My overall disclaimer is this: since I only went to undergrad in the states and only went to grad school in England, my comparisons are not as accurate as say someone who obtained a master’s degree in both the U.S. and England.

BUT I think I am qualified enough to speak about my experiences in higher education in general for both countries. I also know many people who have gotten their undergrad degrees in England and master’s degrees in the U.S., so it all balances out.

First, let’s talk about undergrad. In England, undergrad is usually only 3 years, and there is most often a placement included in that. A placement is similar to an internship, so by the time you graduate, you have a bit of actual work experience in your field. The reason why undergrad is only 3 years in England is because of college. While in the U.S., we generally use college and university interchangeably, college is actually different from university in England. College takes place right after high school, but before university. This is typically when everyone takes their general education classes, so when they start university, they jump right into classes for their degree.

For grad school, a similar difference (as ironic as that sounds) is time. In the U.S., master’s degrees are generally 2 years, while in England, they are only 1. Other than that, I’m not exactly sure what the other distinct differences would be, if there are any. Of course, across disciplines there are differences, but that is even within the same country.

Overall, one of the biggest differences of higher education in general between the U.S. and England is the cost. Higher education in general (although varying depending on school and location) is much less expensive in England. And even beyond the cost, government funding for students. No matter your financial standing (although that does factor in) all students are entitled to some sort of government financial assistance. Although not as an international student, unfortunately. And, if you are a full-time student, you also are not required to pay city taxes, which is also pretty cool – and a benefit that affected me.

Between my undergrad and graduate degree, the biggest difference I found was the work load, which might not be related to the difference in country. In undergrad, I felt as though every minute of every day, in between jobs, I was doing homework. I even did homework while working (my bosses were aware and approved). But for my master’s, I didn’t spend a lot of time during the semester on course work. It all came at the end when my final assignments were due. All of the focus was placed on those larger assignments, rather than on a few throughout. The assignments themselves though tended to be more difficult, as I was learning new skills and required to use what I learned for them.

All in all, both degrees were stressful, but I made it through! As a summary, I think going to university in England was different enough to be new and exciting, but similar enough to still feel familiar. And it’s another adventure in my books!

Thanks for reading! Stay safe and stay happy.