Coventry University Welcomes a World Traveler

The first day of classes has always been a day that I both look forward too and dread at the same time. It is always exciting to figure out who will be in your classes, what you'll be learning, and to get in the groove of a schedule. Even though those aspects are exciting, the start of new classes also means the homework, studying, papers, and exams are soon to follow...

Bailey and I on our first day

This Monday marked the day that I was no longer just a world traveler. I am officially embarking on the adventures of an international student at Coventry, University. My lectures and seminars this week really opened my eyes to the differences in the university experience from the US to the UK regarding classes. At CSB/SJU we are graded upon many different elements including attendance, participation, assignments, group work, papers, exams, etc. Even though the papers and exams tend to carry the most weight, everything you do within the class makes a difference. Furthermore, the classes at CSB/SJU tend to be a few times a week for about an hour, more or less depending on the day. The classes at CSB/SJU are very small and often are discussion based with some lectures and group work. I am used to working on homework on an average of 3 hours a night. It amazed me how little we are assessed on here at Coventry University as well as how different the class schedule is. I will be assessed very similarly across my three modules here: 50% of my grade will be on a mid-term case study or paper and the other 50% will be from my final exam. That's a lot of pressure! With the assessment guide in mind, that means that we will have little to no homework and won't be graded on it.. I can deal with that! It just means that I am really going to have to work hard to prioritise my schedule to do further reading and study the themes discussed in the lectures and seminars. Beyond the difference in assessment from the US to the UK, the class schedule is very different. For each of my three modules, I have a lecture 2-3 hours long and then a 1-2 hour seminar each week. Simply, a lecture is a lecture. The seminars involve a small group of students from the lecture to discuss further in depth the themes of the lecture. This will definitely be a little strange to get used to within the first few weeks, but I am ready to call this University my home.