See how American universities take exams

lecture

This is an extremely common form of teaching in American universities, which is commonly referred to as a large class in domestic universities. The lecturers of the lectures are generally professors or associate professors, and the emphasis is on theoretical learning. The class is dominated by lecturers, and the teaching content covers the basic theoretical knowledge of the subject area.

Lectures vary from 30 to 100 depending on the number of students, and the duration of the lecture is generally 1-2 hours.

internship

The Senior Year Internship Program is a highly hands-on course offered by American universities. Many majors in engineering, medicine, business, and liberal arts offer internship courses. Students can use the internship time throughout the semester to participate in practical activities in large companies or large institutions, and effectively integrate the theory and practice learned in school.

When cultivating students, American universities attach great importance to the cultivation of students' comprehensive ability and practical ability. Therefore, the practical course gives students the opportunity to improve their hands-on ability to a large extent, and creates opportunities for students to find employment in the future, accumulating valuable internship experience.

Tutorial Small group tutoring

Small class sizes are also a common way to teach and are very practical tutorials. In terms of curriculum, students will be provided with a corresponding small group tutorial after listening to the lectures. Small group tutorials are an extension and application of the theoretical knowledge learned in the lectures.

The number of tutors in small classes is small, and generally about 20 people are judged in each class, which is conducive to in-depth interaction between teachers and students and students. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities to practice in small classes. For example, in majors such as accounting and translation, students have plenty of opportunities to practice in small classes after learning theoretical knowledge through lectures.

Due to the small number of class sizes, each student has the opportunity to train on the spot and interact with the teacher. This makes it easier for teachers to grasp students' learning dynamics to help students achieve the best learning outcomes. Small group tutorials are usually 2-3 hours long.

workshopSeminars are one of the more distinctive ways of teaching in American universities. Through the seminar, the interaction between teachers and students was greatly improved. Often, a seminar may lead to a deeper debate on a theory or topic learned in class.

Alternatively, the seminar also allows everyone to express their opinions on a specific assignment and discuss it with the teacher, and you can get a lot of perspectives and ideas that will help you complete the assignment with higher quality. Seminars are generally 1-2 hours long.

Course Classification at U.S. Universities:

In general, there are three types of courses at American universities: general courses, elective courses, and required courses.

1. Compulsory courses, as the name suggests, are courses that must be taken by the major, and they cannot be ignored.

2. Most of the general courses are also fixed, and there is not much room for exchange, but there is also a small range of adjustments, such as choosing a course from several courses.

3. Elective courses are divided into professional electives and non-professional electives, both of which students can choose according to their own situation, especially non-professional electives, which completely depend on students' own interests.

U.S. University Course Selection Timeline:

Course selection begins roughly 2 months after the start of the semester, and many schools allow students to choose courses online or through tutors. At most universities, senior students are given priority in taking courses. Don't be discouraged if the slot is full in a course you would like to take in your freshman year, as you will take it in your junior or senior year.

However, before the official start of course selection, the school will announce all open courses for the next semester in advance. Students can pre-determine the course schedule according to their major, so that they can register for course selection through the school's course selection system after the course selection starts. In American universities, a course often has many sections, different teachers and different class times, and they correspond to different course numbers, so you must pay special attention when logging in to the course selection system to fill in.

People who may have experienced classes in China know that the teacher is the focus of the class, he lectures on the podium, and the students listen to the lectures offstage, we have to follow the teacher's inherent lecture thinking, and in the United States will be very different, friends who have just come to the United States to study may not be used to it, so let's learn about the American classroom. How to Respond to Class Teachers in the United States often ask students to participate in class discussions, ask questions, or express their opinions. In fact, participation in class is often part of the semester grade.

Professors believe that class discussion is the only way to evaluate what you have learned and to see if you have the ability to engage in intellectual dialogue with professors and classmates. Part of Western education emphasizes the importance of teaching students to think independently and express themselves in various ways. A lot of the facts are found in the book, so the teacher focuses on how to help students interpret the lesson in a more meaningful way.

Like the Greek philosopher Socrates, teachers (and classmates) in the United States will constantly ask you questions to state your views and share them openly with others. Based on these differences, Chinese students will have a great impact when they first come to the United States, and they will feel very uncomfortable when they see American students constantly asking questions or even challenging professors, thinking that these students are so arrogant and disrespectful, and students should absolutely obey the authority of their professors. Besides, my English is so poor, why do I want to make a fool of myself in public?

Many people think that taking English classes is a hindrance to the study of undergraduate departments. In fact, ESL courses can help the comprehension, oral presentation and research skills of undergraduate courses. But it's not enough to just take English classes, you also need to know how to use English in real life, use it constantly, and it's best not to soak with students or friends from your own country, so as not to waste English.

How to communicate To truly gain a special experience studying in the U.S., it's best to make friends with students from the U.S. and other countries. Participation in school clubs, sports organizations, student councils, etc., can all contribute to social life. In terms of local society, you can join some service organizations, volunteer organizations, host families, etc.

Although there is academic pressure, participating in extracurricular activities can be beneficial and a way to relieve stress. Regardless of whether you take English classes or regular classes, you can still find help if you have problems in life or schoolwork. American professors are generally understanding and willing to help you through personal office tutoring.

They are also willing to offer suggestions on how to improve your study habits and how to get information on other aspects. You can also seek help from an international student advisor, on-campus tutoring center, or similar organization, but you must be proactive. Through all these exchanges on and off campus, you will discover the differences in the values of Chinese and American students.

When it comes to personal relationships, American students tend to be more extroverted, and they also demand respect for their personal space and privacy. While there are many ideological differences, the common goal of students to get the best education is the same, regardless of cultural background.

In American universities, more than 60% of the courses are generally large classes, and the large classes of more than 200 students are held in the auditorium, the teacher takes the microphone to lecture, the students take notes, and make course records after class. Complete the assignment.

Classes in the College of Arts and Sciences are small class sizes (small classes of less than 15 students). Comprehensive universities will have a detailed introduction to the small class ratio, which is generally 40%-60%.

The advantage of a comprehensive university is that undergraduate students have the opportunity to be exposed to graduate learning styles and direct contact with professors as long as they have good grades. It will be helpful for future graduate studies. The disadvantage is that learning is all about self-awareness.

Students with poor self-control are more likely to get low scores, which affects their studies. The 70% graduation rate for undergraduate students in the United States means that up to one in five students may not complete their studies.

Educational requirements.

For Chinese students, they must have at least a high school diploma in order to apply for an undergraduate program in the United States, and a bachelor's degree in a bachelor's degree to apply for a master's program. When applying for schools and majors, you should try to match your personal educational background, work experience and interests, but some special majors can also be considered, such as domestic English majors can transfer to the United States Master of Business Administration (MBA) and so on.

English language requirements. U.S. universities require students to provide English scores when applying, and the basic requirement is an undergraduate TOEFL score of no less than 500. In addition to a TOEFL score of 550 or above, applicants for graduate studies may also need to provide other relevant English scores, such as GRE scores for science, engineering, liberal arts and mathematics majors, GMAT scores for business majors, DAT scores for dental majors, MCAT scores for medical majors, and LSAT scores for law majors. However, some U.S. universities don't require GRE or GMAT scores for students applying to graduate programs.

Excellent English scores can help students apply for scholarships at different levels.

What test to take when going to college in the United States.

Go to a university in the United States to take the TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT exams. TOEFL and IELTS are mandatory tests to measure students' language ability, and the GRE test is a graduate school entrance test in the United States, which is suitable for graduate students in various disciplines and majors other than law and business. The GMAT is a standardized test that has been widely used as an entrance exam for MBAs.

The LSAT is an admissions test set by the Law School Admission Board of the United States Law School Admissions Council, and some Canadian law schools also use this test standard.

I took a lot of exams this semester, first of all, I had to pass my English, and then there were other exams.

Hello, do you want to apply for undergraduate or graduate school in the United States?

The tests required to apply for undergraduate studies in the United States include TOEFL, SAT or ACT, and some schools will also require SAT Subject. Not all schools require a TOEFL, SAT, or ACT test, and you need to check it according to the specific school you are applying to. In addition, many schools have exams that are optional for students applying in the fall of 2021.

The tests required to apply for graduate school in the United States are: TOEFL, GRE, or GMAT