Like Tree39Likes

Should an international school kid go to the US or UK?

Closed Thread
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast
  1. #11

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    3,377
    Quote Originally Posted by justjoe86:
    I replied to your other (nearly identical) thread. And yes, I know the above is true... but are you saying you intend to do the same? If you didn't understand English it would be understandable, but I've never understood why English speaking Chinese students like to segregate themselves in this way.
    Agree with this completely. In my experience, it only ever happens with Chinese students. All other foreigners would mingle with all other nationalities: Chinese students never did. It is a shame, really, since there is nothing better than socialising with a blend of cultures.

    ....As long as it isn't the French..


















    Editor and Gilles are going to be all over this like a fat lass in a cake shop

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    7,471

    yes luckycat - I agree with me too... But then again - on the face of it - English university culture is pretty much 'let's get pissed' - so I can slightly understand how certain people don't want to do that and may be bewildered at first glance.

    Still, there are plenty of ways to find people who aren't just getting pissed.... For example, sneak into hospitals or make friends with local primary school children, around 40% of whom will not yet be drunk on a regular basis. Or visit a nunnery... that kind of thing.

    Jesus, what's the point of staying in your comfort zone all your life?

    'What do you mean? I walked on water?'

    Shut up Jesus... I wasn't actually talking to you. Jesus.


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    6,745

    Personally, I feel you should attend a small town university with WhiteAngloSaxonProtestants left, right, and centre.
    You will tremendously benefit from this "culture shock" and it might even boost your career as you will
    be used to dealing with whities. In sum,leave your comfort zone and go where the pain is greatest.


  4. #14

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    3,377

    So to surmise, just go to Uni, speak to everyone and enjoy everything. Don't be that token Chinese dude.

    And whatever else you do, ensure that you get smashed and sh!t yourself. Uni isn't uni until you sh!t yourself.

    nobby15 and dear giant like this.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    7,471
    Quote Originally Posted by Morrison:
    Personally, I feel you should attend a small town university with WhiteAngloSaxonProtestants left, right, and centre.
    You will tremendously benefit from this "culture shock" and it might even boost your career as you will
    be used to dealing with whities. In sum,leave your comfort zone and go where the pain is greatest.
    Reminds me of when I watched Bruce Almighty with a Christian guy and he said "well... the film was good but... everybody knows god is a white Anglo Saxon." (has to be said I'm a broad Birmingham accent to sound funny)

    But I agree with the sentiment, get the f*** out or your comfort zone especially at the age of 18 or whatever he is.

  6. #16

    Why did you not think of Canada? You would feel right at home in cities like TO and Chincouver. University fees are much lower than in the US as well, though I'm not sure about the rates international students pay.


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    猴山
    Posts
    23,652
    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    Shouldn't you be basing your decision on which will provide you with the best education as opposed to which will potentially give you the better social life?
    The selection of a place to study needs to be a little bit more than course selection.

    The key difference between the UK & US is the 1st year where in the UK you go straight into the subject you applied for while the US tends to be a more general 1st year allowing specialisation later.

    US universities are probably more flexible with a greater emphasis on self selection of modules while the more traditional UK Uni's can be very self study orientated with exams at the end of 3 years being the main pass/fail criteria.

    The other key things you need to consider are
    - Down town or out of town campus
    - Which City (Madison is very different form NYC)
    - Modern or traditional approach
    - Internationalism - is it just a few Asian to make the numbers look good or truly international with exchanges all over the world
    - Big or Small campus
    - Access to sports facilities
    - Drinking / night life
    - The Weather (Northern Europe only has 7hrs of sunlight in the middle of winter)
    - The course - does it match want you want and how good are the job prospects
    - The Fees - can you afford it


    You also need to consider a range of universities (from ones you know you will get in to ones you hope to get in)

    It really shouldn't be as simplistic as which country as there is a huge amount of choice within any given country.
    Last edited by East_coast; 06-01-2012 at 11:13 AM.
    hullexile likes this.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    383

    If you've already been accepted into top universities in the UK, shouldn't the quality of the school/your particular course be your deciding factor?

    If it's not and your decision is instead based on 'how many asian people you can hang around with when you're there' - well you probably won't realise until you're older how incredibly stupid you sound right now.

    dear giant likes this.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    2,495

    You say you've been accepted by the top UK unis - in which case have you looked at the percentage of overseas students? At Imperial for example, around 30% come from outside the EU. I don't think you'll have any trouble fitting in to that type of uni. A uni further down the league tables would probably be a lot more British.


  10. #20

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Kowloon HK
    Posts
    1,226

    oink - Mind me asking... are you one of these 'straight A' students (OR near enough), with a history of head in books, mostly studying, so have much less spare time for socialising?

    I'm generalising - sorry, but I've come across a couple of HK teens like this who are over in the UK and not having the uni life they had hoped for... (They email me from time to time about the rather 'strange' stuff happening 'round them )

    I think personality and temperament, adaptability, resilience, interests, along with upbringing, counts a lot...