Let's Talk Edumacation

That is what I'm here for after all.  I know the majority of my posts are about travelling and fun things.  This has led to the common casi misconception that I never go to school.  The reality is I almost never go to school - I have 2 hours of class on Wednesday and 6.5 hours of class on Thursday.  On first thought this is a great idea - 2 days of school, 5 day weekend.  Awesome right?  Right!?  WRONG!!!!!!!!!  WORST IDEA EVER!!!!!!  I have no motivation on these two days.  I dread Thursday like I'm about to get my wisdom teeth pulled.  My number one piece of advice to future study abroad students is SPREAD OUT YOUR CLASSES!!  One class a day, 4 days a week is a pretty sweet deal - take my word for it.

Now that I've gotten that rant out of the way, let's talk about the University Educational system of Great Britain.  It's basically guided self-directed study.  Each class meets once a week for anywhere from 2-4 hours.  You are graded on a series of essays, exams, presentations, or a combination of some/all of them.  You don't get credit for going to lecture, and a lot of the work is done on your own.  If this is how you work - on your own, with a few large assignments/exams determining your grade - then this system is perfect for you.

Here are my classes and their marking systems:

• British Literature - two 625 word essays, and one 1250 word final (take-home essay)
• American Cinema Since 1950 - one 2400 word final essay 
• Sport, Exercise, and Fitness - one short-answer exam
• Spanish 6 - One final exam, one oral grade from conversations/presentations in lecture

I really am not a fan of this system.  I hate that one or two things determines my overall grade, plus I'm still fuzzy on how British marking works (a 75 is an A?  What?).  The way the system is set up does not bode well for my motivation, nor my stress level.  I would rather have class 2-3 times a week for shorter amounts of time.  I like routine.  All the free-time is great for exploring, but horrible for creating a routine.  I would also like to add that trying to learn a foreign language cannot be done in 2 hours of immersion a week.  I do what I can on my own, but being immersed in Spanish 3 times a week is a much more conducive learning environment.  Never in my life have a dreaded going to Spanish like I do here.  I love Spanish, I love languages and learning, but not this way.  Belkis, if you're reading this, te extraño mucho!!!  My lecturer in England is great, but I cannot handle one class a week after already having spent 4.5 hours in class - my brain stops working which makes learning hard.

So basically we've come full circle - don't put the majority of your classes on one day, it doesn't work out, and is NOT conducive to learning.

Sorry for this word-vomity, ranty post.  England is amazing, and study abroad is a life-changing, wonderful experience.  It will make you appreciate other cultures, but also appreciate your own culture and the fact that you have a home.