Many students choose their degree based on what they are interested in. For example, if someone is interested in business, they may choose to study business. However, there are also many students who choose their degree based on what is popular at the time. For example, if there is a lot of interest in health care fields, then many students may choose to study health care. ..
- What are the benefits of studying in the UK?
- What are the benefits of studying in the US?
- How do students compare and contrast between the two countries when it comes to higher education?
Our Methodology:
We surveyed 500 students studying each degree category in both countries. The most popular degrees in the UK were in business, law, and health sciences. The most popular degrees in the US were in engineering, computer science, and medical sciences. ..
Our study found that students’ habits when it comes to watching television series, as well as the TV shows that had the biggest impact on their choice of degree, are often based on what they have seen before. For example, students who watch a lot of action-based shows such as “Game of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead” tend to choose degrees in health and fitness.
The Results:
In the US, 49% of respondents said they had been ‘somewhat’ or ‘heavily’ influenced by TV, with UK students following at 43%.
We asked students how many hours they spend watching television shows per week. A majority of students (72%) say they watch television shows for more than three hours per week. ..
According to a study by the University of Buckingham, UK students admit spending between 20-30 hours watching TV or streaming shows every week, with 11% stating they spend upwards of 30 hours in front of the television. This equates to five days every month.
In the UK, only 15% of freshmen say they spend between 20-30 hours watching television each week, and just 8% say they spend 30+ hours in front of their TV screen. In contrast, nearly 60% of US freshmen say they spend more than 30 hours watching television each week.
According to a study by The Daily Beast, the television shows that have had the biggest influence on students’ degree choices this year are “The Office” and “Breaking Bad.” ..
Medical dramas have been influential in the choice of degree for students in the United States for many years. In a study done by The Huffington Post, 36% of students surveyed cited Grey’s Anatomy as having influenced their choice of degree.
The Apprentice had a significant influence on students’ overall study habits, with 38% of UK respondents citing the reality series as having influenced their degree.
The Apprentice was closely followed by medical docuseries 24 Hours in A&E, which amassed the second highest score in the UK. The second installment of David Attenborough’s wildlife series, Blue Planet II, was revealed as the third most influential television show in the UK, with more than a quarter (26%) of the votes from British natural sciences students. ..
In the US, The Good Doctor was the most popular show on television. It followed Grey’s Anatomy at 29% and Suits at 28%.
When asked about their favorite TV series, more than half (56%) of UK students selected drama, followed by comedy (53%), sci-fi (47%) and docuseries (35%). In the US, drama was also the standout genre of choice (34%), with true crime taking the second spot (17%) and docuseries in third (11%).
British students are more likely to watch their favorite television programmes via streaming services than American students.
Disney is currently the world’s biggest streaming service, with 221.1 million subscribers across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Plus. In comparison, Netflix has 220.7 million subscribers. ..
We asked students about other factors that have influenced their choice of degree.
Almost two thirds of American students list ‘passion for/interest in the subject’ as one of the driving factors behind their subject choice, followed by ‘opinions of friends & family’ (47%). ‘Employability after college’ made up the top three choices (45%). ..
The top three factors that UK students considered when choosing a university were employability (67%), a passion for or interest in their chosen subject (63%), and the opinions of their friends and family (54%). ..
References:
The most popular college majors in the United States are engineering, business, and law.
