【明報專訊】Another factor that made me choose Cornell in the US was the teaching quality. This is not to say that professors in the UK are less renowned or knowledgeable; that would be blatantly untrue. The difference lies in the number of contact hours with staff and the amount of attention you receive. According to my teacher who has studied on both sides of the Atlantic, UK professors are keener on getting the teaching over and done with (徹底結束) so that they can focus on research, writing books and keeping their academic positions. On the other hand, American professors are in a tenure system which means that those who teach you are able to focus on teaching and helping you when necessary. There are also fewer classes and lectures in a British student's schedule. While this is not a problem for motivated, independent learners, others can feel as though they were self-teaching the degree and that they are not getting much out of their education. Similarly, I have heard from academics and friends that some highly reputable institutions put more weight on postgraduate rather than undergraduate teaching, making the latter disorganised and ineffective, as evidenced by their low student satisfaction scores. UK universities are more affordable than American ones, but by no means cheap. If I were to spend that much money, I would like to make the most of it.