Language Barrier

Coming to England I wasn't too concerned about a language barrier. What I didn't realize was that although we speak the same language our terminology and programming is totally different. This has thrown me for a bit of a loop, and I have learned quickly that even if I think I know what a word means I need to clarify and make sure I'm not thinking of something else. We often speak of our first generation students as not knowing the "lingo" of higher education, and after this experience I have a better appreciation for those students. To give some examples:

Orientation is called Induction in England, and often the first week of activities are known as Freshers Week.

Many of the student services go by different names. For example, Student Support Services is roughly equivalent to our Office of Disability Services; Faculty Student Advisors are the equivalent of our Academic Advisors; Faculties are equivalent to our Colleges (eg the Faculty of Science and Technology v. our College of Science and Math).

Students choose courses (what we refer to as majors or programs of study) and take modules in their courses (modules are the equivalent of courses in the US).

In order for a student to graduate, they must attain 360 hours of credit. Their modules can be a combination of 15, 30, 45 or 60 credits with 60 credits typically being the most a student will take per semester.

In England, a personal tutor is not someone who works with a student on homework or study skills, but rather is an assigned person who checks in with them periodically to make sure they are doing alright. Personal tutors are assigned at the beginning of their experience, and students must check in with them within a certain time period after starting school.

I also was unaware of some of England's processes in higher education. For example, all universities in England are public universities, and there is a strong tie-in with the government. Another example is that of their admissions process. Students apply to university through one central agency, the University Center for Application Services (UCAS), not directly to the individual universities - with the exception of Cambridge and Oxford who do have their own admissions process. Students choose six universities they would like to attend, and then through interviews, they must narrow their choices down to two. Most students receive a letter of conditional acceptance, meaning if they attain certain grades on their A-level exams, then they can be admitted into the school. They receive these grades in July, and if they get the grades needed, they call the appropriate school and let them know they will accept their offer.

However, if the student does not attain the required grade they go into a system called "clearing." This is when all the students who did not attain the required grades are pooled together and need to start negotiating with universities across the country to ensure acceptance. Students may not know where they are going until after a university has started classes and will enter school one to two weeks late.

Until Next Time!

Megan