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Culture Comparison

I have chosen to compare the culture between United States of America and the United Kingdom because in my future I have plans to study mathematics or physics after I graduate from upper secondary school. Therefore it can be a benefit to know about the schools, student life and other aspects of culture in the countries so I know which one I should aim for. When you going away to another country all alone and you do not have one single friend, it is a great benefit if the country has a nice guest hospitality so it is easy to get new friends. The third aspects of culture I am going to compare are the country’s tourist attractions and things to do because it should be fun to explore the country and do fun stuffs on the holydays.

When I decided how I was supposed to find information it was kind of clear for me that I would be using the internet because my friends and family barely know anything about the USA and the UK. I was very careful with my choice of sources. Before I started reading the articles on the websites I found on Google I made a quick deciding if it was reliable or not. It should not be too old and biased. I searched for errors and checked if it came from a creditable source.

The USA has the world’s largest international student population, with over 700,000 students choosing their education and life experience in the United States. But this does not mean it is the best option, there are a lot of other factors that makes a difference. Yes, the education system in UK is much smaller than the US’s but the number of international students in UK is 17% compared to the USA’s with 3%. That can be both a benefit and a drawback. If I choose to study in the UK there is a lot of international students like me that not know anyone either and that can make it easier to connect to new people. But if you look at it from another perspective you do not know the UK’s culture and the language that well if you only spending time with other international students. The largest goal for me going outside Sweden to study is to learn as much as possible in my specific topic (mathematics and physics). And in the USA, no matter what you study, you will have subject’s way out of your area. If I go to another country to learn more mathematics I honestly do not give a shit about history etc. In the UK on the other hand, you are expected to study within your chosen area of study, which fit me a lot better.

If you decide to study in another land were you do not know anyone it is a great advantage if people you have not met before are friendly and glad to talk to strangers. Otherwise it makes you harder to get new friends. In the US, no one is a stranger - even if you get into a cab, the driver will likely greet you and strike up a conversation. People are generally very casual and open-minded. Generally speaking, British people are friendly but prefer to keep to their own counsel. In most cases, you may have to take the initiative to start a conversation. British citizens are famous for their dry humor and sarcasm - though it may take you aback at first, you'll be cracking jokes with them in no time. But of course this is generally speaking. For an example, I can compare with my trip to London in the Easter break. Some of the cab-drivers were, as mentioned, not very happy to talk to us (strangers) but some of them loved to and actually could not stop talking.

Another great factor that is important when you choosing which country you want to study in is the spare time activities that are available and the price for the whole education. You do not study all the time, only like eight hours a day so that are plenty of time you can work to save some of the money the education cost, hang out with friends and funny daytrips and etc. that the country have to offer. I had a liking for the UK, and a dream of studying at Oxford or Cambridge and spending evenings in pubs with new friends, great music and a lot of pints. But maybe the idea of an American university sounds more attractive; grab a Starbucks latte on your way to class and play one of the many American sports that offers after school.

In both UK and USA you can work up to 20 hours a week while you studying which is a great benefit for both of the countries. But I have heard that it is much easier to get a job after the education is finished in USA than it is in the UK if you coming to the country as an international student. It is also overall much more expensive to study in UK than it is in the USA so from these points of view the UK looks best.

London alone will keep even the most active tourist busy for months! Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye can't be missed. However, it should be noted that the UK is not just limited to London! There is the beauty of the Scottish highlands and the old-world charms of Northern Ireland to discover. Most visited tourist sites in the US, be sure to include the Statue of Liberty, the American Museum of Natural History and Times Square in New York, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Disney World, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Las Vegas, and its famous casinos, and Niagara Falls on the list. Me myself have been to the most of the famous tourist places in UK (and with that I meaning England) but none in the USA. Therefor USA would fit me better to study in from this point of view.

In this mini-project I learned a lot of new things about USA and UK that I did not know before. There are plenty of benefits and drawbacks with both of the places for me as a student. But if we ignore the fact that the USA is much cheaper, in this case the UK would fit me best. The most interesting to read about was how the different ways that the schools prioritize and how the countries differ in terms of hospitality. The least interesting part to read about was the tourist attraction and places.

Publiceringsdatum: 2013-11-26