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Originally Posted by screwitlah U.S. schools do involve a lot more class participation - especially for LACs with their very small class sizes and close faculty interaction. And the teaching of these oratory skills is not about the curriculum alone, but more importantly the PEOPLE you're surrounded by. I think it's very fair to say that Americans are generally more outspoken, confident and articulate than Singaporeans. Trust me, their skills and their friendliness will rub off on you whether you like it or not. Moreover, all of my friends in overseas universities can attest to how they've forced themselves to speak up just simply because everyone else in class is basically fighting among themselves to speak. Nobody there is afraid of giving the wrong answers. It'll change you. Until NUS/NTU/SMU have a similar environment, I don't see how the local experience can compare to the overseas one. |
actually i wasnt talking about local unis, as i posted in the NUS thread, theres an overemphasis on memorisation and regurgitation as compared to learning/absorbing in the local schools (take NUS med's 24/7 marathon mugging style for instance)....while LACs do benefit from the small size/high teacher-student ratio hence better class participation, most of the larger US unis dont, hence apart from the quality of the student body and finances, i dont see a distinct edge in the liberal arts education
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Originally Posted by screwitlah staying with ONE subject for 4 years would bore me to death. I don't know about you, but I want at least my undergrad experience to be stimulating and engaging. Grad school is understandable. |
i think you are entitled to this opinion, but i still contest your point about the need for a broad but relatively less deep curriculum to stimulate and engage....i think it ultimately boils down to personal preference, a passionate individual who loves what his learning (be it broad, varied subjects or a single specific field) will do well regardless of the system, which again brings me to my point that while the LA education has its uniqueness, i dont see it as necessarily better or superior to other systems say the UK/Aus/Canada (student quality and finances aside)