Student life at American universities is chaotic during the first week of each quarter or semester. Registering for classes, becoming familiar {{U}}(51) {{/U}} the buildings {{U}}(52) {{/U}} campus, {{U}}(53) {{/U}} books, adding and dropping classes, and {{U}}(54) {{/U}} fees are confusing for everyone. During this busy period there is little time for students to anticipate {{U}}(55) {{/U}} they will later encounter in the classroom.
International students, {{U}}(56) {{/U}} to their countries' educational expectations, must adapt {{U}}(57) {{/U}} new classroom norms in a foreign college or university. Whereas in one country prayer may be acceptable in a classroom, in another it may be {{U}}(58) {{/U}}. In some classrooms around the world students must humbly obey their teacher's commands and remain absolutely silent during a class period. In {{U}}(59) {{/U}}, students may talk, eat and smoke during lectures as {{U}}(60) {{/U}} as criticize a teacher's methods or contradict his or her statements. It is not always easy to understand a new educational system.
There is considerable variety in university classrooms in the United States. Because of diverse teaching methods and non-standardized curricula, no two courses are {{U}}(61) {{/U}}. Undergraduate courses are considerably different from graduate courses. The classroom atmosphere in expensive, private universities may differ from {{U}}(62) {{/U}} in community college s {{U}}(63) {{/U}} are free and open to everyone. State-funded universities have different requirements and expectations than {{U}}(64) {{/U}} parochial colleges. {{U}}(65) {{/U}}, there are shared features in American college and university classrooms {{U}}(66) {{/U}} the diversity of educational institutions of higher learning.
Participation {{U}}(67) {{/U}} the classroom is not only accepted but also expected of the student in many courses. Some professors base part of the final grade {{U}}(68) {{/U}} the student's oral participation. Although there are formal lectures during {{U}}(69) {{/U}} the student has a passive role(i, e. , listening and taking notes), many courses are organized around classroom discussions, student questions, and informal lectures. In graduate seminars the professor has a "managerial" role and the students {{U}}(70) {{/U}} presentations and lead discussions. The students do the actual teaching in these seminars.