Job Discussion Forums

[7969]

some students asked me today what the differences were between uni life here and in north america. even tho i'm a univeristy graduate, i had a hard time answering the question in a satisfactory way.

all i could think of was:

1. students in the west participate in class more and are not as passive.
2. many students in the west live on their own while at uni, not in residence.
3. university in the west can be more expensive
4. students have more freedom to think and act on their own, in and out of class.

can anyone else fill in some more blanks for me? i'd like to give a more comprehensive answer to this question in class next week.

7969

[dajiang]

Yeah, I think another difference is that in the West students are responsible for themselves, while this seems not to be the case in China.

I think that in China the uni is responsible for the students. They live on campus, and don't get out much. They should not have boy/girlfriends, and sure as hell not get pregnant or be expelled. The testing system is crap and people cheat everywhere, just so they will pass their exams.

In the West teachers don't care if you fail, get pregnant, or if you are present in the first place. As long as that if you are present, you must participate. The uni is responsible only for academic issues, not social ones.

Dajiang

[mondrian]

IMHO the basic reason for the difference between Western and Chinese Universities is accreditation. The cross-checking of university examination standards makes for a uniform and acceptable form of education in Western countries. Students know that to pass their examinations, they have to work to these standards set both internally and externally by their university. Teachers are there, in part, to assist students attain these educational goals. Simply put, if accepted in a Western University as a student, you work and pass; you don�t work and you fail. Failure is an important part of the system. It ensures a continuation of standards set for the particular course.
As a student you need self-discipline. Your private life is your own, but you need to balance its importance with that of your educational life.
NONE of this is applicable in Chinese Universities. Do Chinese Universities have standards? If so, why do the High School students examination results control the University they go to and not the course they will take? Here the students� success at University is the responsibility of the teachers. If a student gets poor grades, then the teacher is at fault and will be chastised (at the least). There is, of course, less direct control of the students� social lives than that which happens at their High Schools; but it is to some extent still there: dormitory lock up at 11 pm; no fraternizing with the opposite sex (student pregnancy? unheard of!); none of the extensive �binge-drinking� done by Western students.

Education is at the core of our civilized society. What effect will the difference in its production have in the future of our two societies?
An interesting question!

[vikdk]

[kev7161]

I think social life in American universities is appalling. Coed dorms, binge drinking, frat hazings, more drinking, etc. I think the American college education system has far and above a lot of positives going toward it compared to its Chinese counterparts, but there's something to be said about curfews, lack of pregancies, and other things mentioned above.

[jg]

US unis offer a wider variety of classes before you get into your major, in fact you are forced to take them, and you have more choice in choosing what you major in. Changing majors is way easier.

Language instructors at US unis usually studied to be teachers or have advanced degrees, plus have to meet higher guidelines than just "native speaker".

US uni's often have study abroad semester/year.

Morning calisthetics or janitorial chores aren't usually student duties in the US. I imagine the pressure to drink/drug doesn't pop up as nearly much on Chinese campuses as much.

Varsity sports/Religious fervor/Greek Life/off-campus apts or private dorms that allow "unchained melody" and add to your social life. I was second team all-conference "unchained melody".

Cars

Chinese students will soon catch up to the west in Unchained Melody... well, probably they never will, but some certainly seem to be trying.

[friedrich nietzsche]

Chinese universities are not up to much but I also reckon that Western universites are not living up to their potential. Its pretty easy to get a degree in the West, and if so many students can party so much and still pass, then how exacting can standards be? My own university, which is ranked in the top 100 worldwide, was a joke: I studied for about four weeks every year and still got a very good degree, and I was not alone. This pattern was repeated by many of my friends in several faculties. The place where Western universities really shine is that they give students more of a chance to grow up, and they also, through the plethora of clubs and societies, give students a chance to take responsibility for planning events and developing real-world skills. This, in my opinion, contributes greatly to the overall education of students. I would not look down on Chinese universites though: just look at how their graduates are putting us to shame when they come over to do maths/science-based post-graduate work.

[friedrich nietzsche]

Chinese universities are not up to much but I also reckon that Western universites are not living up to their potential. Its pretty easy to get a degree in the West, and if so many students can party so much and still pass, then how exacting can standards be? My own university, which is ranked in the top 100 worldwide, was a joke: I studied for about four weeks every year and still got a very good degree, and I was not alone. This pattern was repeated by many of my friends in several faculties. The place where Western universities really shine is that they give students more of a chance to grow up, and they also, through the plethora of clubs and societies, give students a chance to take responsibility for planning events and developing real-world skills. This, in my opinion, contributes greatly to the overall education of students. I would not look down on Chinese universites though: just look at how their graduates are putting us to shame when they come over to do maths/science-based post-graduate work.

[vikdk]

well said fred - the main difference - social education through the support and orginisation of a much richer and diversified social life, a lost aspect of the Chinese educational system

[Roger]

I second the opinion stating that students in the West are responsible for their own failures as well as successes - that simply ain't the case with Chiense!

In the West, they learn at an early stage to CHOOSE and to stick to their choices. They have to learn to read between the lines in their tesxtbooks and take notes during lectures; in China they don't even know what "taking notes" is!

I don't blame my students for their weaknesses; as a matter of fact they deserve some commiseration. Some.
FOr example, they CANNOT choose their subject or the university; the universities enrol those they like, then assign them their study subject matter. Thus you seldom get ideal students in your class - they are there in spite of themselves, and merely because of their degrees.

[Babala]

There's more chance to socialize. The students in Chinese uni stay with the same class all day, they also tend to live with their classmates. In Western uni life you get a chance to get to know many different people.

[Yu]

Chinese universities all have gate around them. The campus and the society are seperated. Students generally are not part of the larger society. In the US, I feel college students are more involved and active in the community.

Another difference is that in the US college sporta are a part of college life. I think it brings a sort of unification and loyalty to the school. If nothing else, it provided some good chances to take a break from studying and have some fun with friends. But there is also the outside community involvement in the collleges as well. People from outside of the university come to the campus to enjoy different events. Be it sporting events, concerts, or cultural events.

I think the way of learning is also different in China students have many more hours of classes in the west. My students now have around 40 hours of classes. In the west 12 hours is for a full time student. I feel studetns in the US need to do more outside assignments like writing research papers and doing group projects.