By: Caitcheon Thain

Doing an exchange at Arizona State University (ASU) has been a really interesting academic experience for me. Especially because the papers/classes I am taking are quite different to what I’m used to at home. My semester here includes a human resource management class, a sociology class and two advanced psychology classes which has given me a good mix and a good look into how different subjects are taught in the US. 

One of my papers is Human Resource Management which despite being a fourth year paper is quite similar to what I studied back at Waikato last year so I have found parts of it quite repetitive. The biggest difference is learning about American employment law which obviously is different from New Zealand. As the class is a fourth year paper, most of the students are 21 or older and have already spent about three and a half years at college. Being only 20 and only starting my third year now has made it interesting to be surrounded by students who are older and further into their degree.

I am also taking Introduction to Sociology which is fully online. Even though it is a first year class, I have found it really engaging. The content is interesting and covers a lot of foundational sociological ideas. Instead of having big assignments and exams like my other classes, it has lots of small tasks due each week which keeps you engaged with the material consistently. 

My two favourite classes I’m taking are my fourth year psychology classes. One of them, Child and Adolescent Psychological Disorders is about understanding different disorders and how they affect young people. We learn about how psychologists diagnose these disorders and the different ways they can be treated or managed. 

The other psychology class is Adolescent Psychopathology. This one focuses specifically on teenagers and how they develop differently from children and adults. One of the most interesting things about this class has been learning about the American high school system. A lot of it is very similar to American movies and TV shows which has been funny to realise. 

Another big difference is the ASU classroom style. All of my classes are small which makes them more engaging and interactive. None of the classes are recorded so we attend in person and often take paper notes while the professor writes on the whiteboard. Although my HR class does use a powerpoint like at home. 

The classes can be difficult as there are many closed book exams but studying here has given me an interesting perspective on the US university system and I feel as though I’ve been learning and taking in more content than I do at home.