Studying at a British University
After finishing secondary school or college in Great Britain you can apply to a university, polytechnic, college of higher education or you can continue to study in a college of further education.
The academic year at British universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of education is divided into 3 terms, which usually run from the beginning of October to the middle of December, the middle of January to the end of March, from the middle of April to the end of June or the beginning of July.
There are many universities in Great Britain. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Southampton, Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham. Nowadays almost all British universities are state-universities, but they greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction and way of students life. Universities in Britain enjoy the complete academic freedom choosing their own staff and deciding which students to admit, what and how to teach, and which degrees to award.
The two oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. They date from the 12th and 13th centuries and are known for all over the world. They are often called collectively Oxbridge, but both of them are completely independent. Only education elite go to Oxford and Cambridge.
If you want to go to a British university, you must first pass examinations that most students take at the age of 18 (its called A levels). Students usually take three or four A levels examinations in three or four subjects, and they must do well in at least two subjects to get a place at university. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews.
If you get a place, most students have to pay part of their tuition fees. Some students also get a government grant, but most students need a loan to cover the cost of university life. Students at university are called undergraduates while they are studying for their first degree.
Most university courses last three years, some courses last four years, and one or two courses, e.g. medicine, are five years. Some of these courses are part-time, some - full-time and some - sandwich courses. The general pattern of teaching and learning on full-time courses remains a mixture of lectures, reading, seminars, tutorials, essays, exercises, tests, practical work or work experience. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, and any student may attend any university lecture. There is an individual "tutorial" system organized by the colleges and universities in Britain. It means that each lecturer in a college or university is tutor in his own subject to the undergraduates who are studying it. Each student has a tutorial once or twice a week when he discusses his work and progress with the tutor. A student does not necessarily go only to his own tutor but may be assigned to another one in his own college or in another college.
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During this period students can say they are doing a degree, and when they finish and pass their exams, they can say they have a degree. This can be:
a BA (bachelor of arts)
a BSc (bachelor of science).
When you complete your first degree, you are a graduate. Some students then go on to do a second course or degree, called a postgraduate course\ degree. All postgraduate courses always require original research. These students are then postgraduates and they often study for:
an MA (Master of Arts) - the duration is two or three years
an MSc (Master of Science) - the duration is two or three years
a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) the duration is minimum three years
Thanks to the recognized quality of British education all over the world a lot of foreign students study at British universities or further education colleges or train in nursing, law, banking or in industry.
Text-based Activities
1. Find English equivalents for the Russian phrases from the text above.
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2. Answer the questions on the text. What do you call:
1. the money some students receive if they get a place at university?
2. the qualification you get at the end of university?
3. the name we give students during this period at university?
4. teachers at university?
5. students when they have completed their first degree?
6. students studying for a second, higher degree?
7. the study of one subject in great depth and detail, often to get new information?
8. the talks\ lessons that students go to while they are at university?
9. students everyday expenses at the university (accommodation, food, books, etc.)?
10. students which combine studying and work?
11. a period of time that the academic year is divided into?
