Difference in teaching style.

I still remember my first class in an American university, Psychology I. The professor came into the room very casually dressed, with a cup of coffee in his hand, saying "Hello, everyone". Then he sat on the desk at the front of the room and crossed his legs. He introduced himself and the course.

All of this was new to me. In my university in Korea, the professors would be dressed formally, in a suit and tie. They would never bring any drinks into class, and would never sit on a desk!

As days went by, I found more differences. For example, I noticed that the students would often interrupt the professor to ask questions. The professor did not seem frustrated by this. Each time a question was asked, he would answer it patiently.

One day a student asked the professor exactly the same question another student had asked a few minutes earlier. In my university, if that happened, the professor would say, "I just answered the same question a few minutes ago. Weren't you listening? I hope you'll pay more attention to what is going on in class." However, the professor did not say anything like this. To my surprise, he just answered the question.

At first I was confused. I was impressed by the patience of the professors. But at the same time, I was frustrated by all the interruptions. I felt that a lot of time was wasted. The students should listen to the lecture more carefully, I thought. In Korea, students wouldn't interrupt the professor in the middle of a lecture. They would not want to be rude.

However, as I spent more time there, I began to learn that in the United States, education is more interactive. There is more room for discussion. Students are encouraged to learn from each other as well as from the teachers. While I missed the respect shown to the teachers in my university in Korea, I enjoyed the freedom and the interactions between professors and students in the American university.

All in all, during my stay at an American university, I got more than a degree. I learned about differences in cultures and different ways to look at things, which greatly influenced my life.