Blog 3

Maryville is very distinctive in its academic rigor. All of my courses have about 3 to 4 exams a semester counting as the main grades. Some courses have reading assignments that add to the amount of grades taken. Most of the classes I've taken are set up so that the instructor lectures with a powerpoint, and students are able to ask questions if they raise their hands. Additionally, professors have office hours where students can go if the need additional assistance.

In comparison, the University of Roehampton also seems to be very dependent on exams acting as the main grades; however, it's usually one final exam that the final grade is based on. Relationships between faculty and students at Roehampton is similar to here in that students are paired with an academic mentor to aid them through school. An expectation at Roehampton that is different from MC until senior year is that students are more regularly expected to conduct research.

At MC, classes can be 1 to 4 credits reflecting roughly how many hours a week is spent in that class. Students can take 12 to 18 credits a semester with 15 to 16 being average. In the UK, students take 3 to 6 classes amounting to 60 to 120 credits. Our 3 credit hours equal 10 credits in the UK. Our 4 credit hours equal 20 credits in the UK. At MC, time spent in class each week is fairly rigid and specific. In the UK, the amount of time spent in a class can vary from week to week. To be a full time student at MC, students must take a minimum of 12 hours. This is can be made up of a combination of 1-4 credit hours. At Roehampton, students have to take a minimum of 90 credits year (if enrolled for a single semester, minimum of 60 credits are required). This translates to roughly the same number of classes that a student at MC would be required to take.

A large difference between the two school systems is the grading system. A 70-100 in the UK is equal to an A here. Furthermore, a 65-69 is an A-, 50-59 is a B+, 45-49 is a B, a 45-49 is a C+, a 40-44 is a C, and a 0-39 is an F.

Similarly to MC, support can be found through academic advisors who are paired with students to help answer questions and act as guides through the system. Additionally, Roehampton offers special housing accommodations for those who need it. They also offer assistance for those with handicaps that can affect them academically.

While there are large differences between the two school systems, like the grading scale and credit, the overall systems are very similar. Students take about the same amount of classes, and professors are there to support and help students when they can.