| US | UK | Australia |
| college | university | university |
| class | lecture | lecture |
| diploma | graduation/degree certificate | graduation/degree certificate |
| dorm/dormitory | halls/halls ofresidence | studentaccommodation |
| faculty | staff | staff |
| major | course | course |
| professor | lecturer | lecturer |
| semester | term | term |
| vacation | holiday | holiday |
Make the most of your time abroad
Between them the four authors have over 60 years’ experience working with international university students. They have watched many international students achieve success when studying abroad and they wanted to share their experiences and knowledge with you in this book so you can make the most out of the wonderful opportunity of studying abroad.
Jenny Siklós, Madison English as a Second Language School, Wisconsin, USA
Dr. Fiona Swee-Lin Price, Tamago Consulting: The intercultural education specialists, Melbourne, Australia
Els Van Geyte, University of Birmingham, UK
Anneli Williams, University of Glasgow, UK
So you’ve decided to study abroad! Studying in another country is more than just a degree: it’s an experience. You won’t just be going to classes, you’ll be adapting to a new culture, new people, and new places. Make sure your experience is as positive as possible by finding out as much as you can. The more research you do before you leave, the easier life will be when you arrive. Here are some things you can do before you go.
Do:
Talk to other people who have studied in the same institution or town.
Read the website of the institution where you will be studying. Some institutions have webpages with information for international students.
Read about the town where you will live, not just the country in general.
Don’t:
Don’t always assume what you see on TV shows or read in news reports is 100% correct. The job of TV and news reports is making a good story about a country, not necessarily informing people about everyday life there.
Don’t assume that all the people in countries like the UK, US, and Australia are white and English-speaking. These countries have immigrants from all over the world.
Preparing for your first week
The first week in your study country will be both exciting and overwhelming. There will be many things you need to organize: finding your way to and around campus, registering for your course or classes, and making decisions about your studies and accommodation. Here are useful terms to know when you arrive.
Orientation Week
Most institutions provide information about the course and campus in the week before classes start or the first week of the semester/term. This week is called Orientation Week, Welcome Week, Freshman Week, or Freshers’ Week.
Registration Day
Registration Day (or Enrollment Day) is when students confirm what they are studying and get their ID card. This may happen on campus on a specific day or online. Find out what documents you need for Registration Day and bring them with you.
Course of study
Most majors/courses are made up of several units/classes each taught by a different professor or tutor. In the UK the term “lecturer” is also used.
Pre-requisite: A pre-requisite is a unit/class you must take before you can study something else.
Required/Compulsory: A required class is a class which every student in the major must study.
Electives/Elective units: An elective is a class which you can choose to study. Students must study all required classes and a certain number of electives of their choice.
In the US, you’ll have a combination of required classes and electives. Required classes may be part of your major, or part of general requirements for a BA, for example. Even if you’re an English major, for example, you’ll still need to take a certain number of science classes.
In the UK, the different parts of your course are usually called modules. There will be compulsory modules and possibly also optional ones, which can also be called elective modules. Sometimes these can be taken in subjects which aren’t part of your main discipline (e.g. in English language while you’re studying mathematics).
Before you enroll, find out which parts of your major are required, which have pre-requisites, and which parts you can choose.
Student support services
Most institutions have support services to help students find somewhere to live, handle problems (with health, finances, etc.), difficulty with studies, and so on. Some institutions will have services specifically for international students.
How your classes are taught
The types of classes students attend abroad may be quite different from the classes you attended at home. Most international students are used to sitting in rows and listening while their professor/lecturer speaks. In English-speaking countries, these are called “lectures.” You’ll also be attending other types of classes where both the professor/lecturer and the students speak. You should be able to find out what sort of classes your major will be running from your college or university website or from the information they have sent you.
Below is a list of common types of classes.
Lectures: In lectures, the professor/lecturer speaks and students listen quietly and take notes. Your professor/lecturer may put