Questions: Higher Education in Britain and the USA

Questions: Higher Education in Britain and the USA

1.       Entrance to British universities is a strict selection process based on an interview. After the interview a potential student is offered a place on the basis of exam results. Some universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, have an entrance exam before the interview stage. American high school students have to take a standardized test, e.g. the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American College Test). Students from countries outside the US who are not native speakers of English must also take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

2.     The old established universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, Liverpool, Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cardiff.

"redbrick universities" such as London and Manchester

The «new universities» established after World War II, such as Essex, Lancaster, the New University of Ulster.

3.       Britain: A first degree, which is usually an honours degree, generally takes three years. Most courses end with exams called finals. Results are given as classes (= grades): a first is the highest class, seconds are often split between upper second and lower second, and below that is a third. Graduates may add the letters BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. Some graduates go on to study for a further degree, often a master’s degree or a doctorate. The USA: Students are given grades at the end of each course. The highest grade is A; the lowest is F, which means that the student has failed the course and will not get credit for taking it. To check a student’s overall progress, the university calculates a grade point average (GPA). Students who finish their degree with a high GPA may be awarded Latin honours, of which the highest is summa cum laude.

4.       The number of credit hours for a course is directly correlated with the number of hours students spend in class each week. Classes that meet for four hours per week are usually considered four-credit-hour courses.

5.       SAT can be taken two or three times (in the 11th and 12th grades), generally proceeded by PSAT (preliminary), a test to give students a warm-up exercise for the SAT and indicate their probable SAT scoring range. ACT (the American College Testing program) is similar to SAT but scores social studies and natural studies. The ACT is taken when required by certain colleges or universities. Both tests are widely used in the admission process of US colleges and universities. Their results are sent to the colleges or universities to which the students have applied. ACT is meant to be taken only once.

6.       Students in Britain formerly had their tuition fees paid by the state and received a government grant to help pay their living expenses. Now, they receive only a loan towards their expenses, and from 1999 most will also have to pay £1 000 a year towards tuition fees. Students whose families cannot afford to pay the full amount apply for financial aid. Many students receive a financial aid package which may be a combination of grants from the government, a scholarship, a student loan and work-study (= a part-time job at the college).

7.       GPA (Grade Point Average) (Am.E) – an average academic score for a student in a US high school, college or university. The highest grade A receives 4 points, В is 3, С is 2, D is 1 and F is 0. Points received during an academic period of weeks or months are added together and the average calculated. A high GPA helps a high school student to get into a good college or university. High points received at a college or university can result in a student being named on the dean's list and other honors. Students with low GPAs can be dismissed.

8.       When, and if, grades begin to slip or a new direction is chosen, a college counselor can reformulate a plan to get the student back on track or moving in a new and positive direction.

10.   Most universities receive some money from the state.

11.   graduate  1. Br.E. – a person who has completed a university degree course, esp.for a first degree; 2. Am.E – a person who has completed a course in any educational institution (e.g. a high school graduate);

undergraduate (undergrad) – a student who is doing a university course for a Bachelor's degree;

12.   I’m for the combination of written tasks or tests and oral tasks. But we should distinguish levels of what knowledge can be better examined by written tasks and what by oral tasks.

13.   I think that written tasks are more popular with Russian students as they have more opportunities to use cribs. But in our institution, on our faculty usually there are oral exams. That’s why we are nervous, afraid of the teacher and his or her questions, and, of course, we are irritable.

14.   I would like to study in Great Britain as there is UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service) that help to find a suitable university for everybody. Besides, I think that abroad there are more opportunities to find a good, high-paid job.

15.   I like our higher education system, that’s why I don’t what to introduce anything.