Going to university in britain

If you want to go to a University, you usually apply during your last year at school, when you are 17-18. You can apply to study at any University in Britain and most people choose a University that is not in their own town. So, University students usually live away from home. Students get a grant or a loan from the government to study.

At the beginning of your last year at school you receive an application form. On this form you choose up to five universities that you would like to go to. The form is sent to those universities with information from your school about you and your academic record. If the universities are interested in your application, they will ask you to attend an interview, they will offer you a place.

Any offer, however, is only conditional at this stage. Applications and interviews take place several months before students do their A-level examinations. These are the exams taken at the end of your time at school. So, when a University makes an offer, it will tell you the minimum grades that you must get on your A-level exams. If you don't get those grades, then you will not be accepted. It will be offered to someone else and you must apply again to another University.

You don't have to accept your place immediately. Some students don't want to go straight from school to University, so after they have taken their A-levels, they take a year off to work or travel.

(From "HOT LINE")

Assignments:

1. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations

to go to University

to apply to a University

to live away from home

to get a grant from the government

a loan '

last year at school

to receive an application form

academic record

to be interested in one's application

to attend an interview

to offer somebody a place

conditional at this stage

to do A-level exams

to make somebody an offer

minimum grades

to accept a place

immediately

to go straight from school to University

to take a year off

2. Answer the questions:

1. When do you apply if you want to go to University?

2. You can apply to study at any University in Britain, can't you?

3. How does the government help students?

4. What does the application start with?

5. What does a student do if the University is interested in his application?

6. When do applications and interviews take place?

7.What are A-level examinations?

8. What does the University tell a student when it makes this student an offer?

9. Do students-have to accept their places immediately?

10. What can students do if they don't want to go straight from school to University?

3.Your friend wants to go to University in Great Britain. Help him and write a plan for applying.

Begin with:

1. You have to get an application form.

2. After you have got an application form ...

4…

5…

6…

4. Complete the dialogue with these words:

A course of mathematics

accepted

surprise

applying

tired

A-levels

really

grades

to go out

to apply

to take

5. In what way does the system for going to University in Great Britain differ from that in Belarus? Compare and discuss.

1. What is the system for going to a University in Belarus?

2. Who can be admitted to higher schools?

3. Do students usually live at home or away from home?

4. Who pays?

5. Do people often take a year off?

Reproduce the dialogue.

– Hello! What a____! Haven't seen you for ages. You haven't been clubbing for three months.

– My A-levels are in three weeks so I'm trying not____too much at the moment. I haven't been clubbing for a long time because it makes me really____.

– Are you____to a university?

– Yes, it's Cambridge. I'd like to take up____. And you know Cambridge is one of the best universities for any science subject. So I have to get the minimum____they've told me. And it's not so easy.

– If you don't get those grades then you won't be____, will you?

– That's right. And I will have____again to another university.

– Are you going____a year off after you have taken your____?

– I feel____tired. I wish I could go off round the world or something like that. And I have seen an advert in a newspaper with that sort of suggestion. Maybe I'll travel by ship next year.

These word-combinations can be useful:

to be admitted to higher schools/a University

after successfully finishing secondary schools

anyone between the age of 17 to 35

a certificate of secondary school

to pass successfully one's entrance/competitive exams

on the basis of

results of the entrance exams

higher education is provided at universities and institutes

three forms of educational institutions (full-time, evening and external)

to get a grant from the government

to be provided with monthly grades by the state

to be provided with hostel accommodation

to cater one's meals oneself

education is free for the majority of students

tuition fee

There are a lot of interesting things to do on campus. Read the conversation between three British students and say what you think about their University life.Error: Reference source not found