Credit Transfer - Colorado College

Regardless of where you're studying, your academic experience is bound to be different from what you're accustomed to at Colorado College. While this may be difficult or frustrating at first, learning how to adapt to a new academic system is a valuable part of studying abroad.

Below are a few of the academic differences you might encounter (these pertain especially to students who will be directly enrolled at an overseas university). The more you can anticipate and prepare for these differences, the better your academic experience will be.

Teaching Styles

The pedagogical approach used by your professors abroad may be very different from what you're used to in the U.S. While teaching methods at CC include class discussion, small group work, field trips, as well as lectures, you may find the approach to be less varied and less interactive in your host country. CC students are often expected to think critically about the course material, and contribute their own analysis to class discussion and papers, but this kind of learning may not be emphasized or encouraged by your professors. Instead, your role as a student may primarily focus on listening to the lecture, taking notes, and demonstrating that you have memorized course materials.

Professor-Student Relationships

Professor-student relationships are not always what they are in the U.S. Your professors abroad might not be expected to hold regular office hours or be available to students as much they are at CC. Before emailing or going to visit your professor, try to talk to local students or your program director about what is the most appropriate approach.

Classroom Etiquette

The classroom environment abroad may be much more formal than it is here at CC. For example, eating and drinking may not be permitted in class, and arriving late, or in some other way disrupting the class, may not be tolerated. On the other hand, you might find that professors are more casual about attendance, and that many students do not attend every class session. (Do not let this fool you. Although it may seem like students aren't doing any work, it's very likely they're still keeping up with the class.)

Assessment and Grading

U.S. students are used to completing a number of assignments for a class, and to receiving regular feedback from their professor about how they are doing. By contrast, in many countries, there are significantly fewer assignments, and your grade for a course may be determined by just one final paper or examination. This means that you will probably have a great deal of independence to direct your own learning of a particular subject. CC students who are accustomed to the block plan must be especially disciplined about keeping up. You will not be able to cram an entire of semester of course material into a few nights of studying!

In addition, grading standards may also be different. In many other parts of the world, it is rare for students to receive a grade of "A," which is often reserved for those very few students who have developed superior knowledge of a subject. It is more common to receive the equivalent of B’s and C’s if you are being graded by foreign faculty.