The academic structure in European countries is a bit different than what the North American student might be used to. EuroLearn points out the differences in our material to students but it is the advisor at the home institution that will need to reinforce this idea with the student.
The academic year typically begins in September and runs through the end of June with a two to four week exam period at the end of the fall and spring terms. Fall exams take place in January and Spring exams take place in May/June. Many European universities allow North American students studying for a single semester to have different final assessments in December as they wish to return prior to Christmas and re-enter their Home Universities in the Spring. This will vary by university, field of study and specific courses. EuroLearn staff will advise students of these restrictions as they are applying to a program.
Another major difference is the classroom structure of education. The academic structure consists of lectures and tutorials (small group sessions), laboratory work, seminars, and library study. Depending on the academic courses selected the student will have a mixture of most of these styles. Tutorials may require the student to present material, prepare a paper, or participate in group discussion. Students need to be disciplined and somewhat self directed in order to keep up with the expected reading outside of the classroom.
Unlike many institutions in North America, many European universities are on a three year schedule. This schedule allows students to concentrate immediately in their chosen field of study. Therefore introductory level courses may be more difficult than at the student’s home institution.
A main point to remember and pass on to your students is that there is a lot of emphasis placed on independent study. Students are expected to direct their own education and this can be quite different than what is experienced in the U.S. or Canada. It is expected that students will research and write essay type papers from their first year. A large part of the grades are usually made up of written assessment including the final exam. Students may find this type of assessment difficult as final grades are calculated only using 2 or 3 elements. It is not uncommon to have 1 or 2 exams or papers making up 100% of the grade.
|