SoSe, So Me

Bern has two semesters, known as WiSe which is Winter semester (or fall) and SoSe which is Summer semester (or spring). I will be attending Bern in the SoSe which runs from late February to July. There are different kind of courses that are offered at University of Bern. Students can partake in Lectures, Pre-Seminars, Seminars, Tutorials, and Discussion-based classes. The majority of courses are offered in German, but there are plenty that are offered in English, which I will be taking. 

There are over 2,400 teaching professionals with some odd 18,000 students. This is a student to faculty ratio of approximately 8 to 1. This school size is small in comparison to other schools throughout Switzerland. This is exciting for me because it will hopefully have the same sense of a community type of atmosphere as you find at Maryville.  

The University of Bern has a course catalog and portal where students can view classes and courses that are offered as well as registering for said classes. On this portal, students can view a course description, the language in which a course is taught, the amount of ECTS credits it is worth, the professor, and the meeting time and place. Class credit amounts vary greatly, much like here in the U.S.; this is anywhere between 1 and 8 credit hours. The majority of the classes that I am interested in account for 3, 4, or 5 credits. For each ECTS credit, it will transfer here at Maryville as approximately half. So a four hour credit course at Bern will count as a two hour course at Maryville.

The grading scale at Bern is a number scale from one to six with half intervals. Six is rated excellent, Four is rated adequate, and anything three point five or lower is inadequate. This is determined from a student's course work and exams.

There is a wide variety of support that the university offers. They have online exercises, testing, and self evaluations available. There are tutors, and extended office hours for students to get additional help as needed. There is a mental health center, a student union, and an IT department. There is a health clinic as well.  

In order to be a full time Undergrad while using the ECTS course system, students need a minimum of 60 hours a year. This breaks down to 30 hours a semester. As an international student, it is suggested that I take 20-24 credit hours a semester. With the transfer of ECTS to US credits, I will need to be in classes that equal 12 hours in the U.S. In simplest terms, I will need to take at least 24 hours in Bern. 

Academic Differences: Spain v United States

1. Final exams: In the USA I am adjusted to having final exams that count for a portion of the grade, but a smaller amount. In Spain, the emphasis and the bulk of the grade is generally placed at the end of the semester. I will have to try not to procrastinate until the last moment to finish all my final projects.

2. Teacher relations: From what I have researched, I would suggests that Spanish professors tend to be lest involved. The teacher typically lectures and the students are to write down all that they can.

3. Costs: The costs in Spanish universities tend to be less than in the USA. This means that my purchasing of test books will probably cost way less.

4. Grading system: The Spanish grading system runs on a 1-10 grading scale in which 10 is the very best that one can attain. However, it is not unusual to receive a 5 and most people are okay with making such a grade.

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. 

  

Academic Differences-TU Dortmund

One of the biggest differences in academics in Germany is the school calendar. Most universities have a winter semester that goes from October to March and a summer semester from mid April until mid July.  Classes are mainly lectures (Vorlesungen) with accompanying seminars/small group discussions (ubungen). Seminars are led by professors and require students to participate, often through oral presentations. Students should take between two and four seminars per semester. Professors do not often explicitly assign specific pages to be read by a certain class period. Students are responsible for reading and independent study. Classes are less demanding in terms of day to day assignments and homework, but for the semester as a whole, the independent study part can be difficult and rigorous.

TU Dortmund uses ECTS to compare credits at the university. Completing the 4 week intensive German Language course before the beginning of the semester will get me 7 ECTS credits. Full time students take 30 ECTS credits per semester.

Grade Conversion from World Education Services

Scale	Grade Description	U.S. Grade Equiv.
1-1.5	Sehr Gut (Very Good)	A
1.6-2.5	Gut (Good)	A
2.6-3.5	Befriedigend (Satisfactory)	B
3.6-4.0	Ausreichend (Sufficient)	C
4.1-6	Nicht Ausreichend (Insufficient)	F

Une Americaine a l'etranger

Many conditions have influenced my life to make me the person I am today. I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and I have never lived in any other state. My family is large, with nine kids in the household, and being the second oldest, I've had to fend for myself many times. Independence and self-reliance is important to me, and my self-audit reflected as much. Because the feminist movement is still underway and not without its to-do list, I have found within myself a passion to advance myself for the sake of finding accomplishment and pride as a woman.  For me, equality has always been important.

Because I will be studying abroad in northern France, I know that the culture, the customs, and the country itself will make for quite an adjustment. France recognizes, like many European countries, that the family is a working unit, in need of respect, privacy, and attention. French family members make decisions with much importance placed on the opinions of the other family members. Because my background and upbringing with my own family is not solid and strong, it is impossible for me to adopt these culturally significant values for myself. It will also be difficult to remember that other students, perhaps native to the country of France and the idea of a tight family unit, were not exposed to my background, and therefore, have no need to be as self-reliant and independent.

Within my self-audit sheet, I scored strongly in openness and weakly in flexibility. My willingness to try new foods, visit new places, and meet new people will combat and hopefully conquer my need to know all the information regarding a situation. I am inflexible with my planning habits and feel the need to live by an agenda. In doing this while overseas, I might miss valuable opportunities to partake in spontaneous adventures. This is something I will have to be aware of and control.

The popular opinion regarding Americans is that the are loud, selfish, polite for the sake of politeness and not respect, and boastful about their busy schedules, seeming to have no time for friends with all their time going to work/school.  I get loud when I become excited or angry. I manage a schedule because I am used to juggling work, school, volunteering, and other obligations that require focus and time of me. The cultural atmosphere I exist in does not allow for much flexibility and so I have grown inflexible along with it, and my independence and ability to work well alone can often be perceived as selfishness. I fit much of the standard expectations regarding Americans, but I want to show that I am more than those things, and I want to learn all I can about the French people and the unique individuals that exist within that group.       

Renee the American

The number one thing about adapting to a new culture is that I have to be aware that I am not in America. Things that may seem like they should be the same, may not be. And that's ok. Great actually. It keeps humans from being really boring. However, this brings a challenge when I'm going to live in Japan for about four months.

I recently found out through the Cultural-Context Inventory that I embody a low contact culture. This makes sense. America is on the medium low scale in term of cultures. This is a little bit of problem however. See, Japan is an extremely high contact culture. Like really high. It's usually the example for a high culture. This means that I'll have to be careful in what I expect from people around me. Japanese people are a collective culture where the group is more important than the individual. America does not do that. Instead, we focus on the individual, how can I succeed and such, instead of how can the group succeed. This will probably come to head when I make Japanese friends. I'll have to make sure to think more about their concerns and feeling than I would here. Not that I don't already, but I must be more proactive in my thinking than usual. This also might appear in school work. I'll mostly be working with internationals, but there's a chance that I might be in an elective or club that's mostly Japanese students. I prefer individual work, while they probably prefer working in a group. And they care about that group. This will probably be a positive. Instead of the usual "one person does the work for the entire group" mentality and tendency, Japanese students might actually work together and make sure everyone is on the same page and have the same share of the workload. This, of course, is only speculation. But I most be prepared for any and all sides of the the spectrum.

The High and Low Culture difference is not the only thing that will pose a challenge. See, Americans and Japanese tend to be different personality wise. I'm a very blunt person. It's very American. If you don't like something, tell me. Don't beat around the bush. That's not Japanese at all. They are the opposite. In fact, saying no is considered pretty rude. They instead prefer to say their equivalent to maybe. They also have a different sense of humor. I'm a very sarcastic person. My friends often joke about the fact that noooooo waaaaaaay am I sarcastic. My humor is a part of me. I won't stop being sarcastic simply because I'm aboard. Well, I'll probably decrease it, but not fully take it away. This is something I can showcase and educate people on while I'm there. They may not understand it or get why it's funny, but at least they'll know about it now.

This is one thing I am nervous about- culture shock. It's going to happen. In fact, I experienced it before. When I was originally going to Japan back in high school, my program made us go through some cultural websites before we went to orientation. The things that they covered were so drastically different that I panicked. It was honestly really scary. This time though, I'm prepared. I know culture shock is coming, I think I know how to keep myself from panicking. I have a journal that I write in from time to time. While I'm abroad, I'm going to write in it as often as I can. Having a space to pour out my feelings in my native language will really help. This method as helped me in other times, so I'm know it will work. I'm also going to be more open minded. Last time, I had an idea on what to expect. When my mind didn't fit reality, I couldn't handle it. This time, I have a general idea on what to expect through research, but I'm keeping my mind very open. This way, I don't have a true firm idea on everything. I'm exploring and learning something new everyday this way. It might be the same from American or it might not. Either way, by keeping an open mind, I can be prepared for almost anything.

In general, as I go aboard, I must keep an open mind and observe. The culture will show itself al lot more if I just observe. The number one thing I will observe is the interactions between people. Being collective and high culture, I imagine that their interactions will be drastically different (they may not be). I can learn a lot by doing this. Doing these things should help me adapt better to Japan. I also must be true to myself. I'm an American, first and forth most. I will never be Japanese. I physically can not be. I will forever be a foreigner to them, even if I become a citizen in the future. But that doesn't mean I can't learn, and they learn from me. Hopefully with all these things, I'll be ready to go abroad!

Volviéndome a Casa: Returning Home

This time will be me third time in Spain and second time in Andalusia and second time in Almería- the city of my placement. I went to study abroad for six weeks in Spain in the summer 2016 and stayed two weeks in Madrid, four weeks in Málaga and traveling to Nerja, Frigiliana, Salobreña, Almería. I  visited the Universidad de Almería while I was there.

I've already lived with another family in Málaga the month I was there. I learned a lot about Gastronomy when my host family cooked and I learned a lot about common restaurant food served by the beach bars. Being with a Spanish host family forced me to have to speak Spanish. The most important skill that the opportunity gave me was a better understanding of Spanish language that I will use at UAL as Spanish is the only language courses are offered in.

Esta vez será la tercera vez en que he estado en España y la secunda vez en que estaré en Andalucía, y la secunda vez en que estoy en Almería-la ciudad en que se encuentra mi universidad. Le fui a España por primera vez en el verano de 2016 para seis semanas. Yo pasé dos semanas en Madrid al lado de Calle de Atocha en el centro de la ciudad. Yo cogía el tren AVE de Puerta de Atocha hasta María Zambrano-las estaciones de trenes de Madrid y de Málaga. Al llegar en Málaga, yo (sin saber cual línea de autobús me llevaría hasta el barrio de el Palo o Málaga de Este) anduve desde la Estación María Zambrano sobre el Rio Guadalmadina por el centro en que se encuentra la mayoría de paradas de autobuses por la entera pasarela al lado de la Malageta y la Caleta, El Balneario,  por los barrios de Málaga de Este hasta los apartamentos en la calle Abogado Victoriano. Aprendí usar los pies en Málaga. Luego me aconsejó mi madre anfitriona que la línea tres corre desde María Zambrano hasta un parada dos minutos afuera de los apartamentos.

A Small Town American Girl in the World of Swiss Cheese

Switzerland is known for their knives, cheese, music boxes, chocolate, lace, and clocks. Switzerland is also one very culturally diverse county. They have three national languages and another that is widely spoken. The Swiss have played a major role in worldly innovations (such as the ones above) such as their contribution to medical care, war efforts, and music. 

I was born and raised in a small town in east Tennessee to a middle class family that values christian morals and believes in opportunity. My parents married young and have grown up my sister and I in such a way that embraces open-mindedness and acceptance. 

I am interested to see how the way I was raised is different than how Swiss parents raise their children. I know that each person is their own person but I do believe that the way in which, and the place, plays a great role in the development of their personality. 

I understand that each culture is vastly different (culture being the why and how people think, believe, and act the way they do) and I know that language is a vast and obvious distinction of culture. Because I do not have any background in German (the language that is spoke in Bern), I believe that language will be the most difficult adjustment that I will have to make. Luckily enough, I will have the opportunity to partake in a language course to aide me in learning the language. 

Another thing that will be a culture change is the fact that I will not have a car in Switzerland. In the rural areas that I live in I depend so greatly on my own personal vehicle. It gets me to work, to classes, to the store, and sometimes it's a major hassle. In Switzerland, cars are a luxury. Trains and buses are the casual way of life and I absolutely love trains. Riding on them gives the bystander a look into the culture and the lifestyle of a specific person. 

An American Abroad

The most popular response I've gotten after telling Americans I am studying abroad in Germany is, "Oh Germans are mean," along with other negative adjectives like "scary" or "harsh." This terrifies me because I am a really friendly person and I am very sensitive to people's opinions about me. I usually gage how much a person likes me and if I will like that person by how nice they are in that first interaction. I think it is very important for me to keep learning about the German culture and keep that in mind when I meet German people. If I don't, I can see myself being easily offended or believing people do not like me. On the self audit, I scored pretty high on both openness and flexibility, so hopefully these traits will help me get used to the way Germans interact. 

I learned from a cultural context inventory that my communication style is high context, but Germany is  a country with a very low context culture. This will be interesting for me in an elementary classroom. One characteristic of a low context culture that I do not identify with is efficiency. Speed is valued and how efficiently you learn something is very important. My teaching philosophy focuses more about the process of coming to a conclusion, so I think taking time to fully learn a skill or material is important. I am nervous, but I know I can and will learn a lot!

Academic Differences

There are several academic differences between Japan and United States. First off, the atmosphere in the classroom is different from the laid back atmosphere (sweats and a shirt) found in the States. Contrasting this, Japanese universities want students coming in for a cleaner look (i.e. shirt and jeans). 

Accessing the info for the classes are similar to the BlackBoard but however from my research it'll show only the teacher and course description. Since we have 192 contact hours (6 credits for the class) for a total of 8 weeks. Grading system is as follows 

Anything higher: A+

80-89% - A

70-79% - B

60-69% - C

One last thing to mention is because of the ranking system, we are expected to be very polite to our teachers, hence, they are our superiors. Full time status is normally considered to be 6 credit hours (reason being is that because its a summer program there is going to be less) however there is a 2 additional credit for a "fun" class that you can partake in which also corresponds to the 6 hour language credit. In other words, the language credit and full time status are the same. 

Academic Differences

The Spanish educational system is different than the one here in America. Here at Maryville College, I'm accustomed to getting material before class and being expected to have read it and come into class ready to have discussion and ask questions for further clarification. In Spain, it's different. All classes are lecture classes; people come in and take notes the whole time while the professor lectures. There's not really open discussions.

Something I will have to adjust to is the fact that professors there are usually not open to building relationships with their students, which is completely different than the environment that exists here at Maryville College. I have close relationships with the majority of my professors and sometimes go out to lunch or dinner with some of them. I like being able to be friends with my professors, so it will be an adjustment when I get to Spain.

Credits in Spain are different. 2 credits over there equal 1 credit here. So students usually take around 30 ETCs there, which would be equivalent to 15 credits here. This shouldn't be a problem, since I'm used to taking 18 hours per semester anyway.

The grading system there is different than the one we have here, too. Here we grade on a scale of 0-100, but they grade 1-10 in Spain. A 9-10 is considered excellent, 7-8 is good, and 6-5 is average. This gives me anxiety because I'm a perfectionist and I like to make As in all my classes, so it's going to be a shock when I get there and I make anything less than a 9 or 10.

Here we have multiple assignments and quizzes that fluff our grade so that if we don't do so well on the midterm and final exams, you can still do well in the class. In Spain, there really aren't opportunities to do assignments throughout the semester. More often than not, there's only a midterm and final. So you have to keep up with all of the content covered throughout the semester and make sure you make an appointment to speak with your professor and ask questions.

Ulster University VS Maryville College

I am very well aware that the academic life will be much different,but not necessarily bad, abroad. After doing some research and reading up on schools in the UK I am expecting some stark difference that could be challenging to adjust to. It is clear that the workload is going to decrease for each class. however, this will come at the cost of in-class exams being weighted much heavier. This particular detail does not bother me as I am an excellent test taker, it is the constant large workload that can occasionally overwhelm me. I am also noticing that UK professors may not be as personable and interactive with students as US professors might be.

In terms of credit differences, Ulster University in particular at first appears to have a very defined credit difference. This is mostly just a conversion issue. For every 1 US credit, Ulster would award 4 credits. So while 15 credits might be a normal load here in the US, a normal semester load at Ulster University would look like 60 credits. Classes also meet about 2 hours a week over a course of 2 days. Going by the conversion, my Maryville college would be somewhere around 15 credit hours.

Another noted difference. Grading in the UK is very different that US colleges. Grading is much different as 70% and up is considering an A+. This would be unsettling as I am used to seeing 90's and so on. Ulster Univeristy also assigns students with a study advisor that can direct academic and personal concerns to the right person. A full-time student at Ulster must take 60 credit hours of course work. At Maryville College, a minimum of 13 credit hours is required to be part time.Typically you will need about 4 to 5 courses at each institution to meet the requirements as a full-time student.

Academic Differences

□ ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:

The academics at the University of Jyvaskyla are similar to those at Maryville College. They offer lecture courses - with each lecture course having an exam at the end that the students must pass.  At the University of Jyvaskyla there are also reading courses. In these courses the students read literature specifically agreed on with the lecturer/professor, write essays and/or take a written examination after completing the necessary readings. In addition to lecture and reading courses, departments organize seminars, instruction given in small groups introducing students to independent research, as well as laboratory work in natural sciences and other kinds of practical classes, and written assignments. The classroom culture seems to be about the same in both places. Students are encouraged to ask questions both in and out of the classroom.  The University of Jyvaskyla’s academic year consists of an autumn and spring semester. The autumn semester is from September 1^st to December 31^st. The spring semester is from January 1^st to May 31^st. The teachers expect the student’s best performance in classes as well as on examinations. The relationship between students and teachers in Finland is quite informal. Both students and teachers like to consider one another as equals.

□ CREDITS: 

From what I can tell it seems that most classes range from 4-8 ECTS, which is about 2-4 US College Credit Hours, with the most common being 6 ECTS (3 US credits). The workload and credits are valued different from Maryville College.  One ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 27 hours of work.  I could not find how many hours/week the courses meet for a regular semester, but for my summer program the classes meet Monday-Friday for about 6 hours. This is because each class only lasts a week.

1 ECTS = about 0.50 US Credits.

□ GRADES: 

 The University of Jyvaskyla uses the grading scale from 1 to 5, with 1 as the lowest and 5 as the highest. The grading scale is as follows:

University of Jyväskylä scale	ECTS grading scale
5 (excellent)	A
4 (very good)	B
3 (good)	C
2 (satisfactory)	D
1 (sufficient)	E
0 (fail)	FX,F

□ SUPPORT:

 Exchange students can contact the departmental coordinators for departmental study counseling. The specialists of the student union is also available to help students with problems related to their studies.

□ FULL-TIME STATUS:

To be considered a full time student for one academic year at the University of Jyvaskyla the student must take 60 ECTS credits (30 ECTS credits per semester). To be a full time student at Maryville College the student must take 12 credit hours per semester. At Maryville College the minimum number of courses a student must take to be full time is 4 courses. At the University of Jyvaskyla the minimum number of courses a student must take to be full time is 5, but it depends on how many credits the course is worth.

Academic Differences

Academic Differences of Spain

There are many differences between the academic systems in Spain to that of here at Maryville College. In Spain students typically take about 30 ECTS per semester. This equates to about five or six classes per semester. Credits in Spain have a two to one ratio to credits here. Therefore, thirty there would be fifteen credits here. In this aspect the workload is pretty similar as credits and classes are about the same as one would take at Maryville College. However, the daily workload is typically very different in Spain than here. Most classes do not have much daily homework or assignments. Also, there typically aren't many quizzes or tests throughout the semester if at all. However, most classes have final exams at the end of the semester that are very important. This makes important to make sure that you’re keeping up with the content in the classes throughout the semester even when there aren’t assignments. Another difference is that the professors aren’t as close to the students as here at Maryville College. It is normal that if you want to speak with a professor about something that you set up a meeting. Lastly, the grading system is different in Spain than here. Grades are given on a 10-point scale:

• 9 or 10 is considered excellent (sobresaliente) 
• 7 or 8 is good (notable)
• 6 or 5 is average (aprobado), 

Academic Differences Between Japanese and American Colleges

There are numerous differences between Japanese and American colleges. These differences are in part due to the differences in pre-collegiate education.
 For example, to get into a college, a high school student must pass and extremely rigorous entrance exam. However, the pressure to achieve academically drops shortly afterwards. College is considered life's だいがくは 人生じんせいの 春休はるやすみ, or 'spring break'. They already did all the hard work, afterall.
In America, though, getting into a college isn't quite as difficult, but our schooling during college is very tough. If you aren't paying attention in class, your grades will suffer. Skipping class isn't acceptable usually, even in big schools where the teacher could never  hope to memorize all the students names.

Students also don't ask a lot of questions during class in Japan. Class discussion and critical thinking exercises are pretty uncommon. In America, it's the total opposite! People are always raising their hands and engaging the teacher in discussion, so that they better understand the material being taught. Japanese pre-collegiate education focuses on memorization, not understanding, so class discussion is a strange concept for them. Good thing classes are easier in Japanese colleges!

Also, most students in Japanese colleges do not live in a dorm type setting. If they  are in college, it means that they probably have their own place, such as a small apartment. I much prefer living on campus, so I wouldn't say I envy their situation, haha. However, Kansai Gaidai does have dorms for its foreign students, so I am glad for that.

Italian universities versus American

□ ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:

o  Workload (# of tests/assignments/outside of class work) 

* the workload at Maryville is more rigorous than in Italy. There are normally 3-4 tests a semester at maryville, with copious amount of lab work and homework. This is not the case for all classes, but a vast majority. In Italy, most classes only have 2 tests a semesters and maybe a paper or two, 

o classroom culture

*the classroom setting seems to be more or less the same in both places. Respect the professors, but feel free to question and thrive.

o flow of the semester

the fall semester in Italy starts in September and ends in December. In america, it normally starts in August and ends in december. this is because in Italy they do not have a fall break.  

o expectations of students, and o faculty/student relationships

The students are expected to keep up with the readings in Italy with no homework or quiz to keep them in line. I think the italian school has more formal relationships with students.

□ CREDITS: 

o How many credits are classes normally worth?

6 of theirs (ECTS) which is 3.5 us credits

o Are credits/workload valued differently in your host country than here?

yes

 o Can you find information on how many hours/week each class will meet?

not on the website

o How will your credits transfer?  (I’m not asking what your courses will substitute for, I’m asking X # of credits at your host institution = X # credits at Maryville College.)

1.00 ECTS = 0.60 US College Credit Hours

□ GRADES: 

o Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.?

No

Italian grades with corresponding ECTS & US grading

Italian   ECTS Grade ECTS Definition % of successful students US Grade US Definition

30 con A Excellent                5% A-, A, A+ Excellent

28-30 B Very Good          5% B-, B, B+ Good

25-27 C Good                      20% C-, C, C+ Satisfactory

21-24 D Satisfactory    40% D-, D, D+ Barely passing

18-20 E Sufficient            30%

14-17 Fx Fail

0-13 F Fail

Found on Wikipedia 

□ SUPPORT:

o What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution?

they have tutoring and academic support

□ 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? (You must be considered full time at both for financial aid and immigration purposes.) 

12 at home institution

Full time in Italy is 30 CFU

o What is the minimum number of courses you have to take to be full-time there and full-time here?

here is 4

there is 5

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

Blog 4: Academic Differences

The typical teaching style in Japan is different from the typical teaching style in America. Lectures are very much note-based, and students are expected to hold questions until after the class. Teachers are highly respected and are to be treated as superiors. Classes are typically two credits each, and one credit in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is equivalent to one credit in Maryville College. By taking 6 credits abroad, there will be a total of 192 contact hours throughout the summer. Fall and spring semester times are different in the US from Japan, but that will not be a concern for summer study programs. In fact, the summer study program falls right in the middle of the Japanese spring semester. Letter grades at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University differ slightly from grades at Maryville College. Ninety percent or higher is deemed an A+, 80-89% is an A, 70-79% is a B, 60-69% is a C, and anything below that is failing. To be considered a full-time student during the summer here, a minimum of 6 credits must be taken. During the summer program, a minimum of 6 language credits is also required.

Academic Differences

AUI follows the academic guidelines described by the American standards, therefore the classes and class styles are very similar to what we have here.

□ ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES:
o Workload (# of tests/assignments/outside of class work) 
For every hour inside the classroom, you should spend approx two hours outside the classroom on the subject.
Average hours per semester is 15, which is five classes with each class being on average 3 hours each.
o classroom culture
Teachers here are more friendly in the idea that you can do homework in their offices and go to their house for lunch or dinner as part of a student group event. At AUI, teachers are teachers rather than your friends. 
o flow of the semester
The flow of the semester is like here, where we have regular exams every month or so such that most classes have two to three exams and a final each. Unlike here, AUI does not have project based classes because their CS degree is of science unlike ours, which is of art. 
o expectations of students
Students are expected to attend all class sessions. They have a maximum of five misses classes for TR classes and maximum of seven misses classes for MWF classes. After these allowed absences, a WF is received for the class. Most absences and tardies count against your grade.
Professors, for the most part, hold strict deadlines on assignments. Hence, students are expected to turn in all work on time. 
Most professors expect students to participate in class and have a grade for it as well. 
o faculty/student relationships
The professor is a professor rather than a friend but the school hold an open door policy so that teachers can interact with their students. Professors are available for meetings outside of office hours just like MC. 

□ CREDITS: 
Class credits are designed just like MC, where most classes are worth three credits and classes with labs are worth four credits. The work load for every class is designed like MC's, where for every hour inside the classroom, you should spend approx two hours outside the classroom on the subject. Classes also meet regularly on MWF, MW, and TR like MC's class schedule. Because of the similarity in the classes, credits will transfer credit for credit. 

□ GRADES: 
o Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.?
Letter grades are designed the same way as MC's. 

□ SUPPORT:
o What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution?
AUI has an academic support center similar to MC's called the "CLE," the Center for Learning Excellence where students can go to seek tutoring on certain subjects. The CLE is just for the engineering school classes such as math and CS. 

□ 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? 
The minimum credits you need to be considered a full time student is 12 hours, just like MC.