Problems of Students

Higher Education. Students' life and problems: are they different? Speak on the cultural and in-system peculiarities of students' life in Britain, the USA and Russia

To begin with, I should say that students` days is the most exciting time in the life of any person, though it may have some troubles, too. In all countries students share some common features, have similar ways of life and problems.

Still, in Britain and the USA most 18 and 19 year-olds are more independent than Russian students, and when the time comes to pick a college they usually choose one as far away from home as possible. So, many students in northern and Scottish universities come from the south of England and vice versa. Although parents may be a little sad to see this happen, they usually approve of the move, and see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult. On the contrary, for a Russian student It is quite usual to live at home.

In all countries students have a troublesome time during their first University days. When they first arrive at college, first year university students are called 'freshers'. A fresher's life can be exciting but terrifying for the first week.

Often freshers will live in a Hall of Residence on or near the college campus, although they may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house with friends. Many freshers will feel very homesick for the first week or so, but living in hall soon helps them to make new friends.

On the day that lectures start, groups of freshers are often seen walking around huge campuses, maps in hand and a worried look on their faces. They are learning how difficult it is to change from a school community to one of many thousands. They also learn a new way of studying. As well as lectures, there are regular seminars, at which one of a small group of students (probably not more than ten) reads a paper he or she has written. The paper is then discussed by the tutor and the rest of the group. Once or twice a term, students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress. In Oxford and Cambridge, and some other universities, the study system is based entirely around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for 'Oxbridge' students. Unlike in Russia, British and American students cannot usually repeat a year. Failing exams is very serious.

I should say, for students it may be hard to get by. The fact is, young people in Britain don't usually have a job during term time because the lessons, called lectures, seminars, classes or tutorials (small groups), are full lime. In Russia, vice versa, many students now have to work in the evenings to supplement their grants.

As we see, student`s life differs from their school time. Holidays are longer than school