Charles Samuel
Published: January 21 2004
he old saying “The grass looks greener on the other side” certainly applies to foolish daydreamers who think that growing up in “progressive” places like England is preferable to attending schools and working in this country. For most young people, there is nothing easy or glamorous about pursuing an education or making a living in England.
Living in Britain for seven years showed me that life is rough for most students there no matter where they may go. Students in British schools are given sets of standardized tests known as “A-levels,” which are equivalent to a giant FCAT.
These tests not only can stop someone from graduating, but also can determine that person’s vocation, social status and, in some cases, the rate of interest on mortgage payments.
To make matters worse, it simply costs more to live in the U.K., which is reflected by the exchange rate for U.S. dollars. The equivalent in English pounds buys less.
Thus, more young people have to work harder in low-paying clerical and service jobs to survive in a society where the average price for a gallon of gas is three pounds (about $6). And let’s not even mention the amount of car insurance that must be paid monthly or how much a pack of cigarettes costs for the average 16-year-old.
That’s right. Being 16, smoking a cigarette and living on one’s own is completely all right in England. Indeed, 16 is the legal age to be an adult and to marry, and for some parents, that’s a good thing. Getting back to the tests, they are a cruel yet effective way to motivate students. A typical test includes geometry, physics, trigonometry, algebra, college-level reading and comprehension portions, and liberal arts sections. Students may pass the test at different levels that correspond with certain skill levels of work.
The examination is basically a life-skills test akin to the Choices(r) program on steroids. If the test is failed, the test taker will not graduate, thus making the 17 years of school somewhat of a waste.
A failing student is doomed to a life of low-paying jobs-working as a snowplow street cleaner or a hotel receptionist, for instance-just based on this one test.
Unless a student is very lucky and by some miracle gets a chance to retake the test or becomes famous, he or she will never make it into the higher-paying jobs. And we here in America complain about finals.
Imagine having to take a university entrance exam with people who think that Logx 16 = Logx 12-. 1x is as simple as 1 + 78.9.
If challenge is appealing, than by all means go abroad to study, but be sure to take lots of money.
The reality is that most British college students work two or three jobs to pay a rent of 400 pounds a month ($800) for a small one-bedroom apartment or “flat,” as they call it, which consists of a sink, toilet and tub (no shower), no central heating, no air conditioning, and a small, modest living area.
On top of it all, they must pay their own tuition to major universities like Oxford or Cambridge if they do not manage to score high enough on the test for a scholarship.
Anyone who thinks about living abroad without substantial income had better well know how hard life is. Besides, being an American in Britain these days is a bit risky. Americans are not that well received by the majority of the British people at this moment and, from the looks of things, the situation could get worse.
Going to school in the United States has shown me that even though we Americans might experience some college hardships, there are students in other countries who will suffer much more than we do when it’s time for exams.