Higher Education in Britain and
the USA
1.
Entrance to British universities is via a strict selection process based on an
interview. After the interview a potential student is offered a place on the
basis of exam results. If the student does not get the grades specified in the
offer, a place cannot be taken up. Some universities, such as Oxford and
Cambridge, have an entrance exam before the interview stage.
American
high school students who want to study at a college or university always take a
standardized test, e.g. SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American
College Test). Non-native speakers of the English language must take the TOEFL.
The student also has to send a transcript (= an official list of all the
subjects studied and the grades received) and letters of reference
2.
Vocational Schools, Technical Schools, and For-Profit Schools
3.
The Associate degree is the first academic or professional degree that can be
awarded in U.S. postsecondary education. Programmes of study for this degree
are usually designed to take 2 years of full-time study, but some take longer
to complete. The Bachelor's degree is the second academic degree that can be
awarded in U.S. postsecondary education, and is one of two undergraduate
(first) degrees that qualify a student to apply to programmes of advanced
(graduate) study (the other such degree is the first-professional degree).
Programmes of study for this degree are designed to take between 4 and 5 years,
depending on the field of study. The Master's degree represents the second
stage of higher education and is the first advanced (graduate) degree. U.S.
Master's degrees may be taught (without thesis) or research (with thesis) and
may be awarded in academic or professional fields. Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated
as PhD, Ph.D., D.Phil., or DPhil in English-speaking countries and originally
as Dr.Philos. (for the Latin philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae), is in
many countries a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities. The
academic level known as a Doctorate of philosophy varies considerably according
to the country, institution, and time period, from entry-level research degrees
to higher doctorates. A person who attains a doctorate of philosophy is
automatically awarded the academic title of doctor.
4.
Traditionally, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of
Science (B.Sc.) degrees require roughly 124-127 credit hours of
coursework, divided among various subject, field and optional requirements. The
four-year Bachelor's degree is divided into two years of lower-division studies
(background or distribution courses in a wide range of subjects),
followed by two years of upper division studies (mainly courses
required by one's major subject. Students apply for admission to a major
subject at the end of their second year.
Full-time
students generally complete the Bachelor's degree in eight semesters (four
academic years) of study, and would average a course workload of roughly 16
credit hours per semester, or 5-6 classes simultaneously. A full-time
student is usually defined as one who takes (and passes) a minimum of
12 credit hours of courses per semester. The maximumnumber of
credit hours students are allowed to attempt per semester is usually 20, unless
special permission is granted.
5.
Released in 1959, the PSAT is a standardized exam that prepares high school
underclassmen for the SAT. Like the SAT, it tests math, writing and critical
reading aptitude. Unlike the SAT, however, it has no timed essay or
experimental section. The College Board states that SAT measures literacy
and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. They
state that the SAT assesses how well the test takers analyze and solve
problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college. The SAT
is typically taken by high school sophomores, juniors and seniors.
The ACT originally
an abbreviation of American College Testing) college readiness assessment
is a standardized test for high school achievement and college
admissions in the United States. The
ACT originally consisted of four tests: English, Mathematics, Social
Studies, and Natural Sciences. In 1989, the Social Studies test was changed into a
Reading section
6. A scholarship is
an award of financial aid for a student to further his or her
education. Scholarships are
awarded based upon various criteria, which usually reflect the values and
purposes of the donor or founder of the award. Scholarship money is not
required to be repaid. Grants are often called “gift aid” because they are free
money—financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid. Grants are often need-based,
while scholarships are usually merit-based. Grants and
scholarships can come from the federal government, your state
government, your college or career school, or a private or nonprofit
organization. A student loan is designed to help students pay
for university tuition, books, and living expenses. It may differ from other
types of loans in that the interest rate may be substantially lower and the
repayment schedule may be deferred while the student is still in education. It
also differs in many countries in the strict laws regulating renegotiating and
bankruptcy.
7.
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a measure of how well you are doing in your
academic studies. At TRU, the academic grading scale goes from “A+” to
“F”, with corresponding grade points ranging from the highest “4.33” to the
lowest “0.00”. A student’s Grade Point Average, or GPA, is a mathematical
calculation that indicates where an average of the grades falls on the scale.
8. A student’s counselor is
responsible for:
·
Assisting students to identify
their academic values and goals, consistent with their capabilities, interests,
and educational backgrounds
·
Clarifying pertinent information
and discussing the implications toward students’ academic success
·
Being accessible and available to
students to respond to their questions and concerns
·
Clarifying academic policies,
college regulations, program requirements, procedures, and other college
information
·
Maintaining professional
integrity, confidentiality, respect, and sensitivity in advising
·
Helping students define and
develop educational plans; assisting in the selection of appropriate course
work and opportunities to achieve students’ goals
·
Respecting students’ individual
needs and diversity
·
Assisting students to
independently monitor their progress toward achieving their educational and
career goals
·
Being knowledgeable about,
promoting and referring students to appropriate campus and community resources
and services
·
Informing students of the roles
and responsibilities of the advisor/student relationship
·
Maintaining currency in academic
advising trends and techniques through professional development
10. Government, voluntary
sector
11. An undergraduate student
is one who is pursing either an associate's or bachelor's degree. A graduate
student (also, grad student or grad in American English, or postgraduate
student in British English) is an individual who has completed a bachelor's
degree (B.A., B.S./B.Sc., or another flavor) and is pursuing further higher
education, with the goal of achieving a master's degree (M.A., M.S./M.Sc.,
M.Ed., etc.) or doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., D.A., D.Sc., D.M.A., Th.D., etc.).
12.
I like written exams because you can think more, miss one question and them
return to it. It is less stressful for me. I like to have a plan and
spontaneous questions in oral exams are not for me. I don’t know which exam is
more objective but I think that the written one.
13.
After completing the secondary general education, students need to pass the
State final attestation (written), after which they will be awarded a
Certificate of Secondary General Education.
14.
Yes, I would like to try to study in Britain and in the USA as well. It’s a
good opportunity to improve language and get a qualified education which would
be useful all around the world.
15.
I would like to add the US system of two years at college where you are
thinking about your future specialization and attend courses you like.
