For the majority of foreign students, education abroad is something distant, unfamiliar and unknown. But those who have already tried to study abroad understand that reality always far exceeds expectations! SMAPSE experts collected for you 5 facts about the life of a foreign student, backed up by the responses of students from different American and British schools - perhaps you will learn something new for yourself.
Practice and theory in close connection
All educational programs and courses provide for a permanent - almost immediate! - implementation of theoretical knowledge in practice. Students work with individual or group research, laboratory works and projects, can create a newspaper or magazine, documentaries and even applications for smartphones. Of course, lessons on textbooks and lectures are not canceled, but the practical application of knowledge abroad is an integral part of the high scores and success of the student.
- Student Peddie School (USA): "All American education is maximally practicable: the areas for development are put into practice in virtually every subject, on every scientific direction."
Choose a profession can be calm and even by chance
Of course, vocational guidance in schools in the UK and the US is organized very seriously, but there is no pressure on the students. They simply offer such a variety of classes, circles, electives and subjects that they themselves begin to better understand their interests and preferences, to orient themselves in the world of modern knowledge and to realize where their talents will be most useful. Sports sections, creative classes, philosophical and research communities, scientific clubs, master classes and lectures-any moment can become crucial for determining a future career.
- A student of the Canford School (UK): "I worked in the Model United Nations during extracurricular hours: this is a special format for debates for students, which, however, addresses serious and very real problems of the UN. I was so pleased to participate in this, that in the end I entered the university on the specialty "International Relations".
Cultural Diversity and Internationalism
The best schools of the United States and Great Britain gather students from all over the world, from all corners of the country, from students of diverse nationalities and cultures. This gives an opportunity to penetrate the spirit of internationalism, better understand the features, traditions and mentality in different countries, understand the diverse cultural codes. Many students keep friendly ties with the school for life - despite the fact that initially seemed to each other completely different people.
- Student of Malvern Colleg e, UK: "Together with me guys from Germany, Australia, Italy, the United Arab Emirates study - I have long learned to look at things more fully and objectively, to take different points of view, to consider problems and news more thoughtfully."
Manual labor and education - not shameful and useful
In fact, another aspect of practice-oriented learning - the study of subjects in schools in the US and UK (especially natural sciences!) Is constantly carried out through independent knowledge, a huge number of experiments, practical exercises and works. For example, biology and chemistry are inconceivable without laboratory tests, preparation, microscopes and experiments, and astronomy necessarily implies direct observation of students in the telescope (and even in the evening!).
- Student of Uppingham School, UK: "Yes, 60% of the lessons in science pass" manually ": we master things and equipment so that the material is better remembered and stored in memory, was directly related to personal practical experience."
The teacher is always ready to help
In the schools of Great Britain and the United States, incredibly high demands are placed on teachers: it is the quality of the teaching staff that is one of the main criteria for the prestige, popularity and ranking of the institution. In the best American and British schools, teachers are ready to come to the aid of students, to answer questions almost round the clock - otherwise a huge amount of knowledge and new information will be learned and mastered would be very difficult.
- Student of St. Leonard's School (Scotland): "For me it was a surprise that I can approach the teacher with a question practically anytime, even in extra-curricular, in an informal setting, not always necessarily appoint an individual consultation."
