Culture Shock in the Academic Sphere: Adjusting and finding the resources to support you through the exam season
April 24, 2026
#WeAreInternational Ambassador Lauren Bouvier shares her experiences of the differences between US and UK academic expectations.
Learning the ropes: the cultural shift in marking
My academic journey in the UK provided me with the opportunity to take various perspectives on the final season process. As a Master’s student, when I first moved abroad, this required learning a new marking system, reference style, resources, and writing format. Academics refer to this concept as the Hidden Curriculum. The first step for me required a review of the grade scales to reset personal expectations. After spending my entire academic career within an American context, my expectations for grades did not reflect the grading practices within the UK.
In the States, my personal expectations for assessments were to meet an “A” grade, which translates to a 90-100% mark. Repositioning these expectations was crucial, and I am thankful that one of the professors within our department is familiar with the differing marking practices and informed the students in advance of the submission that the grades will look very different. To orient myself, I took some time to look at my University’s grading scales to pre-emptively start the adjustment to the new-to-me system.
Tools of trade: referencing and resources
My next step included taking the time to adapt to the different resources and referencing styles. My University library team hosts workshops and sessions to help students navigate these resources, and attending them provides a space to learn and receive guidance without feeling overwhelmed. University academic student support teams will often coordinate sessions alongside exam season to support students. If there is an area you are struggling with, it is worthwhile to reach out to correlated departments to see if they are hosting workshops or providing 1-2-1 support sessions. I particularly focused on literature review and literature finding sessions to help learn the difference between the academic landscape and techniques normalised with the hidden curriculum.
I also worked with what works for me. For me, I love the satisfaction of checking off a task, coloring in a tracking bar. The tangible action of marking progress. There are digital platforms as well, but for me, it has to be a tactile tracker to reinforce motivation. But this means taking a moment to pause and self-reflect to implement processes that work with your brain and not against it. There are so many organization and tracking tools, and the key is to find one that works for you and stick to it. When planning the workload, this also means taking inventory of all the assignments coming up and ordering them in a way that works best for you. For me, I created a two-step order; the first by deadline and the second by capacity and created my to-do list. There are various types of organizers.
Peer support through exam season
In preparation for these busy academic periods, our cohort also ensured our group chats were up-to-date to help each field questions and find/share resources. It is important to remember that the professors are also incredibly busy during these times, and often your peers will either have the same question (which is when to fire off that email) or someone will have the information you need.
The most important advice is to ask for help. There are departments and people ready to help. Sometimes it is overwhelming to ask for help and to get that email out. But it is important to remember that universities are a network, and asking the “wrong” person means that they will send you to the “right” person.
Feedback to feedforward
The other resource people often forget about is their feedback from previous assignments. The language within feedback shifts between the academic culture and context. Previously, the feedback I received in the States was read and presented differently. My experience in the UK provided more detailed feedback and integrated different phrases that I had to adapt.
The Developing Higher Engagement with Feedback Toolkit provides a glossary of feedback terms and articulates the meaning behind them. If something continues to be signposted within the feedback, it is a streamlined way of identifying a potential challenge for upcoming assignments. Reflecting back on the resources, if an area of improvement is covered by the resources available on campus, it is a great way to refine that specific area. Or, reach out to a tutor or professor to acknowledge the area of opportunity and ask for some guidance on how to refine and strengthen it.
With exam season, it is important to lean on your community, ask questions, and do what works best for you!
For more information about academic life in the UK visit our Student advice page Study skills for success.
