It should be noted, a very tolerant colonial power, despite the numerous myths about the notorious conservatism, snobbery and chauvinism, which were traditionally attributed to the British. Foggy Albion prudently borrowed from its colonies not only natural resources, but also scientific knowledge, information about the world order and other useful information, at that time accessible only to every Marco Polo and metropolitan countries. Assimilating all this knowledge and multiplied by the achievements of their own geniuses (whose density in England in terms of unit of area is the highest in the world), the English created a very specific education system. Not the best in the world, no. It's just that England specializes in producing very successful and sought-after specialists in finance, law, economics, arts and high fashion (oh-oh, St. Martin College!). Of course, this system is not suitable for everyone. The structure of the higher education system in England is very complicated, but you can understand it too.
Necessary:
• It is good to know what you want to do in the future;
• be focused on significant career achievements;
• have the ability to think independently and in general to independence;
• Respect other people with respect;
• be methodical, consistent and disciplined;
• Have a good sense of humor.
The latter is not necessary, but it is desirable. For these English there is nothing sacred. It is enough only to look at the photographs hung in the Center for British Education in Kiev. The Queen with her tongue hanging out. The Queen and Prime Minister Putin with the pony's ears, accidentally caught in the frame. The queen, peeping around the corner. Horror! By the way, the London gallery Tate, which recently staged an exhibition of "rude English humor," demonstrated to the whole world that there are no peers in the ability to laugh at themselves with the British. Our people are much more serious.
English without dictionary
What is so good about this "English school"? The basic principle of British education is provocative. The system of tasks in English universities is built on the fact that the student does not just collect and retell information, as is customary for us, but create on its basis a completely independent intellectual product. It can not be canceled. Lectures are useful, but only as a source of information. Students are constantly provoked to think. And think effectively. Compare the British education with the Ukrainian - unpatriotic. Moreover, British universities top the world rankings of higher education institutions, and Ukrainian ones do not enter it at all. Rather, they come in, but only into one. In the rating of the Spanish research organization CSIC Kyiv National University. T. Shevchenko and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy occupy 1 346th and 2 055th places respectively. But there are also positive moments in our education. For example, it is considered that our secondary school gives good knowledge in exact disciplines. This is so, but this knowledge belongs to the field of theory. The English school prepares practitioners. Another fundamental difference between the English system of education and others is that the British cultivate the individuality of the student in the cult. Accordingly, education is built on the opportunity to give everyone their unique qualities. And some educational systems, on the contrary, offer a template to which the student must squeeze, adjusting his abilities to the requirements of the university. Great! It turns out that if you have already entered the English university, you can demonstrate the individuality as you want? Since it's dear, they respect it so much.
Respect the individuality of thinking, not behavior. Strict discipline, methodicalness and consistency - all these qualities will have to be brought up in oneself before crossing the threshold of the English university. The inherent in us, the Slavs, some carelessness, the habit of doing everything at the last moment and hoping for a chance in England will not pass. There it is unacceptable and a bad tone. The global crisis affected Britain. The way out of the crisis, many countries found cheaper products due to lower quality. But not Britain. In the last academic year, enrollment in British higher education institutions declined. And the quality of education was kept at the same high level. Screenings were made very simply. If earlier it was required to show good knowledge and a high level of intelligence for the admission, now both these qualities should be demonstrated to an extravagant degree. A-star in all subjects. It's like if you get a "seven" with a five-point rating system.
Expensive, but pleasure
Like any exclusive high-end product, education in England is not cheap. The price includes the actual training, plus accommodation, plus meals. All together will pull in the amount of 20-25 thousand pounds sterling. More costs for visa and transportation. Add another 700 pounds. Well, the processing of documents, as well as the services of a consulting center, without which in any way. Finding yourself an ideal university or college, taking tests and squeezing through the stockade of numerous bureaucratic procedures is very problematic. Payment by agreement. To translate these modest, at first glance, figures into more US dollars, we need to multiply all by one and a half. Of course, you need pocket money. A cup of coffee in London costs four pounds. The trip to the subway is about 5 pounds. So we throw on the received amount of another thousand twenty pieces of paper with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This is if you do not go to concerts and do not eat puddings. It turns out that counting on British education in our country, where the average wage in terms of the currency of the United Kingdom is about one hundred pounds a month, only children of very wealthy parents can. Or very wealthy parents. There are no age restrictions for education. It turns out that those who earn their living by their own labor, and intellectual, Cambridge does not shine? And here lies a fundamental error. If there is a goal, then we need to look for ways to achieve it, and not to explain to ourselves and others why this is impossible. Even in shock, several variants come to mind at once. The first: grants and scholarships of various funds, organizations, corporations and universities themselves. The second: to apply to the headquarters of your own organization with a request to finance the training. Of course, such a request will need to be very well justified. But the road will be mastered by the going. By the way, the author of the article (my mother is a teacher, that father is an engineer, except for jokes) just so received her diploma in the Open Business School of London University. President of the "Center for British Education" Stephen Clark recalls that the process of obtaining a scholarship is long and time-consuming. And you need to start doing this for one and a half to two years before the expected date of the beginning of training. There is also a third option - distance learning. A student, sitting in his native Odessa or, say, Kolomyia, receives e-mails from a tutor (a specialist supervising a student). Consults with him online. Sends his tutor marked assignments (TMA) to the homeland of Sir Paul McCartney. Communicates with teachers on "Skype" or even is present through it during lectures. Visits visiting Sunday schools. In a word, it is fully involved in the learning process, without leaving your native penates. The cost of such education is several times less. Less: there is no student atmosphere, the language environment, the spirit of good old England. Plus: Diploma of the completion of the course of the English university. Coming out, thanks to the knowledge gained, to a new career level, you can earn the next stage of education. Already in real life.
Do you have a plan, Mr. Fix?
The decision is accepted and not subject to appeal. We're going to study in England! It's so in our way - read, inspired and immediately try to grab the bull by the horns. Not the case. As the great son of the British people Sherlock Holmes said: "Improvisations are good only in music." Transfer money to the account of a favored university will not be enough to go pack your bags. Money for the British is generally the last item on the list of requirements. They, you see, put bright heads. Again, unlike the domestic higher school. You will have to start with an audit of knowledge and thinking skills. Well, the level of the language, of course. Students are required to have fluency in the language of Chaucer and Chesterton. And, by the way, the knowledge of the works of the above-mentioned gentlemen, too. In the original, of course. Englishmen are very sensitive to how much foreign students are familiar with English literature. In the English school, the specialization of students begins very early. By the age of fourteen, the young British know exactly who they want to be. And they begin to prepare for admission, specializing in those subjects that will be useful in the future. At the end of the 10th (11th, 12th - it is necessary to emphasize) the class has a clear idea of the future career, no more than 7% of graduates. Accordingly, the level of special knowledge at the end of the school in most schoolchildren is somewhat weak. Therefore, right after school, it's possible to get to the student's bench of an English university for our person in real life, but there have not been precedents yet. Too large gap between the knowledge that is required from a British freshman, and what is in the mind of our graduate. Will have to deal with extra. Ideally - directly near the source of knowledge. That is, in a British college or a school of pre-university preparation. At the so-called A-level. In order for the university to accept documents for consideration, the existing knowledge will need to be confirmed by a special IELTS test, as well as documents confirming the success and merit of the applicant. Translated and notarized. Confirm your solvency. Fill the application forms. Collect letters of recommendation. In a word, do a thorough paper work. If you take the help of a qualified consultant, the process will take about three months (ideally). Independent work can drag on for years. After receiving confirmation from the university about enrollment, the process of issuing a student visa begins. Unlike the design of a tourist visa, this is a rather complex and impersonal bureaucratic procedure. That is, no one will take into account the fact that you need urgently and desperately. All decisions on a visa are not made by people, but by a system that works in accordance with the specified algorithm. Visa procedures also take about three months.