#8 University Vocab: Entering & Leaving University
❗️ There are some words to know about starting and finishing your studies at university. What are they?
🔎 There is only one way to begin your studies officially, and that is to enrol after receiving an admission letter to confirm that you have been accepted.
🔎 There are three ways to leave the university. In the best case you complete your programme and graduate. However, some students find studying too hard or they have other things to do. They may stop studying without completing their programme and drop out. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were famous university dropouts. Finally, some few students may also get expelled for doing something bad.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❗️ There are some words to know about starting and finishing your studies at university. What are they?
🔎 There is only one way to begin your studies officially, and that is to enrol after receiving an admission letter to confirm that you have been accepted.
🔎 There are three ways to leave the university. In the best case you complete your programme and graduate. However, some students find studying too hard or they have other things to do. They may stop studying without completing their programme and drop out. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were famous university dropouts. Finally, some few students may also get expelled for doing something bad.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#9 University Vocab: Coursework
❗️ University isn’t like a primary school. We may have to do some reading as homework for the next seminar or lecture but what about written, graded homework?
🔎 In each semester you have some coursework to do. Coursework consists of assignments you have to write for each course (seminar, lecture, etc.) that you are taking. That could be essays, project reports, summaries, internship reports, or any other pieces of writing that you give (hand in or submit) to your professor or lecturer for grading.
🔎 What’s really important for coursework is the deadline of each assignment, sometimes also called “due date”. You will be given a date and by that date you have to finish writing and submit. If you’re late you may get punished, perhaps by a 5% penalty on your mark per day. Some universities are very strict with this.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❗️ University isn’t like a primary school. We may have to do some reading as homework for the next seminar or lecture but what about written, graded homework?
🔎 In each semester you have some coursework to do. Coursework consists of assignments you have to write for each course (seminar, lecture, etc.) that you are taking. That could be essays, project reports, summaries, internship reports, or any other pieces of writing that you give (hand in or submit) to your professor or lecturer for grading.
🔎 What’s really important for coursework is the deadline of each assignment, sometimes also called “due date”. You will be given a date and by that date you have to finish writing and submit. If you’re late you may get punished, perhaps by a 5% penalty on your mark per day. Some universities are very strict with this.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#10 University Vocab: Undergrad Years
❗️ Most universities in the world now offer 4-year Bachelor programmes. What’s the vocab?
🔎 There are basically two ways, one American and one British. The American one is more specific, four words, one for each year, while the British one is plain and suits any country’s education system.
🔎 In America, students in the first year of college or undergrad studies are called freshman, no matter if they are male or female. Students of the second year are called sophomore, in their third year they are called junior and in their final year senior. There are also super senior students – those who don’t graduate on time and stay for a fifth year.
🔎 In Britain and elsewhere first-year students are simply called first-year students, or in Britain itself sometimes freshers, in the second year we can call them second-year students, then third-year students and in the fourth year final-year students.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❗️ Most universities in the world now offer 4-year Bachelor programmes. What’s the vocab?
🔎 There are basically two ways, one American and one British. The American one is more specific, four words, one for each year, while the British one is plain and suits any country’s education system.
🔎 In America, students in the first year of college or undergrad studies are called freshman, no matter if they are male or female. Students of the second year are called sophomore, in their third year they are called junior and in their final year senior. There are also super senior students – those who don’t graduate on time and stay for a fifth year.
🔎 In Britain and elsewhere first-year students are simply called first-year students, or in Britain itself sometimes freshers, in the second year we can call them second-year students, then third-year students and in the fourth year final-year students.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#11 University Vocab: Rankings
❗️ The world loves Harvard and Oxford, no matter who makes these university rankings and how they are made. What’s there to be understood?
🔎 There are three big global university rankings: QS, Times Higher Education (THE) and ARWU (or “Shanghai”) Rankings. QS and THE are both published in Britain while the Shanghai Rankings are Chinese. QS is the most popular one but don’t forget that there’s no agreement on the ranks as they all use different criteria. So nobody can say that Oxford is definitely better than Cambridge or vice versa.
🔎 If you’re really interested in the quality of your future university you may want to check subject rankings. What matters more to your studies is the quality of your faculty and department, not the whole university. Besides, national rankings (not from the big three) can also give you some clearer ideas.
❗️Rankings can help us make decisions but we should be careful. Statistics and likelihoods are not guarantees.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❗️ The world loves Harvard and Oxford, no matter who makes these university rankings and how they are made. What’s there to be understood?
🔎 There are three big global university rankings: QS, Times Higher Education (THE) and ARWU (or “Shanghai”) Rankings. QS and THE are both published in Britain while the Shanghai Rankings are Chinese. QS is the most popular one but don’t forget that there’s no agreement on the ranks as they all use different criteria. So nobody can say that Oxford is definitely better than Cambridge or vice versa.
🔎 If you’re really interested in the quality of your future university you may want to check subject rankings. What matters more to your studies is the quality of your faculty and department, not the whole university. Besides, national rankings (not from the big three) can also give you some clearer ideas.
❗️Rankings can help us make decisions but we should be careful. Statistics and likelihoods are not guarantees.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#12 University Vocab: Science, What Science?
❓Academic subjects, also called disciplines, can be divided in two kinds. What are they?
🔎 On the one hand there are natural sciences, sometimes also just called science. These include mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. A scientist is always a person from the natural sciences.
🔎 On the other hand there are social sciences, also called humanities. They include disciplines like history, psychology, philosophy and sociology. People working in those disciplines are called scholars, not scientists.
❗️Natural sciences and humanities go hand in hand but natural sciences usually get more funding from governments and are more prestigious. To distinguish them from the humanities they are also called hard sciences or exact sciences, sometimes criticising the others as ‘soft’ or ‘non-exact’ sciences. Social sciences are usually stronger in countries that have academic freedom.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓Academic subjects, also called disciplines, can be divided in two kinds. What are they?
🔎 On the one hand there are natural sciences, sometimes also just called science. These include mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. A scientist is always a person from the natural sciences.
🔎 On the other hand there are social sciences, also called humanities. They include disciplines like history, psychology, philosophy and sociology. People working in those disciplines are called scholars, not scientists.
❗️Natural sciences and humanities go hand in hand but natural sciences usually get more funding from governments and are more prestigious. To distinguish them from the humanities they are also called hard sciences or exact sciences, sometimes criticising the others as ‘soft’ or ‘non-exact’ sciences. Social sciences are usually stronger in countries that have academic freedom.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#13 University Vocab: Degrees
❓Academic degrees used to be quite different from country to country but in the age of globalisation they have become remarkably similar. What are they?
🔎 Your first academic degree is a Bachelor’s degree or short a Bachelor’s. In North America and most of Asia you can get it after 4 years while in most of Europe it only takes 3 years. For scientific subjects you get a Bachelor of Science (BSc), for other subjects a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
🔎 After your Bachelor’s you can do a Master’s which takes 1-3 years. There are Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees.
🔎 If you still can’t get enough you can study fore a doctorate degree usually called PhD which literally means “doctor of philosophy” (and not of medicine).
❗️ When using these words, most importantly don’t pronounce the words your mother tongue in an English way (“Magister” – ouch!) and forget the ‘s after “Bachelor” and “Master”.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓Academic degrees used to be quite different from country to country but in the age of globalisation they have become remarkably similar. What are they?
🔎 Your first academic degree is a Bachelor’s degree or short a Bachelor’s. In North America and most of Asia you can get it after 4 years while in most of Europe it only takes 3 years. For scientific subjects you get a Bachelor of Science (BSc), for other subjects a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
🔎 After your Bachelor’s you can do a Master’s which takes 1-3 years. There are Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees.
🔎 If you still can’t get enough you can study fore a doctorate degree usually called PhD which literally means “doctor of philosophy” (and not of medicine).
❗️ When using these words, most importantly don’t pronounce the words your mother tongue in an English way (“Magister” – ouch!) and forget the ‘s after “Bachelor” and “Master”.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#14 University Vocab: Academic Writing
❓Most students would agree that this is the hardest part of their studies. What’s there to know about academic writing?
🔎 A piece of academic writing is often called a paper. There are term papers, also called final papers, that focus on content of a particular course and research papers that require independent research.
🔎 Essays are usually shorter and less scientific. In certain types of essays you may also be asked to state your opinions, which is quite different from research.
🔎 At the end of your studies you most likely have to write a thesis paper, or simply a thesis. Depending on the degree this can be a bachelor thesis or a master thesis. For PhD level we usually speak of dissertation.
🔎 Published papers are called articles, and they are published in academic journals.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓Most students would agree that this is the hardest part of their studies. What’s there to know about academic writing?
🔎 A piece of academic writing is often called a paper. There are term papers, also called final papers, that focus on content of a particular course and research papers that require independent research.
🔎 Essays are usually shorter and less scientific. In certain types of essays you may also be asked to state your opinions, which is quite different from research.
🔎 At the end of your studies you most likely have to write a thesis paper, or simply a thesis. Depending on the degree this can be a bachelor thesis or a master thesis. For PhD level we usually speak of dissertation.
🔎 Published papers are called articles, and they are published in academic journals.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#15 University Vocab: Course Modules
❓At school students study together in classes but how about universities?
🔎 There are usually no stable groups we can call “classes”. Instead, students attend different course modules. Americans are more likely to call them courses while in Britain people tend to speak of modules.
🔎 From each course module you collect credit points for exams or course work like essays. In order to graduate you need a certain number of credits.
🔎 There are some course modules that you have to take and some that you can choose. The required ones are called core modules while the others are electives.
❗️ In a modular system you can put your own timetable together. You can also decide if you want to study in the recommended time or graduate later as you might be working part-time. As long as you have your credit points you can finish your studies.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓At school students study together in classes but how about universities?
🔎 There are usually no stable groups we can call “classes”. Instead, students attend different course modules. Americans are more likely to call them courses while in Britain people tend to speak of modules.
🔎 From each course module you collect credit points for exams or course work like essays. In order to graduate you need a certain number of credits.
🔎 There are some course modules that you have to take and some that you can choose. The required ones are called core modules while the others are electives.
❗️ In a modular system you can put your own timetable together. You can also decide if you want to study in the recommended time or graduate later as you might be working part-time. As long as you have your credit points you can finish your studies.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#16 University Vocab: Exam Types
❓Do we always have to choose A, B, C or D, or are there other kinds of exams, too?
🔎 Multiple choice exams let you choose between three or four options (usually) and are popular with teachers and administrators, especially in traditional education systems.
🔎 Essay exams require students to write a long and structured answer to a given question, either focusing on a description or on their opinion.
🔎 Open-book and take-home exams allow students to find relevant information by themselves, either during the exam or at home.
🔎 Problem-based or case-based exams consist of just one task in which students have to apply knowledge from their class.
🔎 Practical exams make students demonstrate their practical skills.
🔎 Oral exams are carried out in speaking only.
🔎 Online exams we all know and love…
❗️ These types are often combined. They all have their pros and cons and what’s best depends on the content.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓Do we always have to choose A, B, C or D, or are there other kinds of exams, too?
🔎 Multiple choice exams let you choose between three or four options (usually) and are popular with teachers and administrators, especially in traditional education systems.
🔎 Essay exams require students to write a long and structured answer to a given question, either focusing on a description or on their opinion.
🔎 Open-book and take-home exams allow students to find relevant information by themselves, either during the exam or at home.
🔎 Problem-based or case-based exams consist of just one task in which students have to apply knowledge from their class.
🔎 Practical exams make students demonstrate their practical skills.
🔎 Oral exams are carried out in speaking only.
🔎 Online exams we all know and love…
❗️ These types are often combined. They all have their pros and cons and what’s best depends on the content.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#17 University Vocab: Higher Education
❓What’s higher education and how is it organised?
🔎 Higher, or tertiary (=third type) education comes after primary and secondary education. That normally means university but actually it also includes colleges and graduate schools.
🔎 The word college can have very different meanings in different countries. In Britain it can be like a specialised high school or vocational (=about job) school while in America it’s more like a university but of lower status.
🔎 In American English a university can be called school, e.g. “Harvard is a good school.” In British English "university" is often shortened as uni.
🔎 Inside universities we usually find faculties and within them departments. But that also varies – faculties are also sometimes called schools, e.g. “School of Economics”.
🔎 Sometimes attached to a university there is a graduate school for postgraduate (=master or PhD) students.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓What’s higher education and how is it organised?
🔎 Higher, or tertiary (=third type) education comes after primary and secondary education. That normally means university but actually it also includes colleges and graduate schools.
🔎 The word college can have very different meanings in different countries. In Britain it can be like a specialised high school or vocational (=about job) school while in America it’s more like a university but of lower status.
🔎 In American English a university can be called school, e.g. “Harvard is a good school.” In British English "university" is often shortened as uni.
🔎 Inside universities we usually find faculties and within them departments. But that also varies – faculties are also sometimes called schools, e.g. “School of Economics”.
🔎 Sometimes attached to a university there is a graduate school for postgraduate (=master or PhD) students.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#18 University Vocab: Thesis Papers
❓What are thesis papers and what do we find in them?
🔎 A thesis is the final piece of academic writing you need to do before getting your degree. This could be a bachelor thesis, a master thesis or a doctoral thesis.
🔎 In the beginning of a thesis paper you should have an abstract which is a short summary of your research, including the main results.
🔎 A table of contents in the beginning shows which chapter can be found on which page. It is also a good overview of your structure.
🔎 Either in the beginning or the end of your thesis there should be an acknowledgement in which you thank the people who helped you.
🔎 You should write a list of books and articles that you read for your research in the bibliography at the end.
🔎 At the very end of your paper there usually is an appendix in which you list data that is too much to write in the main body. This can contain figures, lists, pictures, graphs or transcriptions.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓What are thesis papers and what do we find in them?
🔎 A thesis is the final piece of academic writing you need to do before getting your degree. This could be a bachelor thesis, a master thesis or a doctoral thesis.
🔎 In the beginning of a thesis paper you should have an abstract which is a short summary of your research, including the main results.
🔎 A table of contents in the beginning shows which chapter can be found on which page. It is also a good overview of your structure.
🔎 Either in the beginning or the end of your thesis there should be an acknowledgement in which you thank the people who helped you.
🔎 You should write a list of books and articles that you read for your research in the bibliography at the end.
🔎 At the very end of your paper there usually is an appendix in which you list data that is too much to write in the main body. This can contain figures, lists, pictures, graphs or transcriptions.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#19 University Vocab: Teaching Staff
❓ There are all kinds of people teaching at a university. What are they?
🔎 Britain and America have different education systems, and other countries have yet other titles and ranks.
🔎 For practical classes you may have instructors (in 🇺🇸American English) or tutors (in 🇬🇧British English). Some of these may be doctorate students.
🔎 Lectures and seminars are more theoretical, and they are taught by people on different academic ranks, professor being the highest.
🔎 In 🇬🇧Britain the order is usually lecturer – senior lecturer – professor. In 🇺🇸America it is instructor – assistant professor – associate professor – professor.
❗️ Actually there are no regular “teachers” at university. Calling them “teachers” may sound not only informal but also unprofessional or even childish.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓ There are all kinds of people teaching at a university. What are they?
🔎 Britain and America have different education systems, and other countries have yet other titles and ranks.
🔎 For practical classes you may have instructors (in 🇺🇸American English) or tutors (in 🇬🇧British English). Some of these may be doctorate students.
🔎 Lectures and seminars are more theoretical, and they are taught by people on different academic ranks, professor being the highest.
🔎 In 🇬🇧Britain the order is usually lecturer – senior lecturer – professor. In 🇺🇸America it is instructor – assistant professor – associate professor – professor.
❗️ Actually there are no regular “teachers” at university. Calling them “teachers” may sound not only informal but also unprofessional or even childish.
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
#20 University Vocab: Credentials
❓ After we complete our studies we will get some kind of paper, right? Degree, diploma, certificate – what’s the difference between these credentials (=proof that someone is qualified; always in plural)?
🔎 Degree is the most valuable of them because it is always academic and you can only get it from a standard university course. There are bachelor, master and doctorate degrees.
🔎 Diploma is something you can get from a college or practical job training, not usually from academic education.
🔎 Certificate is the umbrella term (=general word) for all kinds of degrees, diplomas and everything else. You can get a certificate for anything you participate in, such as competitions, conferences, workshops and so on.
❗️ Most importantly, don’t confuse “diploma” with “degree”, and you’ll be fine!
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
❓ After we complete our studies we will get some kind of paper, right? Degree, diploma, certificate – what’s the difference between these credentials (=proof that someone is qualified; always in plural)?
🔎 Degree is the most valuable of them because it is always academic and you can only get it from a standard university course. There are bachelor, master and doctorate degrees.
🔎 Diploma is something you can get from a college or practical job training, not usually from academic education.
🔎 Certificate is the umbrella term (=general word) for all kinds of degrees, diplomas and everything else. You can get a certificate for anything you participate in, such as competitions, conferences, workshops and so on.
❗️ Most importantly, don’t confuse “diploma” with “degree”, and you’ll be fine!
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
University Vocab: The End
It’s been one year now that Afandi English is bringing you University Vocab, giving you all you’ve ever wanted to know about higher education. Time to review all 20 posts!
#1 Lectures vs Seminars
#2 Academic Literature
#3 Tuition Fees
#4 Assessment
#5 Time Off
#6 Online Education
#7 Undergraduates & Graduates
#8 Entering & Leaving University
#9 Coursework
#10 Undergrad Years
#11 Rankings
#12 Science, What Science?
#13 Degrees
#14 Academic Writing
#15 Course Modules
#16 Exam Types
#17 Higher Education
#18 Thesis Papers
#19 Teaching Staff
#20 Credentials
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
It’s been one year now that Afandi English is bringing you University Vocab, giving you all you’ve ever wanted to know about higher education. Time to review all 20 posts!
#1 Lectures vs Seminars
#2 Academic Literature
#3 Tuition Fees
#4 Assessment
#5 Time Off
#6 Online Education
#7 Undergraduates & Graduates
#8 Entering & Leaving University
#9 Coursework
#10 Undergrad Years
#11 Rankings
#12 Science, What Science?
#13 Degrees
#14 Academic Writing
#15 Course Modules
#16 Exam Types
#17 Higher Education
#18 Thesis Papers
#19 Teaching Staff
#20 Credentials
👉@afandi_english👈 #uni_vocab
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#vocabulary
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#infographic
Let your eye travel across important topics.
#inspiration
See the world in a new light.
#know_your_world
Understand today’s world.
#know_yourself
Know thyself and live well.
#maps
Realise reality with maps.
#psychology
See the human nature so no one can fool you.
#talk
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#uni_vocab
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#wikipedia
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#world_englishes
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#world_food
Check out some lovely meals that you may prepare at home, too.