American education system

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Vacuous doesn't even begin to describe it hahaha.

[the_lone_wolf]

better version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8kgdvbVNg

[G]

I cant look at youtube whilst at work..........but I can imagine one the 'American Dream' types has put the survey results together, therfore no where outside america can possibly be better than america.

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

better version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8kgdvbVNg

Thats the one. Brilliant!!

There are exceptionally good American universities. I am fairly familiar with UK and Irish universities too, having gone to them.
But make no mistake, places like Yale, Berkley, MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Duke, Georgetown... even my NYU, these places are very serious universities. They provide amazing opportunities, amazing facilities, and amazing people.
Right now where I am sitting, there are at least 6 microscope set-ups, each worth more than I will ever make in my life. That's just the scopes. There is huge money around, even with Bush's slashing budget. The standard of PhDs, and research in these places is very high.

Now, that is not to say all unis are like that here. Some of them are exceptionally poor. Amazingly bad in fact. There is a huge gap, unlike Ireland / the UK where the top places are not really a million miles away from the rest of them.

There is an arrogance though, an idea that these places over in the US are all handing out soft degrees. Some of them are, but some of them definitely are not.

Yeah a lot of them really are that stupid, know that one from living in the US, lol.

[the_lone_wolf]

old, but relevant...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

...

Not really sure about the assertion that top British universities aren't a million miles away from the worst...

Originally Posted by helen

Not really sure about the assertion that top British universities aren't a million miles away from the worst...

Maybe I am wrong here then.
I was under the impression that pretty much all UK places provided a reasonable third level experience, access to reasonably competent academics.

That is certainly the case in Ireland. There are standards set out by the National Uni. of Ireland (NUI) which must be and are adhered to. There is another set of standards that the regional ITs adhere to.

In the US you have these amazing places, and you have places with lecturers who are little more than warm bodies exhibiting reflex pupil dilation. There is no universal standard, each uni just grades how it feels like grading. If that is grading to a curve, so be it.