Studying abroad can be one of the best experiences in your life, but finding everything you need, and learning how to communicate in the student world can be hard.
Today we’ll look at some useful vocabulary and expressions that you might find during your time learning and developing in an English-speaking country.
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You can read more about life at university in our blog about where to study abroad in the UK.
At University
It’s confusing and exciting and fun, but not always easy to arrive to a new country, with another
language. Here’s a few basic expressions and words to help you settle in around your university or college.
Campus
This is a word that’s often used to describe the area the university is in.
In the UK, this area can be one big zone where it’s just university buildings, or the buildings can be more separated within a city.
“I’ll see you on campus” or “I’m leaving the campus now, catch you later”.
Guild
Many UK universities have a central area for student fun and social activity, as well as sports. The University of Birmingham has more than 500 groups! This building and administration team is known as the Guild of Students.
"I'll meet you at The Guild tonight at 8"
Societies
These groups are focused on one activity, whether it’s a sport, an art, a creative task, charity work, religious worship or anything else you can think of. There will often be a society for all tastes at the larger UK universities.
It's a great chance to try something new, and meet different types of people.
In the Class
Module
Your term at a UK university will normally be divided into individual ‘modules’, which is the class you are taking. You might have several modules every week, and these may change at the end of each term. The assessment of these modules will usually make up some of your final mark too.
Lecture
Lots of modules are taught through lectures. This is a larger room, with a bigger group, and the professor or teacher will stand at the front and speak to the students.
They will sometimes ask questions and interact, but mostly present information for you to learn.
Seminar
In different modules, you may have classes that are in smaller groups, and are much more interactive.
These more intimate and detailed classes are typically used to get students actively discussing the issues they are learning about.
The professor will ask questions, engage with replies and generally guide the group to interesting ideas.
Let us know if you’d like more tips about what it’s like to study abroad in the UK. Many of our students are getting ready to move abroad and speak English while they study. If you’d like more information, get in touch here.