? What is different about the Academic Culture that Brock University has over the small liberal arts college that Maryville college strives to depict? There are five major categories in which these questions can be asked: Academic, Credits, Grades, Supports, and Full time status. Under each categories hold specific questions in which one can fully delve into questions and answers to understand the full price of living at Brock University.

ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES: How does the academic system in the host country compares to MC? specifically, how are the following things different:

• Workload (# of tests/assignments/outside of class work) Through what many Brock students have stated on these blog forum websites, is that Brock university for the first couple of years (freshman/sophmore) it is easy for one to balance a social life and workload. Workload does get harder the longer that you are there, and the assignments can become more difficult, but it truthfully just depends on the major and the school that you are coming from before.
  http://www.studentawards.com/forum.aspx?g=posts&t=27638 
• classroom culture, There are going to be two different classes that you will have. A Lecture Class, and a seminar. The lecture is the main part of the class, a large room with up to 350 people where the professor teaches what is going on, the material and everything within the class bounds. A Seminar is somewhat like what a language lab is for Maryville college. It is an extra hour once a week where you have more understanding of the material by asking questions in a 25 seat room closer with the professor or with the TA.
• flow of the semester Is pretty quick. We do have a few breaks, but the semester starts early and ends early for Maryville College. Brock has four different terms. Winter (jan-april) Spring (may-july) Summer (July - Aug) and Fall (aug - December).
• expectations of students, and  Class attendance is expected and will result in failing a course if you do not go. Also, continuous breaking of rules (as at maryville) can get one removed from campus or the residential dorms. They are required to meet College and Country rules.
• faculty/student relationships Through reading blogs on the Brock University website, you can become something more than a number. with 17000+ students on campus, it is clearly a lot more than the small Maryville College. Setting up meeting times with teachers in their office hours, speaking about tests, papers, exams, or projects are all specific things that one can push to contain that close knit relationship if that is what someone wants.

CREDITS: 

• How many credits are classes normally worth? Classes are normally worth anywhere from 3-4 credits depending on the class, the level, and what division it is in. Many classes with labs at maryville college will have three hour classes a week (split up) and then will have an hour long lab to make that 4 hour mark. At brock university, the classes that I am enrolled in are all worth 3 credit hours, some which are three times a week, down to one class that is once a week for three hours flat. Seminars count within those hours of class. 
• Are credits/workload valued differently in your host country than here? Classes at Brock University area bit harsher than most United States of American Universities, Maryville College sets a high bar for students to reach and overcome, helping and allowing for a somewhat of an easier integration of student to classroom. 
• Can you find information on how many hours/week each class will meet? Within my Student Web Portal, there is a class schedule where it tells me exactly what times all of my classes at Brock University will meet, and will at some point also have the room numbers that the classes will be in.
• How will your credits transfer? As long as the director of core accepts the classes as actual classes, they will count as the same amount of credits. 12 credits at Brock University will count as 12 credits of class at Maryville College.

http://www.acics.org/students/content.aspx?id=2084

GRADES: 

• Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.? No. Letter grades at Brock University are different than letter grades at Maryville College.
  A - 100-80
  B - 79-70
  C - 69-60
  D - 59-50
  F- 49>

SUPPORT:

• What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution? There is a large amount of tutoring and academic resources for every class available at Brock University. Within your student portal, there is a large page where you can not only request a tutor, but find times that others may be tutoring in similar ways at the Library. I also believe that they have an equivalent to the Writing Center.  

FULL-TIME STATUS:

• How many credits do you have to enroll in to be considered full time at both your home and host institution? To be a full time student, I must be enrolled in 12 credit hours. 
• What is the minimum number of courses you have to take to be full-time there and full-time here? The minimum number of courses you have to take to be full time at Brock University is 8 credit hours, while the minimum credit hours at maryville college is 12 credit hours.

Maryville College in Morocco

Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco is a very unique university in regards to higher education in Morocco.  It is the only private not-for-profit university in Morocco.  Thus, it is very different to the other universities in the state.  Based on much of what I have read, Al Akhawayn University is very similar to private higher education institutions in the United States.

The amount of work it takes to get into the higher education system in Morocco is very high, and it’s a very competitive process to get into the system, so I would imagine that the workload at Al Akhawayn University is about the same or more than the workload at Maryville College.  The culture in the classroom is very professional.  One must always address faculty and staff as Ms., Mrs., Mr., Dr., and etc.  This culture is very similar to Maryville College when it comes to the address of professors but is a bit stricter when it comes to addressing staff.  I am on a first name basis with several staff members on MC campus, but I know that this will not be the case whilst in Morocco.  Additionally, the flow of the semester is very similar.  The semester is a bit longer than our spring semester at MC (January 19-May 12 (including exams)), but we do get a spring break for a week in March.  Expectations, again, seem to be relatively high for students at the university just like at home.  Attendance policies are even stricter in Morocco than at MC.  For example, an absence must be excused or a grade deduction is received.  Additionally, one can only receive three absences for a Tuesday/Thursday class and only five absences for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday class in order to still pass the class.

Credits are, again, very similar at Al Akhawayn to the system at MC.  Classes are usually worth about three credits unless a lab or extra requirements are imposed outside of class time.  Classes will meet at similar times as at MC starting at 8am and ending traditionally around 3:30pm with some night classes.  Most students take around five classes each semester, which is about 17 credit hours; however, as an international student it’s acceptable to take four classes to less the load and travel a bit while abroad.  The credits in Morocco should transfer over as 17 credits in Morocco= 17-18 hours in Maryville.

Luckily, the grading system in Morocco is exactly the same to the grading system at Maryville.  I won’t have to worry too much about transferring the classes over as grades different than what they would normally be.  Support at Al Akhawayn University does not seem as extensive as the academic support at MC.  They have a writing center where you can get help with papers, but a tutoring system does not seem to be set up as we have here.

Being a full time student at both universities is at 12 hours each semester.  Which is between 3 and 4 classes depending on the credits.  However, as stated earlier, the majority of students take around 17 hours each semester which is around five classes per semester.

Overall, the two schools are very similar.  There are only a few minor differences in my opinion that change when I go overseas to Morocco.