Post by Lottii on Dec 1, 2010 16:36:04 GMT
So, it has come to my attention during my long hours of googling to try and understand the education system in America, that in the US, college is more of a university thing. Here, I will try and explain how it works a little bit, and a comparison of how it works in the US (which will probably be utterly wrong).
In The UK
In the UK we leave high school with exams called GCSEs. You sit the exams during Years 10 and 11, getting your results during the summer after Year 11. You can 'drop out' of high school in the second week on the June that you are 16. Which will always be Year 11. It is very very rare to be 'held back' a year if you are in the government funded school system (ie a school your parents are not paying for you to go to). When you finish Year 11 you have a couple of options. You can stay at school for another two years completed 6th Form and getting another exam done called A-Levels. A-Levels are academic based. The first year of A-Levels you sit an exam called as AS-Level, the second year you sit an A2-Level. You cannot take an A2 without having done that subject at AS. AS-Level and A2-Level together make up a complete A-Level. You can also take A-Levels at some colleges. Another option is to go to a college and do a more practical based course, such as hair-dressing, agriculture. The other option is to get a job, although it isn't likely to be a very well paid one. Colleges do not have year groups or grades as such.
If you complete A-Levels (And in some occasions a college course), you can progress onto University and do a degree.
Park Equine College is designed fit with leaving school at 16 years and then coming here and doing something practical based, although also offering A-Levels. For the purpose of this site, this is how we will decide grades/year groups.
16 years - 17 years = First Year
17 years - 18 years = Second Year
18 years - 19 years = Third Year
19 years - 20 years = Fourth Year
In the US.
I have no actual experience of this, so please correct me where necessary. I gather that you gain a high school diploma on leaving high school at 18 years, although some graduate earlier (if someone could enlighten me on how this works I would be grateful!!). This high school diploma is not equivalent to the UKs GCSE's or A-Levels, it is somewhere in between. GCSE's are a lower qualification than a high school diploma, A-Levels are higher.
This is where my knowledge gets even more misty. The UK's equivalent of a University seems to be referred to as college, and I am guessing this is the more academic route. If it is, I have no idea what the more practical based route would be.
Therefore, American students joining Park may either have dropped out of high school early ( I believe it varies by state what age students can do that, but in general it seems to be that if you have parental permission it is 16 years, and 17 years without parental permission), or have graduated earlier (still don't get how this works), or those that finished high school and got the high school diploma. If a students leaves without a high school diploma at 16 years old, then GCSE's would probably be about the stage they are at. Those who graduate at 18 years would probably be at the level of having completed AS-Levels, but not done A2-Levels.
I hope that has provided a little enlightenment, although most likely not.
Please, please, please add your knowledge as a reply, and if I understand it I will add it in
Thanks
Lottii
In The UK
In the UK we leave high school with exams called GCSEs. You sit the exams during Years 10 and 11, getting your results during the summer after Year 11. You can 'drop out' of high school in the second week on the June that you are 16. Which will always be Year 11. It is very very rare to be 'held back' a year if you are in the government funded school system (ie a school your parents are not paying for you to go to). When you finish Year 11 you have a couple of options. You can stay at school for another two years completed 6th Form and getting another exam done called A-Levels. A-Levels are academic based. The first year of A-Levels you sit an exam called as AS-Level, the second year you sit an A2-Level. You cannot take an A2 without having done that subject at AS. AS-Level and A2-Level together make up a complete A-Level. You can also take A-Levels at some colleges. Another option is to go to a college and do a more practical based course, such as hair-dressing, agriculture. The other option is to get a job, although it isn't likely to be a very well paid one. Colleges do not have year groups or grades as such.
If you complete A-Levels (And in some occasions a college course), you can progress onto University and do a degree.
Park Equine College is designed fit with leaving school at 16 years and then coming here and doing something practical based, although also offering A-Levels. For the purpose of this site, this is how we will decide grades/year groups.
16 years - 17 years = First Year
17 years - 18 years = Second Year
18 years - 19 years = Third Year
19 years - 20 years = Fourth Year
In the US.
I have no actual experience of this, so please correct me where necessary. I gather that you gain a high school diploma on leaving high school at 18 years, although some graduate earlier (if someone could enlighten me on how this works I would be grateful!!). This high school diploma is not equivalent to the UKs GCSE's or A-Levels, it is somewhere in between. GCSE's are a lower qualification than a high school diploma, A-Levels are higher.
This is where my knowledge gets even more misty. The UK's equivalent of a University seems to be referred to as college, and I am guessing this is the more academic route. If it is, I have no idea what the more practical based route would be.
Therefore, American students joining Park may either have dropped out of high school early ( I believe it varies by state what age students can do that, but in general it seems to be that if you have parental permission it is 16 years, and 17 years without parental permission), or have graduated earlier (still don't get how this works), or those that finished high school and got the high school diploma. If a students leaves without a high school diploma at 16 years old, then GCSE's would probably be about the stage they are at. Those who graduate at 18 years would probably be at the level of having completed AS-Levels, but not done A2-Levels.
I hope that has provided a little enlightenment, although most likely not.
Please, please, please add your knowledge as a reply, and if I understand it I will add it in
Thanks
Lottii