Why are UK students seen as being the "least hard-working" in Europe?

Question

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070925/tuk-uk-britain-education-fa6b408.html

This Yahoo! article implies that UK students least hard working in Europe. It is a result of the curricula? The high fees, meaning more part-time paid work? Would it be better to have fewer people attend University or have more vocationally-orientated courses?

Answer 1

One of my Aussie friends put it this way ...

he started out going to university in the usual way at age 18 and near got booted out on his bum, he was so poorly suited

did a tour in the Army [Aussie Army isn't/wasn't a career thing for the first go 'round] and discovered a few things about himself and what it takes to accomplish

after his Army stint, he went back to Uni and says that "after the Army, University was a snap."

Owns his own construction company now.


***
Generalizing ...

Many young people who have a pretty good life growing up never learn the habits of serious, hard work. Britain's economy has been this way since at least 1940, likely 1920. The young lads and lasses have never been challenged or pushed to discover their limits. [Modern French youths are the same, by the way. As are Italians.]

East European youths, by and large, had a much tougher time while growing up and are therefore put much more into Uni. despite possibly/probably having a poorer prepatory education, they tend to do better at Uni in the long run.

Same is true of Middle Eastern students whose parents are not Saudi princes, etc. Very hard life = very hard worker and that makes for success in Uni.

imho, fees and vocational courses don't have much to do with it.

Answer 2

I found that most parents don't instill in their kids that studying is important. That achieving academically could help you to get a good job.

Of course, why bother when the state is there to give handouts?

We should take a leaf of the Indian community, always demanding and expecting of their kids to do well at school. The result has been that, even though the first generations had the lowest menial jobs, the generations that followed became doctors, lawyers or any such professions.

Answer 3

I think the last paragraph of the article answers your question. The survey is not representative:
"We would caution against coming to any sweeping conclusions based on the survey's limited sample size and because the results relate mostly to feedback from FIRST-YEAR students who are only in their second term."

From my experience my first year was the least demanding by far. The first ~6months were a kind of settling-in period in which they tried to get everyone up to a similar level of background understanding of the subject & to develop study techniques. This was because people had studied a wide range of subjects at 6th-form, sometimes not related to their higher education course of study.

Answer 4

Cant comment in detail but I must say majority of them are not students at all. They use student visas for means to enter the country and extend their courses to stay longer.
I did my MSc and now working in a reputable company but this is my observation but fact is a fact and I'm ready to talk on this anytime, anyminute.

Answer 5

probaly beacuse uk students r obsessed with partying all the time pubs and clubs even have special nites just 4 students which r week nights????? the next day students r to hung over to study or go to class