On the differences between American and English students

I write this, pondering, with a monstrous hangover. Last night was a lot of fun, and involved line dancing, karaoke and a hot tub until 5.30am. A separate post. But now I am in front of my computer and replying to anxious students' emails about the assignment they are due to have in by 5pm today.

Is it just me, or are American students a lot more conscientious than we Brits? One student had emailed me last night (when I was on the lash), hoping I would get back to her by a certain time as she was working most of today. Another of my students only has two evenings a week free, because she works every other night. I teach an 8am lecture. All the students are there. There are no obvious signs of hangovers and they all pay attention and participate. When I was at university, no lecturer would have been foolish enough to schedule an 8am lecture. Even when a lecture began at 10am, barely half the students would turn up because most of them were still in bed, sleeping off the effects of the night before - or getting back on it. Since arriving here I suspect I have had more hangovers than my students have.

Of course this is partly down to expectation. They get graded for their attendance record - so missing a few lectures could end up in being points down. They have several assignments to turn in per week, so have to keep on top of it. And of course they pay - thousands - which means they often have to work just to feed themselves after paying tuition fees.

But their expectations are different too. American students are graded on a cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) score - and out here, a C is a fail. Which means they are all desperate to do well and can't rely, like we did, on cramming furiously the week before finals and scraping a 2:1.

I'm not sure what I think about all of this. On the one hand, I love how involved everybody gets at Americna universities. I spent four months on a study abroad scheme at the University of Illinois when I was a student and did more in that four months than in practically my entire three year university career: joined a choir, sang in an opera, wrote for the student newspaper, attended extracuricular lectures, voluntarily spent time in the library. At American universities it's not considered sad or geekish to get involved and work hard, which to me, with my geekish tendencies was a joy.

On the other hand, strange though it may sound, so many of my more formative university experiences were as a result of having a bit too much to drink - and I don't mean the 'hilarious' chundering stories and cringeworthy snogs, but the philosophical discussions, the morning after hangover bondings, the sense that, we would never be able to be this free again. I think it's sad that American students can't have just a little more taste of this - although out here, unless you're 21, you can't even get into a bar, let alone drink it dry.

Oh I'm sure I'm romanticising a little - there are tales of wild fraternity parties and outrageous fake IDs. But nobody seems to slope off down to the pub post-lecture, or enjoy the afternoon discussing the meaning of life over a few cheeky beers. And I think that's sad.

On the other hand, I'm 28 years old and still in my pyjamas at 2.30 in the afternoon. But I did spend until 5.30 this morning in a hot tub, discussing the meaning of life. Rock and roll.