American College VS British University

So, you're an American who is going to study abroad in the UK? Well, before you go, you need to know the differences in academic life between the two countries.

The classroom culture and workload in the UK is different from that in the US.  For example, in the UK, education greatly emphasizes independent study, while attendance and participation are less important.  This is in contrast to the US, where attendance and participation are usually important factors in grading.  In the UK, you can expect to be given an extensive list of outside reading materials which you are responsible for knowing when it is time for examinations.  Small readings and assignments are not common features of classrooms in the UK; therefore, final exams and term papers count for much of the final grade. Time management will be an extremely important skill to have while studying in the UK.

Speaking of grades, in the UK, a 70% or higher is considered good grade or one "with distinction."  So, don't worry if you get a 75% marked on your paper.  You did fine, by their standards.  In the UK, grades INCREASE starting from 40% rather than decreasing by 100%, like they do in the US.  In fact, 40% is passing in the UK.

When it comes to classes, students in the UK tend to take 3 to 6 modules (classes) per term (semester).  Full time students in the UK normally take 60 credits per semester, or 15 credits in the US.  At the University of Essex, nearly every class is worth 15 credits, meaning a full time student would take a minimum of 4 classes per semester.  In the US, full-time students usually have to take a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

Some important terms to know:
UK                                         US
Modules                                 Classes/Courses
Courses                                  Majors/Subject of study
Marks                                     Grades in numerical form
College                                   High School