(Higher Education in Britain and the USA)
1. American students who want to
study at a college or university have to take a standardized test ( SAT or ACT).
Each college has its own
application form and every student has to send an official list of all the subjects
which he had studied and the letters of
reference.
2. Three types of
schools in higher education are universities, teacher-training colleges and
polytechnics.
3. In 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.
In 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 student’s
work is given a mark. “A” is the highest mark and “F” is the lowest one. A
bachelor's degree in most areas can require between 124 to 128 college credits
particular to a specific program of study. Every student can earn it in four
years.
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.
7. Grade Point
Average (GPA) is 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.
8. School counselors help students in the areas
of academic achievement, personal and social development, career development.
10. A public university is a university that is
predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational
government. Private universities are universities not operated by governments,
although many receive tax breaks, public student loans, and grants.
11. Undergraduate is a student who is doing a
university course for a Bachelor's degree.
Graduate is a person
who has completed a university degree course.
12. Speaking about
the best way to examine a student, in my opinion, it’s rather difficult to say
what is better. I think oral examinations are not always the best way to check
the knowledge, because sometimes students may simply forget everything they
know due to their anxiety. To my mind written exams are more objective.
13. As for our university, the oral exams are more
popular. In spite of the fact
that this procedure is more nervous for students, it’s a good way to check his knowledge.
14. I think it would
be unreasonable to give up such an opportunity to study abroad. As for students
who have graduated from a high school in a country where English is not the
official language they must take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
15. I think it will
be great to allow students to choose a list of major subjects, which are more
interesting for them.
