1. College Life

The merry-go-round of college life is something that one never forgets. It's a fascinating, fantastic experience.

Who can forget the first day at the university when one turns from an applicant who has passed entrance exams into a first-year student? The rector, vice-rectors, deans, subdeans… Heads of departments and senior lecturers? Some of them must be professors, some - associate or assistant professors, but, of course, all of them have high academic degrees.

The monitors hand out student membership cards, student record books and library cards - one feels like a real person. First celebrations and then days of hard work. So many classes, so many new subjects to put on the timetable! The curriculum seems to be developed. Lectures, seminars and tutorials. Home preparations; a real avalanche of homeworks.

Junior students become senior. Still all of them are one family undergraduates. Students' parties in the students' club. Meeting people and parting with people.

ORGANIZING YOURSELF

When to study

The best way to start to study efficiently is to plan your time and organize your work.

Where to study

There are a number of places where you can study - college library, public lodgings, home, vacant classrooms, on bus or train - and each has several obvious advantages and disadvantages.

TAKING EXAMS

2. University Studies

Higher education in Belarus

Belarusian education is ranked among the best ones, and the Belarusian specialists are much in demand in the world.

There is a broad network of educational establishments in the system of higher education of Belarus. Four major types can be distinguished:

• Classical university;

• Profile university or academy;

• Institute;

• Higher college.

There are 57 higher educational establishments, of which 43 are state owned, 13 are private and 2 are run by religious organizations.

Classical and profile universities as well as institutes are classified as higher educational establishments of university type and provide a two level system of higher education with academic degrees of Bachelor and Master. At the same time the old 5-year curriculum is still in use. Graduates both from state and private universities are granted state diplomas of higher education.

But it is not that easy to become a student. Therefore only the very best can study at budget cost. The entrants who passed the entrance exams successfully but did not win the competition have the opportunity to study for their own account.

Belarusian higher educational establishments have 3 forms of learning: full-time, evening and by correspondence.

The efficiency of any form of learning is ensured by highly-qualified teaching staff which includes a large number of candidates and doctors of science, associate professors and professors.

But higher education in Belarus does not only mean lectures, seminars and exams. In addition Belarusian students participate in international scientific conferences and competitions, student exchange programs. Belarusian teams take first places at competitions in mathematics, economy and programming.

Then, after graduation the budget students are provided with the first workplaces. Finding a good job on specialty both in the republic and abroad is not a problem for paying students either.

After university graduation young specialists have the possibility to get a postgraduate education.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

The principal post-school institutions of higher education are the 47 of which 36 are in England, 8 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales.

Apart from the universities there are the 30 polytechnics in England and Wales, the 14 Scottish central institutions which provide similar studies and the Ulster Polytechnic in Northern Ireland.

British universities are independent, autonomous, self-governing institutions.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the most usual titles for the first degree are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) and for the second degree Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil);

British universities can be roughly divided into three groups: I) Oxford and Cambridge and the older Scottish universities, 2) the redbrick universities, and 3) the new universities.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USA

In the USA there are over 3,300 different institutions of higher education with more than 12 million students.

The system of higher education includes 4 categories of institutions: (1) the two-year, or community college; (2) the technical training institution; (3) the four-year college; (4) the university, which may contain (a) several colleges for students who want to receive a bachelor's degree after four years of study; and (b) one or more graduate schools for those who want to continue their studies after college for about two years to receive a master's degree.

There are 156 universities in the USA. Any of these institutions of higher education may be either public or private.

The academic year is usually nine months, or two semesters of 4 and a half months each. Studies usually begin in September and end in July. The undergraduate students who study for four years are called as follows: (a) the first-year student is called a freshman; (b) the second-year student is called a sophomore; (c) the student of the third year is known as a junior; and (d) the fourth-year student — a senior.

During one term or semester a student will study four or five different subjects. The students' progress is controlled through oral or written tests, term or course papers and a final examination in each course. College grades are usually on a five-point scale: A — is the highest mark and is usually equal to 5 points, and E or F means failure.

Each college or university has its own curriculum. There are courses that every student has to take in order to receive a degree. These courses or subjects are called major subjects or "majors". At the same time there are subjects, which the student may choose himself for his future life. These courses are called "electives".

Thus, we see that the American system of higher education gives the student much choice which he may realize according to his will. His achievements in his studies and future work depend upon himself.