• With the gloomy prospect of returning to work, many people could suffer

• 一想到又要回到单调的上班生活，许多人都会患上节后综合症。

post-holiday syndrome.

• The syndrome refers to a general feeling of before returning to work, which is caused by during the vacation.

• 节后综合症指的是在即将回去上班之前人们普遍感到的抑郁心情，通常是由度假期间不规律的生活方式导致的。

depressionirregular lifestyles

• Symptoms include , ， and , and

.

• 症状包括感到疲惫、没有胃口、无法集中精力、

易怒和无助感等。

fatigue lack of appetiteconcentration irritability

a feeling of helplessness

L/O/G/O

American

Education System

American

Education System

Unit GoalsUnit Goals

To get a general knowledge of the American education system

To get acquainted with American school life

General IntroductionGeneral Introduction

• Americans are proud of the fact that the window of knowledge is never slammed shut for any of the nation’s citizens.

• Children are allowed to attend classes with kids of various races; schools have equal opportunities for both males & females, & for children with disabilities or handicaps. Now each & every student can get an equal chance to be educated.

The Educational LadderThe Educational Ladder

Kindergarten

Elementary school

High school

College

Americans view their public school system as an educational ladder:

Pre-College

The philosophy of the Educational LadderThe philosophy of the Educational Ladder• The educational ladder concept is an

almost perfect reflection of the American ideal of individual success based on equality of opportunity and on “working your way to the top.”

• Individuals may climb as high on the ladder as they can. The abilities of the individuals, rather than their social class, are expected to determine how high each person will go.

Day Care (日托 ) Center

Day Care (日托 ) Center

Nursery SchoolNursery School

Kinder-gartenKinder-garten

Early Childhood Education

Preschools

PreschoolPreschool

All school systems in the US have 12 years of elementary, middle school and senior high school.All school systems in the US have 12 years of elementary, middle school and senior high school.

+

Elementary school High school

6 years Senior high schoolJunior high school

4 years2 years

Junior high school: A difficult period for many children due to the onset of puberty 青春期

• The American education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary & secondary education prior to attending a university or college.

• This may be accomplished either at public schools, or at private schools.

• These 12 years of schooling may also be completed outside the USA, thus giving foreign students the opportunity to pursue the benefits of the American education system & obtain a quality American education.

Public EducationPublic Education

American public schools have 4 basic characteristics in common:

locally controlled,

free from religious influence,

coeducational

publicly supported by taxes.

The School BusThe School Bus

After the collision, Hummer became……After the collision, Hummer became……

bachelor’s degree, or

college diploma

bachelor’s degree, or

college diploma

2 years of study at a community college

2 years of study at a community college

Associate degree

Associate degree

Graduate studiesMaster’s degree

and doctoral degree

collegecollegeAfter high school, the majority of students go on to college.

Undergraduate studies

• The tuition for associate degree programs at community colleges is typically much less than at a 4-year college or university, even a public one.

• Therefore many American students choose to attend a US community college for 2 years as a way of lowering the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree.

• Students with associate degrees from accredited community colleges or junior colleges can transfer into their 3rd year at a 4-year university or college.

• Under US$3,000 -- US$20,000

Community collegeCommunity college

Community collegeCommunity college

• Many different types of students study at community colleges. Many students are adults with children and sometimes with grandchildren.

• The community college serves the community and anyone who lives nearby may go.

• After they receive an associate degree, they may then go to a college or university for two more years to get the bachelor’s degree.

• They are nearly always publicly funded, by the state, county, or city governments.

• The US masters degree is a graduate school degree that typically requires 2 years of full-time graduate school coursework to complete.

• Unlike students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, students in a master’s degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major).

• As such, students must have already decided on their major before applying to a master’s degree program.

Master’s Degree

• The US PhD degree or doctoral degree is even more focused & specialized than the master’s degree. Some students will complete a master’s degree before applying to a doctorate degree program, but that’s not always necessary.

• Completion of a doctorate degree typically takes between 3 & 6 years. The length of time will depend on the student’s educational background (a student with a master’s degree may take less time if it’s in the same field), the field of study selected, the student’s dedication & ability, & the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen for his PhD.

• The thesis is a very long, extensive & original research paper that is a requirement for completing the PhD program. (Some master’s degree programs also require a thesis, but it’s much simpler & shorter than the PhD program thesis.)

Ph.D. DegreePh.D. DegreeRequirements:

• Pass oral & written examinations in his specialty.

• Produce a long research paper which makes an original contribution to his field of study.

• Pass reading examinations in one or two foreign languages.

Diploma mill Diploma mill

• A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study (poor-qualified education).

Two diploma mills in one community

• Questions:– What tests should American high school

students take if they want to apply for a college or a university?

– What tests should American university students take if they want to further their education in a graduate school?

– Besides test scores, are there any other things important when applying for a college or a graduate school in America?

• In America, there isn’t a universal exam for enrolling a college or a university, because different universities have different requirements.

• In the last year of high school, the students have to apply several schools and take the exams of each school respectively.

Harvard UniversityHarvard University

TestsTests

• SAT: Scholastic Assessment Test 学术评价测验 Scholastic Aptitude Test 学术倾向测验• ACT: American College Testing

• GRE: Graduate Record Examination 美国研究生入学考试

Higher EducationHigher Education• American education on the college level is

provided by more than 3,000 institutions. • Most are coeducational.• Admittance: good high school record & test scores• Classification:

college -- offer only undergraduate courses

university -- have undergraduate, graduate & professional schools

junior college -- offer the first 2 years of college only

What are the differences and similarities between a university and a college?What are the differences and similarities between a university and a college?

college

university

•Much larger•Several different colleges in it

•Four years for undergraduates•Admit students with a high school diploma

No graduate or professional programs

Colleges look for stuents who are “well-arounded.”Colleges look for stuents who are “well-arounded.”

Extracurricular activitiesGrades in

high school

Scores on tests like the SAT

Extracurricular activitiesExtracurricular activities

•The most important one•Teach the student the “winning spirit”

Designed to develop

competitive, political and social skills

Art, music, drama, debate,

photograph, volunteer

work

Student governmentClubs and other

activitiesAthletics or

competitive sports

All aimed at helping the students to become more successful in later life.

Educating the individualEducating the individual

• The development of social and interpersonal skills may be considered as important as the development of intellectual skills.

• To help students develop these other important skills, schools have added a large number of extracurricular activities.

• These activities are almost as important as the student’s class work.

What’s the significance of extracurricular activities?What’s the significance of extracurricular activities?

Demonstrate their special talents

Demonstrate their level of maturity and responsibility

Demonstrate their ability to get along with others

Demonstrate their leadership qualities

How do a university or a college get money for its expenses?How do a university or a college get money for its expenses?

A privately funded

one

Get money from the state government

Funded by a religious group

They are funded in one of the following three ways.

A publicly funded one

Get money from private

sources

Public or PrivatePublic or Private

• Most college students in the US are in “public” institutions, and only a minority are in “private” ones.

• The oldest, and in some ways the most prestigious, colleges are private, founded partly from endowments, and partly by contributions from business and above all, former students.

CostCostThe rapidly rising cost of higher

education:Harvard University (private): tuition +

housing & food + personal expenses = $28,000 + $9,500 + $10,000

Arizona State University (public): tuition + housing & food + personal expenses =($7,000-$8,000) + ($2,000-$3,000) + ($4,000-$5,000)

The Ivy League (常青藤盟校）The Ivy League (常青藤盟校）• Some of the best-known private universities

in the United States are located in the Northeast.

• They are the oldest ones in America as well, known informally as the Ivy League.

• These include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and University of Pennsylvania, with the first three known as “The Big Three”.

Harvard UniversityHarvard University

• Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the eastern coast of the US.

Harvard UniversityHarvard University

Harvard UniversityHarvard University

Harvard College was established in 1636. It was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard of Charlestown, a young minister who upon his death, left his library and half his estate to the new institution.

Yale UniversityYale University

• Yale University was founded in 1701.

Yale UniversityYale University

Princeton UniversityPrinceton University

• Located in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey.

• Princeton simultaneously strives to be one of the leading research universities & the most outstanding undergraduate college in the world.

College GradesCollege Grades

• from highest to lowest, run A, B, C, D, F.

• F is a failing grade. A student does not get credit for having taken a particular course if he receives an F in that course.

• College students must maintain at least a low C average in order to remain in school.

GraduationGraduation

Graduation, Harvard, 2005

Graduation CeremonyGraduation Ceremony

• A.k.a. (Commencement Ceremony) • In American high schools and colleges, the last

day of the school year is graduation day. • The people who come to watch the graduation

are teachers, parents and friends of the graduates.

• Those students who will graduate will wear long robes and caps with square tops.

• The graduate who has the best record in school will make a speech. The school principal and other officials will also make speeches.

Graduation CeremonyGraduation Ceremony

• Then each graduate will receive a piece of paper which has his name and the name of the school. The paper which the students receive in high school is a diploma. The paper which the students receive in college is a degree.

• After the ceremony, students often chat with their teachers, friends and relatives who come to congratulate them. They take pictures of each other. Graduation is a memorable event.

Video clip

The blonde stereotypeThe blonde stereotype• On one hand, over the history, blond hair in

women has been considered attractive and desirable.

• On the other hand, a blonde woman is often perceived as making little use of intelligence, a “woman who relied on her looks rather than on intelligence”.

• The dumb blonde ( 外表美丽而头脑简单的美女 ,花瓶 ) is a popular-culture derogatory stereotype applied to portraying them as beautiful and sexy, and dumb.

• At the same time, people tend to presume that blondes are less serious-minded and less intelligent than brunettes ( 深褐色头发的女性 ).

Greek lifeGreek life

• Greek life is a term used to describe all Greek letter organizations at a college or university.

• Typically Greek life is made up of fraternities and sororities.

• Typically the process of joining a fraternity is called rush, and joining a sorority recruitment.

Fraternity and Sorority LettersFraternity and Sorority Letters

• The Greek letters found on fraternity and sorority houses and fraternity and sorority members’ chests represent the organization they belong to.

• Most fraternities and sororities are made up of two or three capital Greek letters.

• Each Greek letter organization has its own secrets, rituals and beliefs.

Dues Dues

• Fraternities cost money. The money you spend in dues will be nothing compared to how it will change your life for the better (if you choose the right one).

• The good thing is, once you pay fraternity dues you are typically covered for all parties and events for most of the year.

• Some fraternities own their own houses at big schools and have live-in chefs. This is great on big campuses where you can go down stairs and get a meal instead of walking across campus to the dinning hall.

Skull and BonesSkull and Bones

Skull and BonesSkull and Bones

• Its members include some of the most powerful men of the 20th century.

• Bonesmen, as they’re called, are forbidden to reveal what goes on in their inner sanctum( 圣所，密室 ), the windowless building on the Yale campus that is called the Tomb.

• Over the years, Bones has included presidents, cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices and often their sons and lately their daughters, a social and political network like no other.

• Skull and Bones was founded in 1832.

• Since then, it has chosen only 15 senior students a year, which means there are about 800 living members at any one time.

• The main purpose of this secret society: to get as many members as possible into positions of power.

Time for funTime for fun

• Enjoy the joke.

• The following form is for students who want to apply to have their grades changed.

What’s So Great about An American Degree? What’s So Great about An American Degree? • World class learning institutions • Endless study choices • Worldwide recognition • Training & research • People and culture • Technology • Flexibility / Ability to transfer credits from

universities and change programs• Campus experience • Global focus

L/O/G/O

What are the characteristics of an American education? And how does it differ from a traditional Asian education?

What are the characteristics of an American education? And how does it differ from a traditional Asian education?

• In order to construct personal meaning students are encouraged to ask questions and challenge ideas.

• Asking questions or challenging a teacher’s presentation of material can be disrespectful.

• The teacher’s role is to be a facilitator ( 促进者 )of learning rather than a dispenser of knowledge.

• The teacher’s role is to be a dispenser of knowledge & a model of scholarship & virtue.

• Students are taught to be & encouraged to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers & decision makers.

• The ability to imitate & produce accurate replicas of something is highly valued.

Video clip: dead poets society