Many students, upon finishing high school, choose to continue their education. The system of higher education includes 4 categories of institutions.
The community college, which is financed by the local community in different professions. Tuition fees are low in these colleges, that’s why about 40 per cent of all American students of higher education study at these colleges. On graduation from such colleges American students get “associate degree” and can start to work or may transfer to 4-year colleges or universities (usually to 3rd year).
The technical training institution, at which high school graduates may take courses ranging from six months to three-four years, and learn different technical skills, which may include design business, computer programming, accounting, etc. The best-known of them are: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Technological Institute in California.
The four-year college, which is not a part of a university. The graduates receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). There are also small Art Colleges, which grant degrees in specialized fields such as ballet, film-making and even circus performance. There are also Pedagogical Colleges.
The university, which may contain:
- Several colleges for students who want to receive a bachelor’s degree after four years of study;
- 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 and then a doctor’s degree. There are 156 universities in the USA.
Any of these institutions of higher education may be either public or private. The public institutions are financed by state. Most of the students, about 80 per cent, study at public institutions of higher education, because tuition fees here are much lower. Some of the best-known private universities are Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
It is not easy to enter a college at a leading university in the United States. Successful applicants at colleges of higher education are usually chosen on the basis of:
- their high-school records which include their class rank, the list of all the courses taken and all the grades received in high schools, test results;
- recommendation from their high-school teachers;
- the impression they make during interviews at the university, which is in fact a serious examination;
- scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests.
The academic year is usually nine months, divided into two terms. Studies usually begin in September and end in July. Each college or university has its own curriculum. During one term student must study 4 or 5 different courses. 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”. A student has to earn a certain number of “credits” (about 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of college. Credits are earned by attending lectures or laboratory classes and completing assignments and examinations.
Students who study at a university or four-year college are known as undergraduates. Those who have received a degree after 4 years of studies are known as graduates. They may take graduate program for another 2 years in order to get a master’s degree. Further studies are postgraduate which result in a doctor’s degree.
Exercise 16. Match verbs with its correct definition:
| to include | to finish something |
| to finance | to move from one job or department to another |
| to transfer | to be present at an event or activity |
| to contain | to pay for something |
| to attend | to make someone or something part of a group |
| to complete | to keep something inside |
Exercise 17. Find in the text English equivalents for these words and word combinations:
Плата за обучение; степень ассоциата, технические навыки; бухгалтерское дело; успешные кандидаты; рекомендации от учителей; впечатление; балла за тест на способности ученика; иметь собственный учебный план; специализированная область; несколько колледжей; профилирующие предметы; предметы по выбору; посещать лекции; выполнять задания; государственные и частные университеты; зарабатывать баллы; дальнейшее обучение; чтобы получить степень магистра.
Exercise 18. Translate the words in brackets into English and make sentences, then translate them into Russian:
1. Many young people (выбирают) _______________ to continue their education.
2. After two years of study (выпускники) ________________ can get associate degree.
3. After four years of study students can (получить) ______________ bachelor’s degree.
4. The institutions can be (или) _________ private (или) __________ public.
5. Some of the (известных) ____________________ private universities are Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
6. A student has to earn a certain number of credits (чтобы) ______________ receive a degree at the end of four years of college.
Exercise 19. Answer the questions using the text in exercise 15:
1. What kind of institutions are there in the American system of higher education? 2. Is it easy to enter university in the USA? 3. What is necessary for a school graduate to get a place at a university? 4. Are all subjects compulsory for university students? 5. What degrees can students get at the university? 6. Can you compare Russian and American universities? 7. What is necessary for a Russian student to go to university in the USA? 8. Would you like to study in one of American universities? Why?
Exercise 20. At the end of the lesson translate the sentences from Russian into English. Be attentive with new words:
1. На первом курсе студенты изучают предметы общего цикла.
2. Студенты, которые хорошо занимаются и не пропускают занятия, получают стипендию.
3. Моя сестра поступила в аспирантуру.
4. Много студентов моей группы из других городов, поэтому они живут в общежитиях.
5. Дистанционное обучение – новая система, которая помогает продолжить обучение, даже если вы работаете.
6. Я студент (-ка) очного отделения.
7. На третьем курсе мы будем изучать предметы по специальности.
8. После каждого семестра у студентов каникулы.
9. Моя мама ожидает от меня сдачи экзаменов на отлично.
10. Я думаю (полагаю), что легко отвечу на все вопросы нашего преподавателя по английскому языку.
11. Мы рассматриваем образование, как получение знаний и навыков, которые помогут нам стать профессионалами.
12. Не все студенты могут поступить в университет, так как конкурс очень высокий.
13. Собеседование – это очень серьезный экзамен.
14. Чем престижнее университет, тем выше оценки требуются для поступления.
15. Британским студентам не нужны деньги для того, чтобы учиться.
16. Многим студентам приходится работать в каникулы.
17. Моя сестра совмещает свою учебу и работу.
18. Впечатление, произведенное студентом во время собеседования, очень важно при поступлении в американский университет.
19. Я считаю, что это очень интересно иметь профилирующие предметы и предметы по выбору.
20. Посещая все лекции и выполняя все задания, я легко могу сдать экзамены.