Comparison And Contrast

People go to universities for their higher education - this is a common practice all around the world. Like most students I also ventured in this path. The only difference is that unlike others, I had the opportunity to attend two different universities, in two different continents. I first entered the Sophia- AntiPolis University in Nice, France and then came to the United States and joined the McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The two universities have their obvious differences with regards to location, student body, classroom size, policies, school year, and education system. However, they also have a few similarities in terms of dorm life, educational facilities, student gatherings, etc.

The Sophia- AntiPolis University was located in the beautiful city of Nice in France. The city is part of the "Cote D'Azure" or French Riviera and a major tourist attraction. The first notable aspect of the university would be the student body of fifteen thousands students from both national and international origins. The classrooms were auditoriums consisting of at least two hundred students in each. The instructor required the aid of a mike and projector to give lectures. Attendance policy of the university was quite relaxed as the students were not actually required to attend classes as long as they made it to the final examinations and class tests. Although this policy would have led to a feeling acute laziness among the students, the competitive nature of education had everyone up on their toes. In order to maintain the quality of education, the university had zero tolerance towards students whose grades fell lower than a B. The Fall semester was from October till December and the Spring semester was from February till May. There was no summer semester and the university was closed for the rest of the year giving students ample time to relax and prepare for the next intense school year. After spending two years at this university as a Law major, I decided to continue my studies in the United States as a Business major.

The university that I am currently attending in the States is called McNeese State University situated in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Lake Charles is a small city popular for its riverboat casinos and celebrations of the Cajun culture. The university is made up of a student body of approximately eight thousand students with less than five hundred belonging to the international community. The classrooms hold a maximum of fifty students each and the instructors give lectures without the