While studying at Ohio University through a foreign exchange program is an exciting step for many overseas students, being at an American university can pose unique problems and advantages.
A central issue for exchange students involves transferring credit from OU's three-quarter system back to the home country, said Lori Lammert, coordinator of Counseling Services for OU's Office of Education Abroad.
Almost all universities in foreign countries are on the semester system
Lammert said. When a foreign exchange student studies at OU for one quarter his or her home university may only grant credit for half a semester.
The pace of a quarter system also varies from the foreign semester system, said Alex Doletschek, an exchange student from Leipzig, Germany.
In the beginning it was very hard for me to cope with the quarter system
Doletschek said. But now I like it very much. Here
you have the opportunity to concentrate on three or four classes. ... It's much better than six or seven classes per semester
like in Germany.
Ross Pearson, an exchange student from Scotland, came from a university that used an entirely different system.
We have terms of 12 to 14 weeks and then a third term which exists only as an exam period
he said. I like the sheer amount of options I get doing the quarter system
but miss the depth of longer
sometimes full-year
courses.
There are also many discrepancies among the classroom structure of American and foreign universities, said Connie Perdreau, director of OU's Office of Education Abroad.
Foreign exchange students are surprised to learn that many of our professors take attendance
Perdreau said. Compared to those in other countries
