Academic Differences: A Comparison between France and the U.S.

One significant difference between French universities and American colleges is the student's interdependence. While there may be daily homework assignments/grades within an American college class, French college classes may have as few as one grade for the entire semester: the final exam. While the class size of both French and English universities varies based on the size of the school itself, Maryville College is known for its manageable class sizes of no more than 60 students. 

At UniCaen, it is likely that I will be exposed to a lecture class size of a couple hundred even up to 1,000 students. This significant difference in class size will be a struggle for me. I selected Maryville College because of its small class size and one-on-one attention with professors. In France, I will experience  class in large lecture halls and will be expected to depend more on myself rather than reaching out and setting up a private meeting with a professor. 

Despite the large class size and distant professor-student relationship, there are resources that Caen offers. Typically, French universities organize student-led study groups where they go over the material discussed in class. Aside from this, there is also the option to ask a classmate for help. The grading scale in France is also difference. Instead of being graded 0-100 as in America, France grades its students on a scale of 0-20. A 10 would be considered a 72/100 or a C in America.

In the U.S., one is considered a full-time student if they are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours. In France as an ISEP student, I will be enrolled in 12-15 units which will consider me a full-time student for both locations. In France, typically the student doesn't have much freedom concerning the classes the take. In America, the electives and core classes make the education process longer, while in France, one is able to obtain his or her Master's Degree in just five years. This process takes 7+ years in the U.S.

 Each class will meet 1-2 hours a week, with the majority of the learning being done independently by the student outside the classroom. Once again, here is another example of the student's interdependence. Studying abroad will present me with challenges I have never faced before, but I am eager and ready to being this journey of self-discovery and discovery of the world.