Actually, one thing I don't understand about Americans schools, is how so many students seem to get As?

They can't drink until 21!

Haha, that must be why!! ;D
No, but in the UK "A" is reserved for the top percentile. Whereas in America most people seem to be straight A students, and if someone gets a C it's considered a really bad thing!

Maybe you need a lower percentage to gain an A.

You need 90% to get an A in the States. It's very rare to get over 90% in an exam over here. Our exams must be way harder, because I refuse to believe we are way stupider!!! haha

We learn at a higher level, so it probably is difficulty of the course, here its impossible to get a really good grade without understanding, you can't just memorise facts.

lol. Well, I don't know, it depends on what course you are talking about. Final grades are a compilation of things, not just exams. Maybe the differences are in what teachers take for grades, and how many grades they take. That would certainly make a difference. It's easier to have a higher grade if there are more grades being taken and averaged, because you can afford to miss more points.

But I actually had a professor last semester that wouldn't give me an A unless I made a 93! :-P

I THINK PART OF IT IS THAT OUR PROFS REFUSE TO GIVE MARKS ABOVE 90 BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME ULTIMATELY HIGH STANDARD WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BE REACHED (LIKE IF SHAKESPEARE WERE TO JOIN THE COLLEGE!) SO THEY LEAVE THAT OPEN AS A POSSIBILITY, YO! AND VERY OCCASIONALLY A VERITABLE GENIUS MIGHT COME ALONG AND GET A 90. BUT THEY NEVER GIVE 100, BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS THE IDEA THAT SOMETHING COULD BE BETTER. 100% REPRESENTS ULTIMATE PERFECTION - WHICH OF COURSE NEVER HAPPENS. EVEN SHAKESPEARE WOULD ONLY GET 95%!

BUT HAVING SAID THAT, IT DEPENDS ON THE SUBJECT. THEY DO THAT WITH ARTS AND HUMANITIES, BUT WITH MATHS, YOU CAN TOTALLY GET 100%, YO! BECAUSE THERE ARE SIMPLE RIGHT AND WRONG ANSWERS - NO ESSAY TYPES THAT COULD ALWAYS IN THEORY BE IMPROVED!

See, you say that, but in my first year at uni I took German as a third subject, and even on papers where there was a wrong and a right answer you couldn't get above 80%! It was bizarre!

70% and above was considered about a first, 60% and above a 2:1, 50% and above a 2:2, 40% a third and then it's pretty much a fail (or scraping a 'pass'). Those numbers aren't set in stone, but rougly guildelines.

Yes, our drinking laws are very strict. I do not drink at all though, so I can't say that I really care. *lol*

it's not completely unfair, it's a very well known complaint. I've been having to read tons of books on the subject of our broken system and no one can agree on what to do with it :-P

I just think in theory, there is nothing wrong with those classes Carias said they take in high school-those sound fine to me. The problem lies more in how teachers individually engage students in thinking about outside cultures within those courses- which they should definitely be doing more of. I think that that a lot of teachers look at their curriculum and don't realize it's the MINIMUM they teach. They should be going beyond it.

All I can say for those who seem to have a bad opinion about America is that I don't see people dieing to get the chance to enter any other country than the United States. Evidently we have something people must want.

People die to get into the UK. They also set up camp and live in horrendous conditions in Calais in France, all just for the tiny chance that they'll manage to sneak onto a truck crossing the channel bound for Britain.

I wish they'd slacken global immigration laws, so they could all get in peacefully, and I could get the fuck out and go somewhere with a decent climate!! ;D

People die to get into lots of countries. But the fact someone is willing to die for something doesn't make it right!

I like the States. I feel Americans (and Brits/Aussies/Whatevers) would do a lot better for themselves if they broadened their horizons and travelled to other countries too.

Some things depend on the state. For example health care. In the state of Maine you can recieve full dental coverage by the state until you are 18..after that they only do cleanings and will not pay to have cavities filled, because it is cheaper to have them pulled. They also will no longer cover to have a baby boy circumcized...unless the doctor writes a note stating it is medically needed. If a person can not afford to be covered by their work's health insurance and makes too much to have state insurance, then oh well too bad. In the state of Massachusetts it is required by LAW that you have health insurance. The state has state health insurance (which covers everything from fillings, to root canals), and the state offers different rates for people who may make too much to recieve free health care. Not to mention if a person works at least 20 hours at a job they have to be given the option to have health insurance through the job.
I do agree that Americans as a whole seem ignorant about other countries.
Our school systems are far from perfect. My husband and I are looking at putting our daughter into Private school, because they seem some what better than the public schools in the area.

I love the States. I would move there in a jiffy if I could, yo! But here are some of the things I disagree with, personally:

The notion that healthcare is a LUXURY... I find that very distressing!

The contradiction that a seemingly civilised society still upholds the right to judicial murder.

The fact that some geezas, attempting to protect their small, fledgling nation over 200 years ago said: "Everyone should have the right to own a gun!" (... because like, who's going to shoot the angry natives otherwise, yo!?) and this archaic utterence is still held tolerable today!?

The figures that show less than 10% of Americans own passports.

The sad realisation that when stranded in the States there is nowhere you can buy good beer! :(

Beer is nasty. Haha. I agree with the healthcare issue. I'd actually go to the doctor...if I had the chance...if I had paid healthcare. Haha.

Actually, you can get anything in New York, including beer. :D

I really am curious and not trying to be a jerk BUT, who does everyone think pays for the health care that you would receive if it was mandatory? Taxes would just go up and we all actually would be paying for it. You would just be paying the government instead of a health insurance company.

This is a fair point I guess, but the main difference between paying the government (through National Insurance payments) and paying into a private health insurance company is that everybody gets the same standard of healthcare throughout the country. That includes the poor people who don't earn enough to pay taxes and those on disability who don't pay taxes. Yes those of us that do pay taxes moan and gripe about the lazy arseholes on benefits who get their healthcare "thanks to us" but at the end of the day, I'm glad nobody misses out in our country and we're all treated equally. I mean I'm sure (or at least I hope!) that in America, the poor people get free healthcare from the government?? But even so it must be much easier for people to slip through the cracks over there... thats literally impossible in the UK which is why the NHS is preferable in my eyes.

I think people are well aware of that. However, it works perfectly well in the UK, Canada and Australia (and we don't have ridiculously high taxes as a result). Yes we pay the government, but it means that everyone gets health care. It means there aren't people (including children) suffering in pain or from treatable conditions just because they can't afford to pay for treatment. Women would be able to give birth without feeling they're being pushed into treatments because it earns the doctor more money. They'd be able to use midwives and not have to pay extra (or be subject to the conditions of their insurance).

Here in the UK we have access to a far wider range of services because we're not restricted by insurance policies and their inclusions and exclusions. And personally I don't mind paying slightly higher taxes if it means everyone in this country can recieve healthcare when they need it. I think it's shocking that people (including children) in a developed country like the US die from treatable diseases because they can't afford to go to hospital. You expect that from third world countries. You don't expect it from one of the most develped countries in the world.