19: Studying
Since many foreigners come to the United States to attend colleges, certain matters common to that situation merit further discussion: the general academic environment and relationships between individuals such as student-teacher, student-student, and roommate relationships.
THE NATURE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION
An educational institution is a manifestation of culture, but it is also an environment in which individuals are expected to learn about culture, and decide whether to accept, reject, or set a goal of changing the culture of their society.
As such, foreign students often find their greatest challenges in college to be outside of the classroom - the hectic schedule, heavy expectations for independent study outside of class, and the time involved coping with unfamiliar procedures and customs.
On survey of foreign students found that the American curriculum as more difficult than expected. While it is widely believe that American education is "easy" compared to foreign (especially European) schools because of the depth of exploration into specific topics, the breath of topics Americans study is quite rigorous, even though the depth of study in each topic is relatively shallow.
Another academic matter is the degree to which American education is rational, logical, objective, and verifiable. Much more attention is given to memorizing facts than considering theoretical papers, and much more work is required to produce academic papers due to the need to research factual information to form a basis for argument.
There is also a cukltural emphasis on knowledge that is practical rather than theoretical. While pure science - the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake - is acknowledged and practiced, it is considered entirely academic and of less value that knowledge that has a practical application. Most students pursue degrees as a qualification to enter a profession, not merely to improve their intellect without a given reason.
It is also noted that American education focuses on the development of the individual, in his ability to develop and defend an argument. Especially in the junior and senior years, instructors expect students to be participatory and argumentative and to question traditional knowledge rather than merely accept and memorize it, an approach that is entirely new and uncomfortable for many foreigners.
There is also some difference in the way of thinking, as mentioned in an earlier chapter. American thinking styles are described as abstract, digital, objective, analytical, rational, and detached. Other styles, particularly Eastern ones, are more concrete, analog, subjective, holistic, metaphorical, emphatic, and contextual. To succeed in an American school means having to adopt the American style of thinking.
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG STUDENTS
The way that Americans interact in an academic often parallels how people in general interact. For example, friendships are compartmentalized - while common academic interests may be the basis of a bond, those who attend classes together do not go out of their way to socialize outside of class. In all, Americans consider schoolwork to be separate from their social lives.
Foreign students are especially dismayed to find a competitive atmosphere to American education. Some students may be reluctant even to speak with their classmates, to help them with studies, or participate in study groups. This may be more from a sense of individualism than competition - the desire to learn to do things for themselves rather than depending on others - though in schools that grade "on a curve," students are in fact in competition with one another for marks.
(EN: I wonder if this is changing. In the current environment, education seems to have shifted more from individual scholarship to more of a "team" approach, in which students are compelled to work together on papers and major projects. This may be a passing fad, or it may be only in certain schools or subjects. "Team" work seems to be more common on less academic subjects, such as business, than on more traditionally scholarly fields of study.)
The degree to which foreign students will be received by Americans varies according to many factors. In general, the level of curiosity among college students is higher than among the general public, and the level of tolerance for people different from themselves is higher in the educated classes of Americans, so it is often easier to interact and make friends in the academic environment.
STUDENT-PROFESSOR RELATIONSHIPS
The relationship between student and teacher is far less formal in American education, especially in college, as students are at an age where they are legally adults. It is not, strictly, a relationship of equals and some respect is given to instructors on the merit of their knowledge, but it is far less formal than in many cultures.
It is not uncommon for a professor to call students, and expect them to call him, by their first names - which is exceedingly different for students from some cultures to accept. Some American professors have expressed discomfort with the deference shown them by international students, and feel that their attention to protocol and indirect manner of speech is a waste of class time.
There are also variations in the relationships. In smaller schools, student-professor relationships are even less formal and there is greater familiarity. Upperclassmen and especially graduate students are often treated more like colleagues by their instructors and may have closer personal relationships.
While professors expect some appreciation for their subject-matter expertise, there is generally a level of academic humility - most do not assume themselves to know all that can be known, and are aware they may not explain things clearly to laymen. This explains their acceptance of questions and even challenges from their students.
As noted, students are still expected to show respect and deference, but in very subtle ways. They use more polite language and a subdued tone of voice when speaking to professors.
Student behavior is also changing. It is now becoming more common for students to use computers that are ostensibly to take notes to engage in leisure surfing, to use their cell phones for text messaging, to assume informal postures, to dress comfortably to the point of being sloppy, to arrive late or leave early without apology, or even to eat in class. Professors dislike such behavior, and feel it is disrespectful, but it is generally tolerated. It is generally considered that students are young adults, entitled to decide for themselves how to behave, and that their inattention will have a natural affect on their grades.
American professors expect students to pay attention and do homework as necessary to understand the subject, and to ask questions or challenge what is said in a lecture to improve their own understanding. Students who need extra attention are expected to take the initiative to ask, during or after class, or to visit a professor's office. Opinions of professors differ, but it's generally held that underclassmen who seem inattentive are not capable of understanding, and upperclassmen may be uncommitted to learning more than is strictly needed to get their degree - and this is respected as their personal choice, and reinforcement of the cultural preference for individuals to take initiative.
In general, professors may project the attitude about being uncaring as to whether students actually learn. However, this is also cultural, in that students are expected to take the initiative to learn what is taught. There is also the perception that, given the large proportion of the population that seeks to obtain a college degree and the readiness of institutions to admit them, that an increasing proportion of students are intellectually unfit for academic endeavor, and a considerable percentage of students "wash out" each year.
That said, professors are willing to help students who seek assistance, and asking a professor for help with studies is interpreted as a genuine interest in the subject matter, which is increasingly rare as many students seek to gain degrees for mercenary reasons, which are considered by professors to be inferior to students who have genuine academic interests. If you ask for help understanding the subject, most professors will be glad to provide guidance and advice.
The author mentions the topic of grade-grubbing, which occurs even with American students. Professors normally believe that they are fair and impartial in grading, and that an attempt to gain a higher mark than merited is unfair to students who genuinely earned their marks by their own effort. Except in cases where there is a legitimate mistake in grading, which most professors will readily admit and correct, a student who bargains for better grades can severely damage their academic reputations.
ROOMMATE RELATIONSHIPS
The cost of housing being considerably high, and students being unable to hold full-time work while studying, it is quite common for college students to share living quarters with other students who are complete strangers, whether in dormitories or apartments proximate to campus. Sharing quarters in this manner, over a period of months, can be stressful or difficult even for people of the same culture.
In such situations, roommates are generally equals - the residence belongs to each of them, and each has as much right to go about his private life in his own way, without being expected to be accommodating to the other, though it is generally known that some accommodation is necessary on the part of both parties to avoid conflict, there is no universal answer. It is especially difficult for foreign students with an American roommate, who may be prepared to yield to differences with a person of his own culture, and unprepared or unwilling to accommodate the greater differences of a roommate of a foreign culture.
It is not possible to generalize about the ways in which American students will seek to define the boundaries of a roommate relationship - there are many variations and it is to a large degree personal. Some look to form close bonds of friendship with a roommate, others expect greater distance and to remain strangers who negotiate the awkwardness of having to live together. Some generalizations bear consideration:
- There is an expectation of respect for privacy - to avoid "Snooping" through their personal effects, entering their personal space uninvited, asking questions that seem overly personal, or interloping in their relationships with other people.
- Even in communal quarters, and perhaps especially so, respect for personal possessions is expected. Different people have different levels to which they feel that things are their own possessions rather than communal property that any occupant may use, though a general guideline is that the closer an object is to the body, the more personal: a shirt is more personal than a jacket, though clothing and toiletries are almost always personal. A good practice is to borrow, use, or touch anything that is not your own without permission, and to have an explicit discussion about what is shared.
- Housekeeping duties are also divided. Generally, each is expected to clean up behind themselves and to match the "cleaner" person's standard of cleanliness. For common chores, it is generally expected roommates will take turns and do their fair share, but again, an explicit discussion is recommended.
- Activities that may offend or distract a roommate, such as smoking in the room or playing a radio, generally require some discussion.
- Bringing other people into a shared quarters is expected to require permission. A study group, a party, or even a single guest should not be invited without prior permission.
- Roommates are generally expected to extend some common courtesies, such as taking a message if someone calls for their roommate, or letting the roommate know if someone stopped by in their absence.
Above all, directness is expected of roommates: to be assertive in expressing preferences and make it know when they are offended or negatively affected by their roommate. An American may not be aware that something he is doing is annoying unless it is directly addressed.
PLAGIARISM
The topic of plagiarism is also difficult for some foreign students to comprehend. To plagiarize is to represent someone else's academic work, including writing or ideas, as one's own.
The notion that an idea "belongs" to someone seems absurd, and in other cultures, it is perfectly acceptable to present the idea without naming a source. However, Americans generally recognize that scholarly writings and ideas are intellectual property of their originators, and while they are presented freely to the academic community, this is done with the expectation that credit will be given when they are cited.
Moreover, plagiarism is regarded as a form of cheating: in American education, a student is expected to develop his own idea, and expect to be graded on the merit of his own thinking - and while it is acknowledge that there is value in summarizing and synthesizing the ideas of others, to do so without acknowledging the original source is unacceptable.
As such, plagiarism considered unacceptable in America, and can be penalized up to and including expulsion of a student, or the revocation of academic credentials when plagiarism is discovered, even years later.
Some latitude is given to less experienced students, and it can be argued that a student was careless in omitting a citation, but the degree to which this is tolerated varies. Upperclassmen and graduate students are expected to be more meticulous in their work, and little quarter can be expected.