British Education vs American Education | Let's Compare!

[@baurdt]

There were some misstatements on the US school side. 1) You can drop out at 16 years of age. There are also opportunities to graduate early depending on being able to skip grades forward. 2) the US advanced schools are colleges or a grouping of colleges which is called a university. For example, the University of Wyoming has 7 colleges forming the university. 3) "Fraternities" and "Sororities" are actually social fraternities as opposed to professional fraternity organizations usually recognized at a national level. 4) Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken in High School (usually offered in grades 11 and 12 are associated with a specific class. If you receive a high enough grade on the test, it will give you college credit for the equivalent class. This allows students a means of getting credit when enrolled in a college for those classes to help shorten your time at school. 5) The Scholastic Aptitude Test is the usual college test that is taken in the High School Senior level (grade 12), though it can be taken in the Junior year as well (grade 11). The test is usually offered 2-4 times a year depending on your location. Most cities will have a standard place for the test to be proctored (given). It is mostly English (reading, writing, & language) and math questions that range in difficulty and areas to test. The highest test result of all that are taken is what is usually sent in to the designated college/university for admission application. There is also the PSAT test (preliminary SAT) which is used for qualifying for financial assistance taken only during the High School Junior year. 6) As I understand it, the extracurricular school clubs and activities in US schools are school sponsored instead of England not school sponsoring the activities, though I could be wrong as it might have been a more localized school I was told about instead of the overal programs. There are also larger participation in these varied clubs with competitions between the various schools in the region. The US schools usually offer sports programs which depending on the sport, might be also scouted for college team recruitment, leading to potentially a sports scholarship. I hope this helps fill some of what was being discussed.

[@peterfhere9461]

In contrast to other systems, "student debt" isn't necessarily a real debt. Any student loan you take from the government does not need to start being paid back until you earn over a certain amount. You then pay a fixed percentage proportion of your salary over the threshold towards paying off your debt. The debt is NOT allowed to be taken into account when being assessed for any loan, and it is written off if you wait for long enough. It is therefore more akin to a student tax.

[@phoebus007]

My son's school was founded in the 12th century and was one of the original seven Public Schools. They were defined as "public" because they were open to everyone irrespective of their home location, religion or father's profession. His school does not have a uniform but a dress code. Fees are high but attendance is also dependent on passing a very challenging entrance exam. A number of scholarships and bursaries are also available to those requiring financial support.

[@starshocker]

It's always fun to see how school works in other countries. Here in France we have Maternelle (nursery school) which by the way became "petite section", then we have primary school with CP, CE1 et 2, CM1 et 2, collège with 6th, 5th up to 3rd grade and then high school which is 3, years and university.

[@prof.emanuelpaiva]

Hi! I'm Brazilian. Despite I live in Brazil, I am able to understand the British English. But it is possible because Tom speaks well, and his English is standard (possibly modern RP). As the woman, I don't have much difficulties to understand because I learned American English.

[@Chris_GY1]

Received Pronunciation is what The Queen spoke that is dying out, if you listen to The King speaking he doesn’t talk like that neither does The Prince of Wales.

[@ajwinberg]

I'm American, and I went to Elementary school from kindergarten to 6th grade, which is age 5 through 12. Then Jounion High school was 7th and 8th grade which is age 13 and 14 and then 9th through 12th grade was at the High School which was age 15 through 18 or 19. Some kids might graduate early at age 17, but most kids graduate at age 18.

[@jerydob6499]

So, some US ISDs divide the grades as follows: preschool 3-4yrs of age, preK , 4 or maybe 5 depending on birthday, K 5yrs old minimum, then 1st through 4th , or 5th, or 6th can be called elementary. But 5 and 6th can be middle, but very often it's 5th through 8th . But also very often 7th and 8th is Junior High School and sometimes 9th grade, though still Freshman year, is included in Junior High, or is a separate building all it's own. But most common is 9th through 12tj grade is " High School". Some ISDs give the transitional grades their own building, Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grades for example , and less frequently 12th grade.

[@scandalfan1667]

Same for me, until I moved to another state and they structured the grades differently. I completed elementary at 6th grade and before junior high, we (my family) moved. In the next place, they didn't have junior high, but they had middle school which was 6th to 8th grade. They had a 9th grade center where 9th grade went to a school by themselves and then high school was 10th to 12th. So even in America, the structures vary, depending on the school district.

[@jerydob6499]

Going by the age you must be to enter, unless skipping grades, etc.., it's 5 for K and 11 for 6th, I know first hand, been there and done that, would have burnt the tee shirt.

[@AnnFBug]

This was interesting to me as I taught in an American modeled International School in Britain for nineteen years. It was a very high fee paying school but they did not wear uniform. The talk of pep rallies and things like that bring it all back to me. When I first turned up it was a steep learning curve! I also taught in a British middle school in the state school system in the early eighties. We had quite a lot of middle schools at that time but most of them are gone now. I did a second degree in the UK at the turn of the century and we had a free week between the two semesters, in mid February. It was NOT for getting drunk or going on a trip. It was called Reading Week and we had a list of reading to get through during the week. When I did my first degree at a music conservatoire in the late seventies, it was called ‘college’. In those days college was what we called university, and wasn‘t for school pupils. We didn’t really use the term ‘university’ very much, although we all knew that was what it was. When our daughter went to a British university in the late noughties, all students were put into a ‘college’. There were about eight colleges. Each was like a village in campus, with its own housing and facilities, basically a smaller community to make the size of the place less daunting.

[@vi9763]

Funny, Canada is a blend of both systems.

[@krismas6857]

Our public school district is kindergarten through 5th for elementary, 6th through 8th for middle school, and 9th through 12th (Freshman through Senior year) in high school. Our school year runs from the year beginning in September and running through June with the summer off. Clicks (groups) aren't as dramatic as Hollywood portrays but you'll see the athletes, band, drama, choir, cheerleaders, dance team, etc will tend to hang out with each other more than other types of friends groups, especially when they are in their respective seasons of competition. There are some private universities that are starting to do away with SAT scores being required for their admission process and have found that students have not shown a difference in their performance since they stopped requiring them. If you choose not to graduate high school or if were you homeschooled (You were taught by parents at home) you can take a series of tests for your GED (General Education Development Test) which shows the same proficiency as a high school diploma but it is not necessarily viewed the same by potential employers or some universities. In America, you can go to public high schools until you are 21. So in the event that you don't meet the graduation requirements you can go another year. We call this a "Super Senior". It's rare but it happens. My freshman year there was a super senior in my science class. Our teacher said if he was able to graduate by the end of the year she was going to throw him a class pizza party. She made good. I got an invite at the end of the year and we all went to celebrate with him. Shout out to Brett F! Still proud of you! When I went to college a few years ago, I got a very gracious scholarship for my previous GPA and financial aid for being a poor single mom. When everything was said and done for books, parking, fees, and small tuition, it was $1,500-1,700 a semester. It very much becomes like a family that we are proud to be a part of, at least for me. My kids are now going to the same high school I went to. They have even had teachers I have had, and yes, the teachers remember me. It's a fun experience.

[@AprilHammond-kc8lu]

Some students also take the ACT. Many colleges/universities are now going test optional. Also, in my state, juniors (11th grade) hace the opportunity to take either the SAT or ACT for free during the school day.

[@williamlucas4656]

First of all the reason they have the same names for the school years in high school versus University is because university attendance used to be rare and so the year groupings were common for high school because that was the common standard for the finish of education. This changed radically in the late 60s when university education became the norm for about 30% of the population. Americans use the terms University and College interchangeably but in fact a college is one school within a university and technically a university must have at least three colleges/schools to qualify as a university in the US. Probably about half of American universities were teachers colleges at one time but when the demand rose so rapidly for university education they all magically added business schools/colleges and some other specialization college besides the college of arts and sciences under which education was often placed (also called the school/college of education in some universities). The cost of universities went up radically because of inflation in the addition of student facilities to act as draws for incoming student populations. The advent of easy loan terms for colleges and universities also inflated the costs and generally made university attendance easier until the bill came six months after graduation. There are government loans and private loans available to most families to enable their children to attend university, usually with standard loan rates. Less wealthy families may also get grants from the federal government but these are now woefully behind since they have not kept up with inflation. If a person wants to attend University outside of their own state the public university cost for tuition typical double with some even higher in the more popular universities. Private universities cost are typically double and higher compared to public universities well lesser public universities cost 10 to 15% less than the major state universities of which there are two or more in each state. Finally there are junior colleges that are basically a combination of trade schools and/ or the first two years of university. They are a bargain compared to the four year schools costs. US public schools are simply copying the original unofficial names started at Cambridge university in the 16th century. www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/learned-fools-freshman-sophomore-and-the-rest

[@mattp422]

Good explanation. I’d add that in the U.S., many colleges are not part of any university, but rather are independent four year institutions that offer only Bachelor’s degrees (or, sometimes Master’s). Universities also offer Bachelor’s degrees, but, in addition, postgraduate (i.e., post-Bachelor’s) degrees up to the doctorate level, as well as post-doctorate education. The doctoral level degree one receives often depends on what college or "school" you attended within the University (PhD, MD, DDS, PsyD, PharmD, etc). Also, generally, Universities are far more involved in academic research than most colleges.

[@codym2903]

Fun conversation. Another factor, her experience is different from other Americans because each state does their own thing.

[@morgangrey8350]

In the US, it completely depends on what school district you're in as to how the grades are grouped. We moved around a bit as I was coming up in public schools. One school district in Missouri grouped the grades K-6 (elementary), 7-9 (junior high), 10-12 (senior high). One in Illinois grouped K-6, 7-8 (middle), and 9-12 (high) -- although the year I was starting middle school there was massive overcrowding, so they bumped grade 9 down to middle school, then removed all 7th graders and sent them to previously disused school buildings (asbestos, anyone?) resulting in four schools citywide that taught only grade 7 students. The next year, they re-condemned the four buildings and put grades 7 and 9 back where they had been. The school district in the Arkansas town where I currently work groups their students K-4 (elementary), 5-8 (middle) and 9-12 (high)

[@ashleybeverly3884]

I was wondering what type of College Degrees are there in the UK? In America, Associates - 2 yr University education Bachelor's - 4 yr University education Masters - After obtaining Bachelors, two more years of university Ph.D -High level degree, 3 or more year's of graduate level studies What order do UK universities go in terms of there areas of study ?

[@momto4beans]

Jr. Colleges/Community Colleges weren't mentioned. Currently, where I live, a person has 2 years tuition free for those, so you just pay for books and other fees. The is how 2 of my children started out. Then they transfer to a 4 year school to complete to Bachelor's degree. My other 2 children went to 4 year state universities right out of high school. One did 3 years as an RA and that gave her free housing and meal plan. She also did a year abroad (which got cut short by Covid). She is now a credentialed teacher ( 2 years after her bachelor degree) and is going to get her Masters degree next year. Like AP classes, there's also IB, which if a person does all of it, has the potential to give them credit for a whole year depending on the college they want to go to. AP and IB classes both require testing, but those Ivy league schools don't take the credits, so while you can put them on your application, you did a lot of work (and paid a lot of $) to not have them count for college credit. So you have to check with the college to see what they'll take. Also as far as college sports, a lot of the players feed the professional teams. Each league (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) has a draft for players each year. So a player that plays really well in college can potentially get drafted into the pros. It's not the only way as hockey uses minors and junior teams around the world, but for the others I mentioned, it's the most common way. Texas is big on American football. There are some big stadiums for high schools that rival college and pro stadiums. Jess mentioned alumni coming back to colleges, but in Texas and a community like I live in, people come back for the Homecoming game every year. We have multiple generations that all graduated from the same high school. It's an experience.

[@allisonmarlow184]

The term "Ivy League" refers to the fact that they are some of the oldest colleges in the US and, as such, have old ivy growing on the buildings.

[@peterfhere9461]

We also don't have a fixed set of courses we need to pass when leaving school. There's no equivalent to "graduating from High School". Companies employing school leavers can require certain GCSEs e.g, maths and English but often don't require a whole raft of other irrelevant exams. To attend University, the University might require Maths and English at at least C grade at GCSE level (taken around aged 16) and then A levels (taken around age 18) at certain grades in relevant subjects for the subject you wish to study - for example A levels in Maths, Physics and another science at B grade or above for a Physics degree course. In the UK there's a central system for applications to all Universities other than Oxford or Cambridge. You can apply to no more than five Universities in a given year, and then must narrow your choice to two by a certain date.

[@Stephie.Lou1989]

Some things to remember: every state has its own rules. So in my state, Kindergarten starts at 5 but you’re not required to send you’re child until 6. So parents can choose depending on their child’s readiness (for example my boys have may birthdays. One went at 5 because he was ready the other won’t go until 6 *cough*covid baby*cough*). Also you can leave school at 16 ( drop out) and you can graduate when you complete senior year (one of my kids will be 17 when he graduates) Also spring break is for all schools not just universities, and in my state we also get a fall break separate from thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. So a full week off in October and also April in addition to the other breaks.

[@doloreswilliams6826]

This conversation was interesting. My son went to an out of state college and it cost $120,000. base for 4 years. At that time you could buy a house at that price.

[@jerydob6499]

Last I checked University of Texas, it was like $40k per semester. And that from a school who netted the most income in div1 schools from school merch. And the state budget always has a large surplus. But that is a way to limit your attendees to those of high academic, athletic, or monetary abilities. And they have a vast network called UTex or Texas ex. I thought it was a reference to the country song but then I saw many vehicles with those stickers and realized they were not talking about the song, though Texas had one of the highest divorce rates in America at that time. But the UR Regents are one of the most powerful , well established , and well funded organizations in the huge State of Texas. Sweaters don't begin to cover it. But Oklahoma University is similar. Texas A&M similar but on smaller scale. The UT websites say they are a global fraternity.

[@adamcarr9442]

I went to grad school in Canada. There a student starts University after grade 13 and does 3 years for a Bachelor's degree. Doing a 4th year is for an honors degree specializing in a discipline. The Masters generally takes one more year. A PhD in my case required one year of formal coursework only in the first (Masters) year. After that it was active research and seminars and preparing the dissertation.

[@ckennepohl]

Grade 13 (or Ontario Academic Credits - OAC starting in the mid 1980s) was Ontario only. OAC was phased out a few years ago

[@vi9763]

Grade 13 no longer exists. Ontario was the last hold out and dropped it in the early 2000's

[@robine916]

Many states allow High School students to take classes at a 2 yr Community College for free. My daughter's classmate graduated from High School while also earning a 2yr Associates Degree. A.P. courses can also earn you college credit if you earn a 4 or 5 (scored 1-5) although some accept a score of 3. High School and College/University (American) Football is more popular mostly in the south. Families travel to attend their Alma Mater's games.

[@stephanledford9792]

Schools are handled differently depending on the state you live in. I live in Bentonville, Arkansas, and the schools here are broken down into Elementary School (grades K - 4), Middle School (grades 5 - 6), Junior High School (grades 7 - 8), and High School (grades 9 - 12). The quality of the public (free) schools varies by location, partly because the funding is from local taxes, although there are other factors in play as well. There are several Universities in Arkansas, with the largest being the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, about 30 minutes from where I live. It is cheaper for state residents, but neighboring states also get the "in-state resident" rate, which brings in a lot of non-Arkansans. The breakdown, per the web, is 53.5% from Arkansas, 32.1% from Texas, 4.5% from Kansas, 4.4% from Oklahoma and the rest from other states and foreign countries. The school loyalty includes many who never went to the University because in a sense, the University is representing the state. You will see bumper stickers on vehicles and other signs of support all the time, and the same is true for those who went to different universities from other states but now living here, something fairly common here because Walmart is headquartered here and brings in people from all over. Most of the time it is all in fun and in the rare times it is not, there is generally alcohol involved. When I was in school, there were "nerdy" people and "jocky (is that a word?) people but it was nothing like the movies.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

My elementary school went to sixth grade, 7th 8th and 9th were junior high, and high school was 10th, 11th, and 12th. She neglected to mention, AP courses count as college credit if you pass the test. Hence, the name, advanced placement, because they let you skip some of the introductory courses.

[@stephanledford9792]

@@JustMe-dc6ks The scenario you mentioned was the same for me when I was in school, but then I am in my early 70s and things have changed. I think one reason that the Bentonville School District has these breakdowns is because the area has grown so quickly. Here is the population growth per Wikipedia: 1980 - 8,756 1990 - 11,257 2000 - 19,730 2010 - 35,301 2020 - 54,164. The city reports 59,822 right now, so the growth continues. The Bentonville School District (which includes all or parts of neighboring towns) reports having 17,970 students, per their website.

[@marydavis5234]

I’m from Vermont, when I started school, it was 1st grade to 6th grade, We didn’t have kindergarten or pre-school back thenI walked to school in those grades, the small town I lived in had no junior high or high school, so I had to take a school bus to the nearest high school, which was 15 miles away, it it was 7th grade to my Senior year, it was a 3 story school, the 7th and 8th grade classes were on the first floor, Freshmen to Senior grades has classes on the 2 nd and 3 rd floor.

[@pedromalbernaz]

I know what you guys mean, but the word "FREE" is not very suitable when you have to pay such a huge amount of tax for government to provide those services. I guess the word "COVERED" would certainly be more appropriate.

[@ESUSAMEX]

I grew in New York State and my schooling was Kindergarten to 6th grade in elementary school, 7th grade to 9th grade was Junior High and High School was grades 10 to 12. They changed it a few years after I graduated. Now it is K to 5th grade in elementary school, Middle school is 6th grade to 8th grade and high school is 9th to 12th. In 12th grade you can be 17 or 18 depending on your birthday. You can drop out at 16 with a parent's signature or at 17 without permission. Once you drop out, you are not forced to do anything.

[@LilahLily87]

The elementary schools in Knoxville, Tennessee all start at 7:45 AM and ended at 2:45 PM with exception for Kindergarten whose parents or other approved guardian were required to pick the child up at 1:00 PM. Elementary school is K-5.

[@jlpack62]

When an American attends the same institution as their parents, they are called a legacy. For higher education in the USA, there are so many levels. Most of the large schools, either public or private, will offer doctoral degrees. The next level down has master's degrees as their highest achievement, while there are Jr. Colleges that only take you through 2 years and offer an associate's degree. Many times those who receive an associate degree will transfer into a university where they will complete 2 more years. Dare I say that all the schools that non-Americans will know by name (through academics or sports) are all research universities that offer doctoral programs. Probably most confusing to many is that Americans often use college and university interchangeably. In the end, all universities are "colleges", but not all colleges are universities based on the sort of degrees that are offered. To make things more confusing, universities designate their programs by colleges. You may attend X University, but also attend the College of Math & Sciences, or College of Humanities, etc. within that university.

[@bf-w1969]

Since 2006 universities in England could charge fees up to £3,000 a year, 2010 the cap was raised to £9,000 and now the tuiton fee is £9,250. Due to Brexit, starting in autumn 2021, EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals are no longer eligible for the home fee status

[@mattp422]

The Ivy League comprises 8 Universities in the northeast U.S., among the oldest in the country and known for their high level of academics and research. They are: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Penn (U of Pennsylvania) and Princeton.

[@JacquelineMoleski]

The breakdown for schools are: kindergarten (age 5), grade school (1 to 6), junior high (7,8), and high school (9-12).

[@randysake5031]

A college is 2-4 years, and offer degrees. Universities are the same but also offer graduate degrees Ph.D, medical, law, etc.

[@brandonaston301]

On the subject of college football. It should be noted that college football stadiums can hold 100,000 spectators. And a majority of the people in the stands didn’t go to that college or have students in college. Instead they are just there to watch a game in person. Since the US is so big it’s impossible for most to see their state’s professional team play so instead they just go to their local college.

[@theire483]

US school totally depends on what city & state you are in. I started school at age 2. They no longer have what used to be called nursery school. It used to be called primary school in the US also. If you are not 5 by a certain time, you cannot start. The cutoff date used to be Oct 3. I remember because I have family members that made, and did not. Had to start kindergarten at age 6. Some public school do require uniforms. When I was in public school, (100 moons ago, not really) they talked about requiring uniforms, but never did. We could not wear certain clothing when we were in school. You could not wear sports clothing (High School) until Fridays, unless you were actually in that sport and had a game before that day. We always had a dress code in every school I attended, pre-k (head start when I as a kid) through high school. In many southern US states high school does not begin until 11th grade. They call 8-10 grade Jr High, many of them have began to change this. What she is leaving out (I don't know if it's true now), there are extraordinary fees while in high school. My family had 4 kids in high school at the same time. We all went to different high schools, we never ever road a school bus in our lives. You can legally leave school in many states at 16 yrs old in the US. You can also (used to be able to anyhow) graduate from high school early. I have many friends who actually did this. Generally in the south everyone starts school at the same time...8am. In many northern school--the time is staggered. Some start at 8, 8:40 etc. That's the way it was when I was in school. You can also go to different kinds of high schools. There is GENERAL, SCIENCE, LAB, AND VOCATIONAL. The courses in all but general have majors. When we were kids in high school, spring break was called clean up week, we actually cleaned up, had a parade. As we all know college is totally different.

[@faithlesshound5621]

What Tom describes here is education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland does everything differently.

[@jesusdiaz4089]

Thank you so much Tom. Could you make a video about what is the difference between these two sounds /ɒ/ and /ʌ/, they get me confused.🤗

[@davidyoder562]

One word of caveat: In the US, each state is responsible for public education, so things can vary widely. For example, the breakdown of ages/grades are different. Some places have middle schools (grades 6-8), others have junior high schools (grades 7-8), and other permutations. So I'd say it's important when asking an Americans about American education, be sure to ask which state specifically they are from.

[@Chris_GY1]

I got a school bus to secondary school which would then go into normal service also coaches take kids to school so do normal service buses here in Grimsby and to other schools either in the village of Caistor or to a school in Louth.

[@vlampert]

Most Colleges in the US are actually part of a University. That is, a University is usually much larger than a College because it usually contain multiple Colleges. For example, the College I went to was part of the University of South Florida (USF). My Bachelor’s degree is from the University of South Florida COLLEGE of Electrical Engineering. My wife’s Bachelor’s degree is from the University of South Florida COLLEGE of Education. USF, like many universities, are made up of many different colleges (e.g. engineering, education, business, physics, mathematics, chemistry, liberal arts, etc.). That’s why someone from the US would say they ‘went to college’ instead of university. Also, in general, Universities (because of their size) tend to offer more degrees, especially advanced degrees (e.g. Masters degrees, Doctor of Philosophy degrees, Medical Doctor degrees, etc.). There are exceptions, but most stand-alone colleges do not offer these advanced degrees. Stand-alone colleges usually only offer 2 year degrees (e.g. associates of arts, or AA degree; electronic tech or electrician degree, etc.) or they may only focus on 4 year Bachelor degrees in Liberal Arts (e.g. humanities, social sciences, etc.). This episode mentioned one reason college sports is so big in the US - camaraderie of the students who attend or attended the college. However, I would add that probably a bigger reason is the sheer size of the US. Both Britts and American’s love their sports (yes, I’ve seen a lot of packed Premier League and World Cup games). Most American’s live way too far from the closest professional team so they follow their local college teams instead. Most of my family is from Alabama and they did not go to college, but they are all fanatic University of Auburn football fans.

[@jerydob6499]

The HS groups , in the lower Midwest , were : nerds; jocks; preps, ( middle to upper middle class, trending fashion) ; goth ( wore dark clothing , tried to look creepy); thug ( pretend gangster, threatens violence); druggies, those that bragged about drugs and were supposedly always high; kickers/Aggies, country folk who had farms or livestock or were associated with that; teachers kids, poor kids, immigrants, very poor kids, and loners. Of course all fit more than one category, but if you associated too much with one group you might get alienated from another, politics is popularity, and who can afford to lose popular opinion ? But that's all in the past, that was high school.

[@sarah.93.31]

For anyone who didn't catch that last section: 1st Class Honours Degree = A (70-100% average) 2.1 Second Class [Upper Devision] = B (60-69% average) 2.2 Second Class [Lower Devision] = C (50-59% average) 3rd Class Degree = D (40-49% average) Anything less than 40% is a fail. Students rarely get grades over 79/80% as 80% and over is considered 'publishable'. Same grading system in all of UK + NI + Ireland. 😁

[@jacquelinemilom4164]

Just a comment on the SAT thing. They now also have in some states the ACT. That you can opt to take instead of taking the SAT again. I did poorly on my SATs and then chose to take the ACT. You can also submit the ACT results to colleges in place of the SATs. But it has to be one or the other. Not sure what year the ACT came. But I took both.

[@mrstacyj9496]

Higher Education (post Grade 12) is a business, and tuition is based on market capitalism: the consumer (student, parent) will pay based on their perception of value.

[@jacquelinejacobson4023]

I think the degree levels need more explanation. In the US you can graduate university Summa Cum Laude which means a GPA of 3.9 to 4.0+, Magna Cum Laude which is 3.7 to 3.8, or Cum Laude which is 3.5 to 3.6. After that you just are considered a graduate. You generally need a GPA of 2.0 to graduate at all. Those just reflect how well you did in school. The actual degree is not considered different. However, all degrees are worth the same out in the real world. They basically help you get your first job. After that work experience is much more important.

[@michaelhenault1444]

College competition in the US is a relative matter. Getting into your #1 choice may not be easy, but for example 50% of my high school class went to college and 50% of that group graduated. Ten years later the name of the college means little. The range and number of colleges is larger, so it's not hard to get in. What's lacking in the US are vocational schools with internships with a particular job in mind. You are an attractive presenter. Good luck.😉

[@cjhansen6618]

What she forgot to mention is the cut off date to start Kindergarten your child needs to be 5 before September 1st otherwise they have to wait until the next school year to start Kindergarten. And with the uniforms, it depends on the school. I know of some public schools here in the states that make their students where uniforms.

[@halinkap5217]

Not everywhere. School districts differ. My kids started in one school district where cut off was dec 1st, then we moved and they were the youngest kids on their classes. Both graduating school at 17 yo.

[@cjhansen6618]

@@halinkap5217 where in the states was that?

[@halinkap5217]

@@cjhansen6618 NYS

[@cjhansen6618]

@@halinkap5217 Okay, in Utah and Idaho you need to be 5 before September 1st.

[@gemoftheocean]

WRONG.... depends where you live.

[@michaelrains64295]

It’s essential to remember that in the US, schooling is LARGELY governed by the state in which you live. The federal govt has only involved itself in education over the last several decades (and has no right to do so, but that’s a different discussion). States dictate curriculum (or delegate it to the local school system), financing and standards. Local public school systems implement and manage the schools and curriculum.

[@uiscepreston]

Not everyone takes the SAT in the States; students can also take the ACT. In the States, we have both colleges and universities. A college is usually smaller and more specialized - like a liberal arts college, a fine arts college or a nursing college. A university is usually larger and typically offers a wider variety of disciplines under an organized system of colleges like the College of Letters and Sciences at UCLA, or the College of Medicine at Drexel University. Then university colleges (aka schools or institutes) are further broken down into departments. Some "colleges" like Dartmouth have grown to university status. Most Ivy League universities like Dartmouth are colonial in origin (except Cornell); all are private, selective and overrated in their existence. But their prestigious names' carry clout for superficial reasons. The others are Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Princeton and U Penn. They are also banded together in a subpar collegiate athletics conference with the Ivy League name.

[@michaelsburnett]

Pre K is often part of the public school system in a school district. Public schools are financed by the public through local tax levies and/or the state, whose monies are also gathered through taxing the public.

[@calconolly1839]

What i will say is children in the uk drink so much more and so much earlier! Also when i was young it was rare too go to university because of the expense. My eldest sister went but we didnt and my parwnts wwere in debt because of it

[@dantamsky9712]

Some university level institutions will accept high school Advanced Placement courses for college credit if the student's exam scores are high enough. Public universities in California used to be fairly cheap fifty years ago, but the state keeps cutting its support over time and so the tuition costs keep going up and up. Students of universities in big cities tend not to live "on campus" (in university housing).

[@faithlesshound5621]

Didn't California have free (public) universities, until Governor Reagan (R) put an end to that?

[@forevermrsanime]

I'm American I went to elementary school until 6th grade so until I was eleven and middle school was 7th and 8th grade.

[@simmi249]

UK Education system is quite similar to the Italian one. US Education system is world on its own.

[@darrencole97]

In most states you can graduate from 15 to 18

[@beckygarza9348]

I went to school in Texas in a district called PSJA (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo) combination of three cities. I have never heard the football team as "jocks" jocks to me are the person's who ride horses. In my day we had the popular kids, the band kids, the cheerleaders, the bearattes (dance team), JROTC (Junior Recruiting Officer Training Corp), and we also has a group called the "cholos". Which means gangster. I didn't hear the american lady mention PELL GRANTS that help out students to pay for their classess. Also, she forgot to mention that universities in the USA are 4 years and that we do basic courses AGAIN before going into the field of study.

[@zzkeokizz]

I went to preschool when I was 3. I was 6 when I was in Kindergarten and I graduated from high school when I was 18. I went to a small state college and stayed for 5 years because I wanted to be a journalist but then I thought if I could get an education degree it would help me. After college I got a Masters at an Ivy League University.

[@zzkeokizz]

I went to Dartmouth. That’s the Animal House college. The Frat is still there but it’s tamer because it has to be.

[@zzkeokizz]

The IVY league are 8 universities that were mostly founded before the USA existed. These universities are Harvard 1636, Yale 1701, Pennsylvania 1740, Princeton 1746, Colombia 1754, Brown, Dartmouth 1769, Cornell 1865,

[@thecartoonrobot]

I don't know if this is really a super clear representation, because everything talked about here just assumes that everybody is going to college. Not everybody is, so not everybody is taking the SATs, they aren't requirement in school, they are an optional thing that not everyone does. I went to a fine arts college, and therefore didn't have to take the SATs because they didn't require it. Many of my friends had no intention of going to university, mostly because they couldn't afford it, so they also never took the SATs. So it's not so much a given the way she made it sound.

[@candytwiggytwist3506]

hey Tom, 1st is for drilles ;) I think you got 2:1 or... 2:2 'cause it's fine too.

[@AnnFBug]

I got a 2.2 in 1978, as did the vast majority of those on my course. About ten people got a 2.1 and two got a first. I did another degree in 2002 and got a 2.1. By that time, you had really wasted your time if you couldn’t get a 2.1 or a first. Almost everyone got a 2.1. I did much better in my first degree, despite the lower mark. Standards have changed a lot. When I did my A levels in the mid seventies, people used to say that a British A level was the equivalent of a university degree in some countries. That put quite a lot of people off entering 6th form (the top two years of school used to be called Lower and Upper 6th) and they would leave at sixteen. It seems that we have just stretched out the non sixth form standards to take us to age eighteen and the old sixth form standard is now what we aim for in university. And if you wanted to enter for Oxford or Cambridge, you had to stay on at school for an extra year aged 18-9 (but no longer had to wear uniform!), to prepare for the exams.

[@johnmcdonald7043]

I think the UK red brick schools sound more like the major US state universities such as University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, University of Illinois, etc. The Ivy League schools are more like the UK ancient schools.

[@gemoftheocean]

He blew it. He meant Russell group, not "Red Brick." The US Schools youmention wouldn't be 'red brick" = bog standard. They'd be Russell group at very least.

[@maxlothar9719]

When I went to college (UK) between 1998 and 2002 - it was free. Now you're going to end up with huge debts - such a shame.

[@AnnFBug]

Oh, it’s not too bad. I had to take a student loan in 1999 and I did not have to pay any of it back until I was earning over a threshold amount. And even then, when I reached retirement age, whatever was not paid off was written off. I think that is quite a reasonable model which could be adopted for other expensive items we receive from the state. In effect, it was more like an extra band of tax for people who are earning a lot. So when I was earning enough to start paying, I didn’t mind so much because I was earning a good salary.

[@m.turkmen]

Two lovely people I follow, together in one video

[@williamlucas4656]

A big benefit of sororities and fraternities in the eyes of those who join is that they are "brothers and sisters for life". The main thing this means is they provide connections and introductions into certain parts of society or professions via the fraternity-sorority experience and extend even to graduates of certain universities and professions.

[@RunrigFan]

It also depends on the school going to 18

[@kevincarr5648]

In the American South high-school we did hang out in groups. Preps, jocks, nerds, rednecks/metal heads

[@johnp139]

Kindergarten isn’t really the first OFFICIAL grade!

[@bgsu5052]

Not sure if this is correct. But I've heard that ivy league schools started with 5 core schools. Hence the Roman letters IV. That's the story I know

[@gwnorth5572]

IV = 4 not 5 in Roman numerals. They are called Ivy League because the buildings were covered in ivy. While most people associate the term with the most academically elite universities in the US it's actually a sports conference comprising of 8 specific schools.

[@bobbymcloughlin3452]

Sensory Infancy Foundation Nursery Reception Preparatory --------------- Main School Grade (Year) 1 Grade (Year) 2 Grade (Year) 3 Grade (Year) 4 Grade (Year) 5 Grade (Year) 6 Grade (Year) 7 Grade (Year) 8 --------------- High Schools Grade (Year) 9 / Freshery Sophomory Neotery Presbytery Successory Lower --- 7th Form / College Upper Dissolution ------------------ Refreshment Graduate

[@RunrigFan]

We do sats too

[@Mtndude76]

Love love love this channel, college sports is everything in the USA, University of Georgia baby, Go Dawgs...

[@ninjafirewolf]

I have to wear a Uniform till I got to High school in public school

[@robs5362]

Also ro add to the John Hancock is because his name is the biggest on the Declaration of Independence. Why we say give me your John Hancock.

[@GingerUmstattd]

You plead the Fifth when you do not want to incriminate yourself.

[@georgemaster9979]

I never took a bus to school because my parents always took me in the family car.

[@jerydob6499]

When will you do more rural American English words on your channel, after all you do rural UK phrases? How bout,( phonetic) "Sgweet, Yontu?" You've heard of "Holla back!" , meaning hey I want you to holler at me , as in get in touch , either right now verbally or correspond with me in the future in some way. But in the country, ie, rural America, lower Midwest and South, there is something similar , " I'll holler atcha" I will holler ( speak loudly) at you. But if you get the words inverted, then it means something totally different. So, " back holler" in a conversation, might be ," Hey, we are having a barbeque over yonder in the BACK HOLLER, so, if you're interested, holler back". Response: When? Original guy: Whenever. Back to the other guy: How bout now? Original guy: Well, sgweet, yontu? Other guy: {no more dialogue because invitee does not want possibly say something that could be misconstrued and thus lessen the possibility of free barbeque. Barbeque in America is ridiculously expensive, if you are on a lower class budget} gets in truck, follows host truck, back into the hollow where the barbeque is located, sees deer along the way, wonders if it is too early in their relationship to ask to help manage the cull bucks on the property. If there are no vehicles or horses involved, you may have to " walk a piece", ie, to traverse a piece of land, typically " a piece" is at least 1/4 mile but, depending on the situation and the lifestyle of the person talking, it could be maybe 5-10 miles. If you are a friendly foreigner , except for a small minority of extreme militant persons, all you have to do is ask any question about anything that shoots, eg, water pistol, sling shot, fireworks, etc, and your rural host, very often, will offer to let you operate a firearm. American rural folks love to see reactions of first time shooters, especially foreign folks. They will typically give you a brief safety brief, ie, tutorial and demonstration. No matter your reaction to operating the firearm, it will be greatly enjoyed by the audience, unless you say something like , " eeeww citizens should not be allowed to have firearms" , then you might not get invited back , but you might anyways, as some in " those parts" [ of the U.S.] are more hospitable than other parts. I hope this has been helpful. I am not trying to steal anyone's thunder, so to speak, but if you are travelling in the American lower Midwest, South, deep South, Southwest, West, or possibly Appalachian America, you might ought to know some of the vernacular, ie, regional dialect. Be forewarned , up North, far North, especially Midwestern far North, such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the three Michigan dialects, the inflection and sounds of their voice are very different. A mild example is instead of saying Dōnchênō , like the do in nether regions, they say Dōnshūnō , in places like Minnesota. You know how the UK dialects and vernacular differs from Northern tip of Scotland to southern tip of England, that's 600 miles. From Brownsville , Tx due north till the Canadian border is about 1800 miles, 27-28 hr drive. So things can change , but that is still no excuse for the vast difference between English English and Scottish English. Pretty sure Scotland takes the cake on that one. Not, necessarily the vernacular , but the strange combination of rapid , diversely inflected sounds, with a straight faced expression as if what they said were at all comprehensible to those outside of Scotland. And when they repeat it slowly , there is this wonder and awe if how the slow repetition availed no clues as to the meaning of said sounds. Or, so it seems on the interweb. But , to my limited knowledge, it appears Brits don't consider the Scottish attempts to be accepted as " English" language either. Don't misunderstand, I like Scotland. I'd like to visit briefly in the dead heat of summer. But is Scotland to British English what the Appalachians are to American English. I also would love to visit Appalachian America. I am a partial hill billy myself. And my distant cousins settled a significant area of N.C. Well, I better skidadle. Beunos nachos. Shalom.

[@darrencole97]

Athletes were Jocks in my school

[@cordeliariley4119]

African American Greek life is nothing like yt Greek life.

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

Jeez, I just worked more hours during Spring break...because I was poor.

[@ajnewell2693]

I am from the US and I love this channel. However, I must note to your non-US viewers that these comparisons are very generalized and in many cases very misleading regarding what is or is non the "American" way to say or do something. For example, you mentioned in a previous video that the term trousers only applies to the UK. This is totally false as some places in the states also uses the term trousers. Keep in mind the the US is LARGE! We have several regions, times zones, slang, and general terminology used. Even our school system is not uniform as some places still have Junior High Schools as opposed to Middle School. As far as University goes, there are also Historically black colleges that have a totally separate backstory to itself. Also, it is true that American football generally is still the dominant sport in the states, but association football is WAY more popular here than is typically reported and you will find that the average footie fan across the pond is rather savvy and knowledgeable about the game. In fact, it is the fastest growing sport in the US by far and is the preferred youth sport in recent years. There are far more sayings that are interchangeable in certain regions that are identical to UK sayings. I live in the nations' capital and I can tell you DC has a self contained culture that is vastly different that other parts of the country. Anyways, love what you are doing, but I felt that I needed to clarify some things as well., Cheers.

[@AnthropoidOne]

Why don’t you say “shool” like you say “schedule”?🤔

[@phoebus007]

Because the pronunciation of the English language is irrational and illogical, designed to catch out most non-native and many native speakers. Just as schedule is pronounced "shed-ule", scheme is pronounced "skeme". Tomato and potato are also pronounced differently in English (ie. British English). There are numerous other words that give away American influence, eg. route, filet.

[@AnthropoidOne]

@@phoebus007 🤔

[@TickleMeElmo55]

Many universities in the States are arguably the best in X or Y research, and also have huge amount of faculty. Someone needs to pay for the salaries, building maintenance and everything you see on campus, from sports stadiums to dorms to cafeterias to student rec centers. American universities are a world onto its own - hence a higher price tag compared to Europe. It's a university that really is a mini-city/town/village.

[@maxlothar9719]

Wow! Over here in the UK we don't have any big world class universities - thanks! Max, Oxford. (born in Cambridge)

[@TickleMeElmo55]

@@maxlothar9719 Not sure if your post was a joke; not sure if you interpreted my post incorrectly too. Regardless, you do have Oxford and Cambridge. UCL is also good. LSE is quality as well. The point I'm making is the many universities in the US have the academic quality of said British universities and then some (which I listed in my OP). All that extra trimmings cost money and money doesn't grow on trees.

[@dantamsky9712]

Hello rest of the world. Hollywood movies are not documentaries on American life. If you want to draw conclusions about the US from movies you do so at your peril.

[@tomwalker779]

Greetings from Toronto. As a Canadian I enjoy the various UK vs US English videos. We are caught in the middle of ten using both sets of words and phrases, often using the British spellings and US pronunciation. I would like to chat about these topics sometime. TTFN

[@ESUSAMEX]

I believe Canadians use the British spelling because British spelling is closer to the French spelling as well. For example, Centre is both English and French. In America, we spell it center normally, but there are many place/town names where center is spelled centre

[@teddysmith457]

When I was in school and that was a long time ago. I’m 61 years old now school started at 8:30 AM. You were in your classroom and seated by 8:30 AM and we got out of school at 3: 30 p.m. that was grade school. Junior high school which is now middle school started at 7:30 AM and we got out of school at 2:30 PM.

[@johnp139]

Based on your writing, either your school was useless or you are retarded.

[@jerydob6499]

Cheerio.

[@TickleMeElmo55]

I know a British content creator who mainly focuses on food. She's striking; stunning even. Her content is so utterly unoriginal, so amazingly mediocre, yet she's able to garner hundreds of thousands if not millions of views on almost every video she has uploaded so far, and has over 400k subscribers. Looks sell (she probably is well aware of this) and there are suckers who support this (and her bank account). >US being excessively expensive This is false since all depends on the region and state you find yourself in.

[@ApobangpoBorashae7]

Colleges in the US were free until black people were allowed to go to college and than the president during that time decided to make college not free any more

[@toobatooba5334]

❤❤❤💕

[@dannil9878]

Sports and schools should not be combined. Extremely divisive thing

[@leslieglascock6674]

Hi! We are American, but, between her desire to explore other places, the outrageous cost of college, the fascist ultra-right takeover of the GOP and hurtling the US back decades, my daughter plans to attend uni in Scotland this coming fall.

[@TickleMeElmo55]

>fascist ultra-right takeover of the GOP And I guess the Democratic Party is balanced? Woman, I feel sorry for your daughter - not because of the cost of university in the States, but because she has a mother like you who is obviously naive, stubborn and suffers from cognitive dissonance.

[@AprilHammond-kc8lu]

My daughter wanted to go to uni in London, but she really struggled with the application process. She ended up going to a school here, but she may look into grad school in the UK.

[@rucky_665]

The affectation in her voice is a bit unsettling to be fairly honest. One of the reasons I don't watch any film with Reese Witherspoon or some other American actors. A bit annoying actually.

[@gemoftheocean]

Where are you from. I didn't notice any "affectation" in her voice.

[@djs98blue]

It’s just her accent

[@rucky_665]

@@gemoftheocean a little bit late. South Africa

[@markwhitney4580]

Back in my day, we had to walk through blizzards to school. We had to walk uphill both ways and had to do that 365 days a year. 😛 🤣😁🤪

[@AnnFBug]

Which country are you in?