myUface Blog

Here’s a great benefit of going to university in the United States: your studies are generally going to be focused on practical, real-world applications. What does this mean?

• it means you will graduate not only with theoretical knowledge of a subject, but also with experience of using that knowledge in actual, real-world situations.
• it means that when a prospective employer asks about your “work experience,” you’ll have a good answer – even though you just graduated!
• it means that employers will value your degree more than degrees from universities in other countries, because they know you’ll need less training to adapt to the workplace.
• it means that you’re going to spend a lot of time in university actively implementing what you’ve learned.  For many students this aspect of their education is the most rewarding.

Why are U.S. universities more focused on the practical applications of knowledge? Well, there are many reasons.  Here’s a few:

• Historically, universities in the United States have received more of their funding from private sources – from students themselves, from corporations looking for specific research, or from philanthropists (generally men and women who had made a lot of money in the business world).  These private funders have been more interested in education that yields practical benefits.
• American culture generally places a higher value on practice than it does on theory.  Americans are more interested in whether something works than in why it works.
• Americans have developed educational methodologies that suggest that the most effective way to learn about a theory is to implement it.   One popular practice, called “Service Learning,” assigns students real work with groups that aren’t able to pay for it.  In a marketing class, for example,  you might help a local non-profit organization design its web page.  In other words, American universities do teach theory – they’re just more likely to teach it via practice, rather than via textbook.

The combination of practical experience with “book learning” is one of the most unique and fascinating aspects of the U.S. higher-educational system.

For Your Consideration:

What do you think?  Do you think students should go outside of the classroom and do “real-world” activities as part of their education?

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?