For this Kulture blog post, I was especially interested in the pieces on the German university system. I was particularly surprised by the "Philologus Ad Nauseam" article--I didn't realize that the average length of undergraduate study was so long compared to that of other European countries where I've studied (France has a two-year General Academic Studies Degree and the UK has a three-year bachelor's programs). However, the urge to stay in school to escape an unfavorable economy is understandable, especially if tuition is only 30-150 Euros(!) a semester. I was likewise surprised by the early age at which German students are placed in academic or vocational tracks. It seems like such a system would serve to reinforce class differences, but probably no more so than our apparently more egalitarian system, which restricts access to higher education through exorbitant fees rather than tracking. Being in the humanities, I still feel like a traditional liberal-arts education for everyone is ideal, but that usually isn't what the American system is actually offering and when it is, it's usually only at an elite level.
On a lighter note, I was very amused by the phenomena of "draftophobia" and other "mysterious illnesses" in Germany. The only American equivalent that comes to mind is the fear of "catching cold" in brisk or rainy weather.
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