From the life of American universities
"The task of the university is to make young gentlemen as less like their fathers as far as possible".
US President Woodrow Wilson. Former president of the University of Priestonian, 1914.
At the time when teachers and administrations of colleges represent higher US education "Wounded Zverem", Shock from growing prices and exhausting finances, which expire with blood from budget cuts, foreigners, comparing American universities with higher educational institutions in their countries, often come to completely different conclusions.
American colleges and universities envies the whole world
Many of the foreign students arrived in the United States in search of not only excellent academic education, but in the desire to gain freedom. The spirit of independence, reigning in American universities, so appreciated by foreigners, is determined in some sense and material considerations. All American colleges, private and public, are enhanced by the struggle for existence. They are struggling not only for students, but also for the teaching staff and research grants. Despite the fact that such competition takes a lot of strength and attention from the administration, it stimulates the creative process and forces the administration attentively to the needs of students.
Despite the constant problems, 3,500 higher educational institutions of the United States attracted 419 in 1991.585 students from 193 countries. Most students came from China and Japan, Taiwan Islands, India, South Korea, Canada. For French students who have already needed to know in which university and at what faculty they want to learn, the American practice of transition is not only from one faculty to another, but also from one educational institution to another, it seems luxury. And for Japanese students, for example, it is absolutely excluded to restart objects traveled in another university.
Among students of American universities Russians are a bit. In total, about 2,000 students from CIS countries study in various higher educational institutions. Many are attracted not only academic programs in a certain American college, but also the opportunity to live in a large student town – campus, "plunge" in the surrounding cultural environment. There are not many foreign universities, where they give the same meaning of a relaxed public life, as in American campus, where everything is from clubs and sports teams to student publications and theatrical societies.
How are there to our students?
No American teacher complained to the level of training of Russian students.
What is striking our students?
Struck unusual American humor. Americans laugh when not quite ridiculous, – one of our student notes.
– Most American television shows are just stupid.
An ideological revisionism is striking *. The revision of the established norms and values occurs on racial, sexual, cultural and other soils, which always begins with a rhetorical issue: "Who said. "
* Revisionism – designation of scientific trends subject to the revision of the principles and provisions of any theory, concepts, teachings. (BES)
Who said that Shakespeare, Chekhov and Hemingway are good?! Who said the man is the main in the family?! Who said that homosexuality is incorrectly, and heterosexualism is right?! Who said that Rembrandt is better than rock paintings of the Asian clan. A-A?! Who said that the works of Mozart harmonious sounds published by the African tribe used during ritual dances?! Who said that ecology is not the most important thing?! Who said, that "White" better "Black"?! Who said that a person should be a male race?! Who said that Columbus opened America?! Who said "young woman"?! Rhetorical questions do not require a response, they imply it.
The average cost of learning and accommodation
For a public college student in the 1992-93 academic year, it was $ 5,656, in a private college – $ 12874. Annually a magazine "US News & World Report" Conducted quality assessment in 1373 four-year American colleges and universities. The magazine allocates universities that are among the best and lowest training. The numbers that are below are only training. There are no expenses for accommodation, services, textbooks, road and others.
1. California University in Berkeley 7699
2. California University in Los Angeles 7699
3. University of Raisa, Texas 8500
4. Virginian University 10150
5. Michigan University 13894
We are invited to American universities and our businessmen to, having studied the market economy directly in place, they were able to implement the knowledge gained at home. It is best possible to implement this using internships in local business organizations in combination with study at the Faculty of Business Administration. The first in the University of Virginia in August 1992, five young professionals from Russia. They were selected according to the principle – "Young people who can extinctly think and thirsting".
Two employees of the Central Bank of Russia were sent to the internship to the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond. The third, private entrepreneur from St. Petersburg, went to work in "Arbis" – Safety network restaurants. With the exception of difficulties at the very beginning, when one of the engineers, poorly understanding teachers, was forced to reduce the number of items studied from nine to six, the internship was successful. Here, domestic businessmen not only hear, but also see the well-known principle – "Buyer – first of all!"
Academic sessions in the university walls occupy a central place in the life of students, or rather 2 – 3 days a week when they sit on lectures, in libraries or laboratories. However, according to tradition, students will know the world around the world thanks to hundreds of random meetings. Oddly enough, but it is in the late night conversations 19-year-old students enrich their ideas about the world, exchanging thoughts and impressions with comrades. Students and graduates perceive the university as a single large family, where certain lifestyle and tastes are expelled. There are some already unchanged things. Like what, besides textbooks, students are mandatory reading "Firm" John Grisham I "Generation X" Douglas Covnel. The most popular textbook among all other – "Great ideas of physics" Alleina Lightman. Movie "The basic Instinct", An exciting detective in the style of Hitchcock, got into the category of films, which the student should see (otherwise he is not a student). Best food in student cafeterias recognized pizza, pasta, turkey with potato mashed potatoes. Drink students tend to beer, vodka "Absolute". Rank "Rock Favorita" Universities confidently hold Billy Joel, "Led Zeppelin", "B-52".
What is the usual schedule of student day?
The distribution of the time of typical freshman by type of activity during the week (in hours), for example, looks like this:
Preparation of tasks: 16
Conversations with friends: 20
Standing in queues: 36 minutes
Presence in the audiences: 17
Classes of physical culture and sports: 7
Conversations by phone: 3
Personal hygiene: 5
Visiting sports competitions: 3.5
Participation in various events: 3
Councils of freshmen of American universities from "Spectacled" Older Generation: "Learn to read quick and memorize read", "Know the limits of your capabilities", "Do not take anything too seriously".
