Advantages and Disadvantages of the UK Education System

Melissa Harvey
3 min readFeb 22, 2017

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Going to college is one of the most important things you are going to do in your entire life, so you may as well choose something worthwhile. All of your research led you to study in England, but how much do you actually know about the educational system there? Are you familiar with all the goods and the bads? Do you want to convince yourself even more that you are making the right choice? Well, MasterGrades.com is about to find out.

The Goods of Studying in England

There are certainly some clear advantages to studying in England — otherwise, we wouldn’t be struggling to get in there as we do, and the media wouldn’t advertise it like this either. So here’s why students are bumping heads to get into a college in England:

Professional Study Environment

Students go abroad because they want to study. Obviously, if they do decide to leave their home country, this is because they couldn’t be provided the equipment or resources that they needed. Considering that the UK has some of the top-ranked universities in the world, you will find everything you need there in terms of facilities, research, socializing and sports.

You Graduate Fast

As opposed to most universities around the world that take around four years or more to get a degree, a university in England can offer it after three years or less. The courses are more focused, and you can gather the knowledge much faster than you would in a US college, for instance. You will get your degree much more quickly and you can start earning your own income. This can also be a disadvantage, depending on how you look at it.

Strict Educational System

Since professors are rather strict with you, you can’t get away with sleeping through your classes and partying like an animal because you have too much free time on your hands. It’s focused on the subject and it really wants you to study — which is why the British educational system bred so many geniuses.

The Disadvantages of the British Educational System

While there are indeed advantages to the British educational system, but at the same time, there are also disadvantages. Before you set out for an education in the UK, here’s what you need to prepare yourself for.

You Need to Decide Early What You’ll Become

An education in the UK will require that you know exactly what you want to become halfway through high-school so that you have a basis. This is the opposite of American students who can change their majors 2–4 times during university and still not be affected by it.

Too Little Time to Learn

Remember when we said that graduating early is an advantage? Well, it can also be a disadvantage. Since you take 3 years to study what others do in 4 or 5, you do not have the time to actually let that info sink in or go deeper. And if your college does decide to go deeper, prepare for the next disadvantage.

It’s Very Stressful

We’ve all heard about stressed students who do not sleep or eat during exam period because they are too stressed — and that part is true. While there’s less time to get a degree in the UK, there’s also more stress — because you have to dab all that info in your brain in less time than normal. Add that to some pretty hardcore professors; you will definitely need a lot of coffee to get by.

While there are some disadvantages for studying in the UK, it’s also certainly worth it. A degree you get here will be recognized and appreciated in the entire world.

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