Education systems

So I have been here for just over three weeks now and feel like I’m starting to properly settle in. There are still a few things that I am still adjusting to (my schedule, the workload), but overall, I feel quite comfortable in my surroundings.

During the past few weeks, I’ve started to really think about the education system here in America and the education system back in the U.K. I cannot quite express how different the education systems are – it has been a real culture shock from that perspective. However, different doesn’t necessarily mean bad at all – if anything, there are some things they cover here that I had wished they had covered back home.

	The University of Birmingham	The University of North Texas	Winner
Assessment	In the U.K., degree classifications are the following (highest to lowest): 1 2.1 2.2 3 Pass In the arts, it is largely impossible/incredibly difficult to get a first. It requires a lot of dedication/not leaving your room and having a social life for the entirety of your university career. Bear in mind, a first is only 70% in the U.K, to get a 4.0 in America you need 90% + I found the work in Birmingham incredibly difficult and it would often make me want to pull out my hair and drink a bottle of vinegar. The academia was very intense and required extensive reading and critical analysis.	The American degree classifications are the following (highest to lowest): 4.0 (90% = A) 3.0 (80% = B) 2.0 (70% = C) 90% is an incredibly high percentage. However, what if I was to tell you that I have already had six exams here in the past three weeks and I’ve got 100% on four of them? Never at Birmingham had I got 100% on anything – it is simply impossible. I’m finding the marking system a bit too much like school here. Although saying that, even at school it was almost impossible to get full marks on anything…	Birmingham – the education system stretches you massively. Although it can be quite challenging at times, it has been incredibly worthwhile. It also prepares you for the fact that in music, you can only aim for perfection… depressing eh? However, this has reassured me that if I keep on the right track I’m guaranteed a 4.0 and then I can trade my degree in music and go to Harvard law school just like Legally Blonde.
Accommodation	I think it’s safe to say that in Birmingham, most landlords and companies do not care about the properties and will let the students live in squalor and still happily sleep at night. Although it was dirty and a lot of things were broken, your independence was established immediately, it was very clear that you had left home and that you could live by your own rules.	The standard of accommodation is better here with good communal areas and free laundry (we never had that in halls!) However, there are some rather ridiculous rules… = You cannot consume alcohol in front of your roommate if your roommate is underage. = Your underage roommate must not be able to see any alcohol you have in your room. = Freshers cannot have members of the opposite sex in their room after 1:30am. Luckily for me I’m not a freshman, so they can stay until 2:30am… = You will be in a huge amount of trouble if you are seen drunk by the RAs. = Room searches every few weeks. Whilst I understand the underage drinking rules as it is the law, some of the others are ridiculous – we are adults, we have moved out, but hey! Different culture.	Draw – the quality of accommodation is better in the U.S, but the rules are slightly ridiculous.
Ensembles	The quality of ensembles in Birmingham was high. However, the thing that I found incredibly frustrating at Birmingham was the lack of faculty involvement with some of the smaller ensembles and instead they were run by students. Yes this is a good experience for students, but as students, they were still learning like the rest of us. It was slightly frustrating to listen to someone who didn’t necessarily know any more than what you did.	All ensembles are covered by faculty which is incredibly reassuring.	North Texas – hands down.
Opera	I have always enjoyed doing the Summer Festival Opera at Birmingham as it is a nice break from exams in the summer term. However, like the ensembles I wish there was more involvement from the staff as it limits a lot of things. For example: you cannot do an opera in a different language as none of the students at Birmingham know how to read IPA (I’m learning very quickly) and it must be a comfortable student project (nothing too difficult).	Doing opera at North Texas is actually a module and I am currently rehearsing for Cendrillon by Massenet and the opera scenes in January (more Monteverdi?!) I have been incredibly impressed with the standard of the rehearsals so far. As a module, it is run by the staff and the MD is particularly proficient in foreign languages as we’re singing Cendrillon in French! My first time that I’m actually doing an opera in the original language! So far we have had one on one sessions, group rehearsals and group diction lessons with the French tutor. It is incredibly exciting to have such resources at my hands!	North Texas – no competition.
Timetable	Somehow with my six lectures a week (approx. one hour a day), my days felt like they were packed and that I was always tired. I was in a number of outside operatic societies, but even still, I still do not understand why I felt so tired all the time. I found my 9am lectures unbearable and I wouldn’t even be awake for most of the day.	My timetable is around 36 hours a week (approx. six hours a day). It’s weird that they actually believe in educating the students here… I have three 8ams a week, but the days do not feel like such a toll as they did when I was in Birmingham. I should really consider sorting out my life in final year…	North Texas
Knowledge	The students at Birmingham were very well-rounded on my course. The majority had extensive academia behind them and knew a lot about composers and performers. It was mildly intimidating at first that so many people were so intelligent!	This section isn’t talking about music specifically; this is a more general the education of young American’s. Whilst some people on my course do not have some basic bits of knowledge, that hasn’t been astonishing for me. What has been astonishing to me is some of the geographical and historical comments several strangers have made to me in the past few weeks.  = Isn’t Israel in South America?  = World War One and Two started in the Middle East.  = Oh. You mean Czechoslovakia isn’t in the Middle East?  = Europe is a country right?  = I watch Sherlock all the time. Do you? He’s my favourite historical figure. America. Seriously? What? Not like I’m generalising or anything…	Birmingham – hands down.
Work ethic	The students at Birmingham are… mostly rather lazy. Not everyone, but there are some that are incredibly lazy (and there are some that are very hardworking).	So I come to America and everyone has these ridiculously long days and are working part time jobs/gigging all weekend. It makes me realise that it really is not in your best interest to be bumming around when you really should be doing something productive…	North Texas
Homework	Incredibly difficult essays. Would take a lot of time to research and make a critical analysis.	A lot more homework, but the standard is lower than the work in Birmingham.	Draw

I feel that from these few weeks that I could set up the perfect music school from a mixture of the British education system and the American education system. I now realise how lucky I am that I am going to have such a well-rounded education after this year abroad.