A British student currently studying in the US has sparked a transatlantic debate about the differences between British and American universities.
James Edward, who studies at Imperial College London, recently shared a video on TikTok highlighting the differences between the higher education systems in the two countries when he attended a university football match.
Filming himself watching a state game between the University of Notre Dame and Ohio, the 21-year-old, who works as a model, said he likes the American university systembecause of the scholarship programs that allow some students to attend college for free.
However, many followers pointed out that students who do pay tuition fees in the US end up paying significantly more than their British counterparts, as tuition fees in the United States are much higher than £9,000 per year.
Reacting to the video, people on both sides of the pond expressed their shock at the way students elsewhere lived and the way universities are run.
British TikToker James Edward, who studies in the US, explained on TikTok some of the key differences between British and American universities
American viewers in particular expressed shock at the relatively low cost of tuition fees in Britain.
Opening his video, James said his first revelation since traveling across the pond to college was that athletic scholarships help many students attend college for free.
As he walks past a sports field, he says, “Everyone who is on this field right now doesn’t pay a cent to go to college.”
‘And it’s not just that they don’t pay to go to university, they actually get free accommodation and free food. Everything is covered’.
However, the student revealed that if you don’t play sports, college will probably cost you a lot of money.
He estimates that the average cost of tuition in the US is $60,000 (£49,204).
“It’s crazy,” he says. ‘The amount you have to pay to go to university in America if you are not an athlete is absolutely insane.
‘Whereas in Britain absolutely everyone just pays their nine thousand dollars and goes about their business. It’s actually the same for everyone.’
The influencer shared snippets of American university life with his followers, including sporting events
In the next clip, James appears on a sports field packed with people before an event.
He reveals that the commotion is due to the fact that there is a college football game happening in the evening, but it is so highly anticipated that people have arrived to drink and get the party started 10 hours before it was supposed to start.
“Don’t get me wrong, in Britain we like a drink,” he says. “(But) people have literally been tailgating and drinking since seven o’clock this morning.”
He clarifies that the match in question is not a particularly important match such as a cup final, but rather a standard league match on Saturday.
Third, James draws attention to American students’ pride in the institution where they study.
‘I I’ve seen people with statues on their lawn of their university logo or hedges cut into their university logo, it’s insane,” he reveals.
James admits that British students are proud of their university, but that these feelings appear to be stronger among American students.
“Americans absolutely love wearing a bit of college merch,” he says.
Reacting to the video, both British and American viewers expressed surprise at how different the college experience is across the pond.
One person from Britain wrote: ‘I can’t imagine anyone walking around wearing a Coventry University shirt.’
Another person, based in the US, asked: ‘Is Uni in Britain £9,000 a year or for the whole programme? How long does it take and what are the levels?’
“By Britain he means England because in Scotland university is free,” added another.