The Difference Between Undergrad And Grad

For someone who hasn’t been through grad school, there isn’t much difference between the undergrad and grad coursework. Yet this preconceived notion could be further from the truth. Without a doubt, the level of study for a graduate program is more rigorous and demanding than study involved at the undergrad level. I’ve discovered only others who are in or have completed grad school truly understand what it is like. Further insights on how the two levels of study differ can be found below.

Reading. First, while undergrad courses require reading, it barely compares to the amount required at the graduate level. Grad school entails a tremendous amount of reading, ranging anywhere from 50-100 pages per week. And if you are taking multiple courses,

Building off that, along with the extensive reading comes a high level of reflection of the material covered. Personally, I believe this is the paramount difference between undergrad and grad study. In undergrad you learn what you already know and for lack of a better word regurgitate the right answer on a test and move on. In contrast, in grad school you are searching for answers that are unknown as you read the material, digest it, and develop original ideas. The somewhat frustrating part about it all is that in grad school there are no absolutes and the only way to arrive at an answer is through trial and

How does learning in an online environment compare to learning in a face-to-face environment?

While certain aspects of learning in an online environment and learning face-to-face are similar, they also are remarkably different. I am more familiar with a face-to-face learning environment in which I physically attend class. Despite this, an online learning environment is something I am acclimating to. At times I miss the traditional approach, but also am beginning to enjoy the regimented flexibility it affords.

Student Teacher Interactions. One major difference I noted is the nature of the student to teacher interaction. In a traditional brick and mortar institute interactions are mainly face to face with a little electronic communication. In contrast, from my experiences thus far the majority of the instructor-student interactions are primarily text based. However, one aspect I appreciated about this class was the audio and video feedback provided throughout the semester. Whether it is to set the stage for the upcoming week or to provide feedback, this seemed like a winning approach to foster a student-teacher