ADJUSTING TO DIFFERENT STUDY EXPECTATIONS

Posted date: 14 Jun 2021

Your new school may have very different expectations than your old one, which might be one of the more difficult changes to make depending on the environment you're used to. Oversight, evaluation, and formality are the three basic ways that research expectations can differ.

* Different levels of oversight

If you come from a university, you may be accustomed to a higher level of control than other universities around the world. Some colleges, for example, may offer a more student-driven learning process in which you are expected to do your assignments outside of the classroom. Although you may spend less time in a traditional classroom, this does not always imply that the course is any less challenging. Attendance may not be as significant as it once was. While all colleges have their unique cultures and traditions, European institutions are more student-centered, with less emphasis on attendance and overall oversight.

* Different levels of evaluation

Some countries place a greater emphasis on final exams, while others place a greater emphasis on a range of evaluation methods, including as attendance, participation, little tasks, group assignments, final projects, essays, and tests. If you're used to taking two examinations a semester, the prospect of completing a range of assignments every week may seem daunting. And, if you're used to being graded on a variety of assignments throughout the semester, the prospect of putting so much emphasis on just one or two tests can be intimidating.

You should also expect grading to differ. Each country or region has its own grading system. If you're used to the A-F grading scale, interpreting a "1" in the Czech Republic or a "6" in Switzerland (both excellent, and a "A" on the A-F scale!) may be difficult. When you start receiving test results, keep this in mind. When you submit back your transcripts, you may have to interpret these for your home university as well.

* Different levels of formality

If you're from a country where professors are addressed by their first names, you might be startled to learn that this is not the case in many other nations. You should also think about how you communicate with your lecturers. There will be two variants of "you" in many languages, one more informal and the other more official. It's definitely best to err on the side of caution and maintain a higher level of formality, but you'll quickly discover what constitutes standard teacher-student interactions.

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GSP Admin