3 Differences Between UK and American Universities
July 2023: My undergraduate graduation day from The University of Nottingham as an American student.
If you are considering studying in the UK, take this as your sign.
I have worn many different hats as a student. I have been:
an undergraduate student at an American university
a study abroad student in the UK
a full-time undergraduate student in the UK (after I transferred)
And, I like to think these many different hats have given me a complete view of how university in the UK is different from America (and in my opinion, far better)!
Anyway, enough of my faffing (British for going on and on). Here are just a few of the ways British uni is different.
Students are accepted into British universities based on exams only.
September 2024: My walk to a lecture in Durham.
The lengths my friends and I went to get into our respective American universities: retained tutors for the ACT, won captain of the volleyball team, was the editor of the yearbook, competed for national humanitarian awards, volunteered 20 hours on the weekend, had a part-time job, and kept perfect grades.
In the UK, you take “A-levels,” which are basically AP classes, and your A-level grades determine which uni you can get into. That’s it. And British students can only apply for five unis, not twenty.
Plus, the subjects of your A-levels determine your “course” (British for major). Once you pick your course, there is no switching majors or you would have to start uni over. And there are no minors.
Simply put, in the US, you apply to get into the uni overall, versus in the UK, the goal is to get into the course of a certain uni.
*Disclaimer: UK universities require all students, domestic and international, to submit a personal statement with their transcripts. The personal statement is your opportunity to highlight your identity and achievements beyond grades.
2. There is no homework in the UK.
December 2024: With no homework, you have more time to attend a Christmas formal in Durham Castle.
Yep, you read that correctly. No homework. The American homework system primes you for the corporate America hustle and to never “turn off.”
Studying at university stateside, there was some deadline or another every day: “two quizzes on Monday, paper due Tuesday, discussion board and three assignments due Thursday, unit exam Friday, extra credit due Sunday at midnight, etc.”
In the UK, there are two types of modules (British for classes): lectures and seminars. For lectures, you are given readings to take notes on throughout the week. For seminars, you are placed into a smaller group, where you discuss assigned readings or do group projects. Typically, you’re in one lecture per week, and four seminars per term.
So, in the UK you have to stay on top of your readings, but the readings do not actually count toward your grades.
3. British exams are worth 100% of your grade (eek!)
January 2025: One of my favourite places to get my readings done, Cafedral in Durham.
With that said: no pressure, but the British finals are worth 100% of your grade. Yep, no participation points or homework points to help you out. For my British reader, at American unis, the final is at maximum 40% of your grade.
Plus, in the UK, grading is done anonymously; you don’t put your name on your submission. Yes, seems more fair and discourages favouritism, which seems to help everyone except ass-kissing students, like me.
Final Thoughts on Why I liked University More in the UK as an American
There is an underlying theme between the three points above; life at British university is much slower. And, ironically, this slowness allows everyday life to be much more full.
Instead of rushing from one resume-building activity to the next in your car America, in the UK, you often literally take the more the scenic route.
December 2024: A trip to the pub with some of my classmates turned friends from Durham University after a lecture.
This often manifests in a 40-minute walk home, spontaneous after-lecture trips to the pub, and coffee catch-ups that don’t have a rigid end time.
Along with the slower pace of life, I found British students to be more mature than American students, especially at the undergraduate level. In the U.S., the Greek life culture permeates many campuses, with labels like “DZ” and “Alpha Phi” pinned to you, denoting your social status.
In England, you are just seen as an individual and hanging out with different groups is the norm. It is truly the more the merrier at social functions, with no frat meatheads in sight.
So, no homework, no resume-culture, a slower pace of life, opportunities to travel all around the UK and Europe, and no fraternity boys.
I think my case here is closed.
