Studying in the UK (

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Studying in the UK ( at the Uni. of Nottingham)

• Nuala Byrne
• Professional Development

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Introduction

• Ice-breaker - Move around room and introduce
  yourself to three people you have not already
  met. Someone
• Wearing same colour clothes as you
• Wearing a different colour to you
• Of the opposite sex

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Outline

• Overview of UK System of Studying
• How to succeed in your studies
• Supervision Process
• Critical Thinking and Academic writing

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All Resources For This Presentation

• http//pd.nottingham.ac.uk/eng/Induction/Internati
  onal-Students2

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Question

• How different are you expecting studying at
  Nottingham to be from your previous experiences?
• 1???? ??? 5 ???????10
• Not Very ??????????? Very
• Different Different

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What do you think will be different?

• Jot down one thing that you think will be
  different.
• Share this with a neighbour.
• What some other students thought?
• http//www.nottingham.ac.uk/pathways/mod_studying/
  mod_studying_1.html

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UK System of Studying

• Undergraduate Degrees
• Postgraduate Taught Courses
• Includes PG Diploma, PG Certificates and taught
  Masters
• Research Masters (MRes or MPhil)
• Doctoral Degree (e.g. PhD/DPhil etc.)

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Quality Assurance

• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Framework for HE
  qualifications in England, Wales and Northern
  Ireland
• University of Nottingham Quality Manual provides
  info on study regulations e.g.
• Postgraduate Student Adviser
• Annual Review of Research Students
• Your main source of info on regulations will be
  from your School

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Semesters and Terms
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Activity

• What are your concerns about studying in the UK?
• Write down one concern on a post-it
• Pass the completed post-its around so you have
  one each but dont know where its come from.

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Did you know?

• Over 50 of PG students at Nottingham are
  international students
• So you are not alone!
• Overseas students are more likely to complete
  than UK students
• (Park, 2005)

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Keeping Your Studies on Track
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Top Tips

• Find out as much as possible about Britain
  British PG Educational system
• Join a support network/ use university societies
  to meet people
• PG Student Association
• Find out about language training.

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• Observe in the first instance and participate
  eventually in situations where the usual
  criticism, challenge and debate take place in
  order to familiarise yourself
• Attend a course on assertiveness skills
• (Phillips and Pugh, 2000)

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British PG Educational Process

• Scientific academic culture which values
  newness and change.
• A culture in which you are being prepared to play
  your role as a partner in this process.
• You will be left to your own devices for much of
  the time
• Regarded as an opportunity, not as a deficiency.
• (Phillips and Pugh, 2000)

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• PhD Oral examination expected to provide an
  assertive and confident defence of the thesis
• (Phillips and Pugh, 2000, p.127)

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Independent Study

• Learning to become an independent learner
• http//www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studyskills/l
  earning/independent.asp
• Expectations of rote learning
• Demonstrating independent thought (backed-up by
  evidence)
• http//www.nottingham.ac.uk/pathways/

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Top Tips For Getting the Most Out of UK Teaching
Methods

• Lectures
• http//www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studyskills/l
  earning/learning.asp
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Practicals
• http//www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife/i
  nternational/speaking.asp
• Supervision

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Supervision

• Full-time Research Students
• Entitled to 10 supervisions per annum
• Degree regulations
• May specify certain taught modules, research
  training or additional components that must be
  undertaken.
• In this case, number of supervisions may be
  reduced.

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Key stages in supervision

• Pairing of student and supervisor(s)
• Approval of research project proposal
• Induction
• Shared understanding of expectations processes
  of supervision
• Training (research personal development)
• Routine monitoring
• Writing up support
• Assessment

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Supervisory StylesGatfield and Alpert (2002)
High

• Management Grid

Support
Pastoral
Contractual
High
Low
S t r u c t u r e
Laissez-Faire
Directorial
Low
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Supervisory styles

• Laissez-faire
• Non-directive, not committed to high levels of
  personal interactive, may appear caring and
  non-interfering
• Pastoral
• Considerable personal care not necessarily in a
  task-driven, directive capacity
• Directorial
• Close regular interaction but avoids non-task
  issues
• Contractual
• Administers direction provides good management
  and interpersonal interactions. Supervisor
  invests lots of time.

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What do Supervisors Expect?

• Supervisors expect their students to
• Be independent
• Produce written work that is not just a first
  draft!
• Attend regular meetings
• Be honest when reporting on progress
• Follow the advice they give
• Be interested and excited by your work

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Do not expect!

• Your supervisor to take the initiative
• That they will become a replacement parent
• They will make major contributions to your
  research and thesis
• That they will give you very detailed direction
  and guidance
• That the supervisor will have a high level of
  knowledge in your specific area
• That they will proof read and re-write your work

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Understanding feedback

• Supervisor feedback will usually tell you,
• How good the work was
• Whether it
• achieved what
• the supervisor thought it
• should achieve
• What could
• have been
• improved

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Understanding feedback
Translation The word adequate means good
enough. The marker is saying that what you have
written is fine but not great. The marker is
also suggesting that you may not have read
enough texts.

• You have given an adequate introduction to this
  topic based on your reading.
• You write in a clear, academic style, following
  the conventions in almost every respect
• Your summary of the various sources is through.
  Ideally you would integrate these more, rather
  than referring to the various people one by one
  in each section.
• (http//www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife
  /international/understanding.asp)

Translation Academic style University
writing, in almost every respect most of the
time
Translation You need to change your academic
writing style a little and bring together
summaries of sources otherwise the assignment
becomes too long winded.
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Developing your Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking is the process of applying
  reasoned and disciplined thinking to your
  subject.
• To do well in your studies you need to think
  critically about the things you have read, seen
  and heard.
• Critical thinking is essential for high
  grades.
• You can learn to become a critical thinker.

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Developing your Critical Thinking
Bring together the different sources of
information
Take in the information
Develop arguments, and draw conclusions,
Understand the key points and arguments
Compare similarities and differences between the
ideas you are taking in
Use the understanding you have gained in
assignments and projects
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Academic writing

• Use resources available to develop your academic
  writing.
• http//www.nottingham.ac.uk/csc/academic-integrity
  /
• Learn to cite reference correctly.
• Familiarise yourself with regulations on
  plagiarism
• http//www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/quali
  tymanual/assessment/academicoffences.aspx

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General Advice

• If you dont understand ask your tutor,
  lecturer, supervisor or Director of Studies
• Expect to have to work hard to understand and
  respond to new
• academic expectations
• Use the on-line materials available to get to
  grips with all aspects of
• your work

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References

• Gatfield, T. Alpert, F. (2002). The supervisory
  management styles model. In A. Goody, J.
  Herrington M. Northcote (eds) Proceedings of
  the 2002 Annual International Conference of
  Higher Education Research and Development Society
  of Australasia. Perth Higher Education Research
  and Development Society of Australasia.
• Park, C. (2005) War of attrition patterns of
  non-completion amongst PG Research Students.
  Higher Education Review, 38 (1).
• Phillips E.M. and Pugh. D.S. (2000) How to get a
  PhD. Buckingham Open University Press