Team projects and no retakes: features of foreign education

There is another stable trend - disappointment in the Russian education system and a desire to acquire high-quality and relevant knowledge. Therefore, I decided to analyze in detail what is the difference between educational processes in Russia and the countries of Europe, Asia and the United States, and find out whether the grass is greener abroad.

1. On admission, quality is more important than quantity

The Russian education system is based on quantitative decision-making factors: the sum of the points for the exam, the points for the portfolio, which were recently introduced. Yes, and a rather narrow range of your merits and achievements is taken into account there. There is no talk of any motivation letters and recommendations.

Abroad, they look more at quality parameters: motivation, essay, your resume, volunteering, recommendations. The GPA and exam results are, of course, also important, but successful admission and even more so getting a scholarship depends on your motivation letter and general profile by 70%.

A motivation letter is a special essay in which an applicant writes why he wants to study at this university and in this specialty, why they should choose him and what he plans to do with the received education. On the one hand, this is a subjective factor, and on the other, it is a chance for the most motivated applicants with burning eyes.

2. Flexible curriculum

In Russia, the curriculum is drawn up by the university and the Ministry of Education and Science, and almost all subjects are compulsory. You are given, of course, some items to choose from, but their share is very small. The schedule is fixed.

Most foreign universities have a system of academic hours (credits). You need to complete a certain number of hours per year in subjects for your specialty. Of course, there is also a mandatory minimum, but it is no more than 30% of the general curriculum. You choose the rest of the subjects and make your own schedule. This makes it much more convenient to combine study with work: for example, study for three full days, and the rest - work.

3. Less theory, more practice

Russian universities are very fond of theory, which in fact is not needed by anyone. In many other countries, especially in the USA, Europe and even in conservative China, the emphasis is on practice, cases, specific examples and tasks. Of course, the quality of the material strongly depends on the level and type of university, but in general, the focus is more on practice and hone specific skills. For example, as a student told us, the study of the basics of accounting in Russia took place on boring books, and in France - on the examples of Nike and Amazon.

4. The student is more important than the teacher

I think many who have already received their education in Russia or are studying now know that university teachers are known for their not always rational requirements and conditions: “I won’t give lectures in text form, write with pens in notebooks, you cannot take pictures, you are 1 minute late - don’t letting go. In general, this looks like an additional complication of learning.

In foreign universities (not all, but most) the student is at the forefront. Teachers are required to provide all teaching materials, lay out all lectures in the public domain. Each of them has open hours during which the teacher is obliged to help students and answer their questions (and not offer their own paid tutoring).

In general, the attitude is much more democratic. And those who stand out for their “whims” and complicate the educational process may not get students afterwards, since all teachers are assessed by the students as a result. And that feedback actually counts! For example, we changed the lecturer in Madrid, as many complained about his strong accent, which made it difficult to understand the material.

5. Team projects instead of individual ones

Most of the assignments and projects in Russian universities are carried out individually. Presentations, term papers, essays - you do everything yourself.

Foreign colleagues, on the other hand, welcome the team format of work: a team is given a common large project on a subject, and you carry it out together. Often, students are randomly assigned to teams to stimulate interaction among all students.

6. No seminars

A lecture for the whole stream, and then a seminar for the group - this is what we are used to. Abroad, as a rule, there is no such format as a seminar. Only lectures, which, as mentioned above, are aimed both at mastering the fundamental part and at analyzing specific cases and examples from practice. Lectures are often three hours long. Moreover, such a system implies a significant proportion of self-study: 40% of the information is given in lectures, 60% you teach yourself using the recommended materials.

7. Nobody cheats

During sessions, Russian universities can compete with an exhibition of innovations: the most cunning "spurs", smart watches, earpieces … The university, for its part, creates several options for tasks and can even use jammers for cellular communications. And the exam tickets, in addition to practical tasks, necessarily include a couple of questions on knowledge of theory from the textbook.

Abroad, students do not cheat, they don’t even try. In China, if a student is noticed cheating, it means expulsion.

At first this is very unusual: one option for all, and everyone is honestly trying. The questions themselves are more practice-oriented, and it is simply impossible to memorize the answer without understanding.

8. No retakes

In Russia, after a failed exam, a student is given two more attempts to retake. I did not pass - they are expelled.

Abroad, you simply extend your studies for one more period. There are no retakes, and the course will have to be taken again. Thus, training can take another couple of years until you get the required number of academic hours. By the way, sometimes this is a good option for extending a student visa to stay in the country.

Of course, you shouldn't think that any university in Europe or America will give you better knowledge than top Russian universities such as MIPT, HSE and NES. When making a decision, you should objectively evaluate the options and choose the education system that is closer to you.

All other things being equal, foreign education is much more suitable for independent and active students who have no problems with motivation and discipline. For me, the main advantage was the difference in the attitude towards the student and his rights. Still, education is your main investment in the future, you should be the main one in this system, not a teacher. Your opinions, desires and aspirations should be taken into account, not ignored.