Monday, September 7, 2009

UGA vs USYD - The battle begins

If you ask my scholarly advisors, parents or anyone involved in the payment of my college tuition what the most important aspect of attending UGA is, you will undoubtedly elicit a common response; Academics. Even though the social distractions of college life have already rivaled this aspect of my schooling, academic achievement remains my top priority and I have thus been reflecting on the fundamental and striking differences between the scholarly requirements of UGA and those of the University of Sydney.

The difference in academics between the two schools is rooted in the structure of the degree system itself. In Australia, the majority of schools require students to choose their major before they enroll for the university. This, to me, is a questionable notion, considering that most 17/18 year old high school graduates have none to little idea about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. For example, when i graduated my high school with my final grades I chose to enroll in a 4 year Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications. As a 18 year old, focused more on celebrating the end of an arduous exams period at the time, it did not exactly seem that the decision held much significance. Luckily i thoroughly enjoy my studies and believe I made the best decision.

In my opinion, the American college degree system is far more forgiving for students who are not entirely confident in what they wish to do with the rest of their lives and is thus, a more logical and effective way of doing things. Interestingly, a select few universities in Australia such as Monash University in Melbourne have taken this lead and switched to the US degree system.

UGA 1 - 0 USYD

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2 comments:

  1. Susana BakerSeptember 7, 2009 at 9:13 PM

    I like the way you write. I haven't quite put my finger on what it is exactly that I like about it, but I know that I do.

    I also find it interesting that your school forces you to choose your degree before you enroll. Is there any possibility of changing your mind? One of my best friends is in his 3rd semester, and he still hasn't declared a major. But the classes he has taken so far have helped him to narrow down his options. Almost all of my friends who did declare a major when they enrolled have changed their major since then.

    I am eager to see what other differences there are between our schools.

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  2. nateSeptember 20, 2009 at 9:43 AM

    Like Susana, I am curious about other comparisons you might have between the two schools, the two educational systems, classes, expectations, etc.

    I was just in Ireland and their educational system -- which they cite as the best in the world -- seems radically different from the US's. But I can't remember exactly how it differs.

    I am working on a paper about study abroad and how it affects students. Do you have any thoughts on that subject?

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