Postgraduates in the UK

[Koa]

Ok I'll try to ask this without going into my endless moaning of refusal for my previous studies...

Basically, I'm considering doing a postgraduate course at some point (maybe starting next Autumn) in the UK, just to fulfill my dreams of good studies and of living there. But looking around University sites randomly leaves me kind confused...
Does anyone has any tips on how to look for things? I'm not even exactly sure of what I want to take, possibly Translation, or Slavistics, or something like International Relations or something related to Journalism...
Like, how do I find how it works exactly? I dont know, any tips would be welcome really...If I come up with clearer questions I'll post them...

[Scheherazade]

Contact the Cultural Affairs/Attache at the nearest British Embassy. They are probably the best people who will tell you how it actually works for Italian students who want to study in the UK (and probably will have a list of universities which have scholarships and other specific info) and answer most of your questions.

You might find something on their websites as well but if you go there, it is always a good idea to call and try to make an appointment.

[Koa]

Aaaw great tip. I'm really unexpert in finding out how the world works and I get really lost about who to ask when I need info... Thanks!

[subterranean]

Just ask your local British Council office. They'll tell you everything you want to hear about studying in UK


http://www.britishcouncil.org/it/italy.htm
[email protected]

They got offices in Rome, Naples, Milan, and Bologna.

[Nightshade]

sorry koa not any mor tips than I gave you last time but I think if possible avoid london as its very expensive to live there
:D

[Koa]

Thank you all :):):)
Yep Nighty, I know England realtively well from the point of view of a visitor and I know about London... England is awfully expensive in general and London is expensive even to English people... :rolleyes:

[Koa]

Would anyone help me again???
I don't actually know if you CAN halp but well I'll list my doubts here and then look for someone who can help me more if you can't (no English students around the forums?)

I have been finding my way to look for courses in an organised way at least...I have found some suitable ones at least... especially this seems great:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/esml/tpls/index.htm

Anyway, there are so many things to take into consideration that I sometimes wonder if I really want to do this...

Anyway my questions are:
- am I right in understanding that a research course differs from a taught course because it is more specific, that is you focus on a topic and research on that?
- what does it mean when they require 'honours' degree?
- I am a bit in doubt about part/full time... Though I suppose that doing full time would be quicker... But part time would allow to work... but what if I dont find a good job anyway?
- is it OK to write to the University and ask if I have doubts? Even ask for advice on how to choose?
I was considering going to the Uk at some point to maybe visit some Unis, but I found out that it's best to apply before February :eek: ...which doesnt leave me that much time...

I am overwhelmed about UK Unis sites - they seem all so nice! They have info on scholarships (argh that'll be a hard task...I want one!), and job centres, and even money centres where you can ask for help in planning on how to use your money or ask for loans or solutions like that... :eek: It is all so unusual...like they really cared about the students, I wonder if they're pretending or it is all really so helpful...(you don't want to know about the infamous Italian services, source of many jokes and of total distrust...)
And yet - what if I actually do this and I get a place and it's not as cool or valuable as I thought it was??? I don't want to waste more time...

[Nightshade]

hey Koa :wave:
ok an honours degree would be a BSC or a BAC or whatever theyr called a university certifiacte. ie Honours as in the letters after your name :D
A full time course rarley is every day My fulltime course will only be 3 days a week the first year but I have a feeling its more the second
yes its good to write to the uni usually you can email the department you want to inquire for and they usually have a foriegn students department.
Thing is with the loan I think you might not be elligable for the normal student loan but Im not sure as the whole EU thing confuses me a bit.
:D

[Koa]

Thanks, well apparently EU students in most places have the same rights as British students...except the loans. So I'll need to find a scholarship or such...and/or at least a little job. When I started Uni here I also thoguht classes would be only on some days, but nope, in my faculty they were horribly spread throughout the whole week...

Hm what do you mean honours as in the letters after the name???

[Nightshade]

oh well :blush: turns out my thoughts on hounors degrees was wrong they are
"degrees that are worth more than normal deggrees" not that I understand that
*shrugs*

[kilted exile]

An honours degree is obtained by one extra years study after completing the regular degree and is reflected by the term (hons) after the letters BA (bachelor of arts) or BSc (bachelor of science) the honours year is not compulsory and some people leave with just the BA or BSc.

With regards to writing to Unis with your questions: Any half decent University will not have a problem with responding to your questions.

A good place to obtain information with regard to available courses is UCAS (the University and College Application Service) there website is here (http://www.ucas.ac.uk/) you can search here for courses at different colleges/Universities throughout the UK and I believe there is also a facility to apply online (however that may only be for UK based students)

[Koa]

Thanks kilted, yes that's one of the sites I've been exploring lately, but it seems like the application through UCAS is required only for undergraduate - postgraduates should apply directly to the Uni of choice...

That honour thing is starting to worry me then...I'll need to find out if my degree is equivalent...
I've also realised that, since what I want to do is related to langauges and possibly to translation, I will have a hard time to compete with the level English students who had a serious education during their first degree (my plan would be of continuing with Russian). Speaking of which, if I can take 2 languages, do you think it would be really stupid to take 2 foreign ones, and I should take Italian so that I am doing foreign (English) to native, and not foreign to foreign... Just one more random doubt...

[kaka]

If you want to do a ***postgraduate*** course, a lot depends on what qualifications you already have. For example, there might be problems doing a degree in literary translation if you haven't already studied a foreign language and literature to quite a high standard.

Incidentally, two points.
1. The question of honours versus ordinary degrees doesn't apply in any form at postgraduate level. The people responsible for postgraduate admissions will be aware that in Italy this distinction doesn't exist, and their main question will simply be, "Do we think this person will complete the course successfully?"
(It's just possible that a few universities may be silly and pedantic. I'd avoid those). Obviously, if there's a lot of competition for the course you want, then factors like merit over and above this become relevant.

2. If, by the time you embark on your postgraduate studies, you have studied successfully and effectively you should be well placed to study at most British universities for an MA or equivalent.

3. For postgraduate study ***apply direct to the university***. (As you say, UCAS is for undergraduate courses only).

[Koa]

Thanks kaka, yes I am (quite obviously I suppose) looking especially for a translation degree cos languages, cultures and literatures are pretty much the only things I've always cared of studying. The high standard well...that's relative. I might even get the highest grade, but believe me the standard of a University degree in Italy is possibly the lowest in Europe, at least when languages are concerned. I have, well technically will have, a University first-level degree in "Foreign Languages and Literatures", English and Russian plus French as a 3rd language...However, my skills in any other language are nowhere close as my skills in English...

Well the news for today in "Koa's quest for a poatgraduate" is that I wrote to the University of Bath, which had a course that seemed just perfect for me (see link in other post), but for which I am not eligible cos I'm not a native English.... And the quest will continue....

[kaka]

Thanks, Koa. You may wish to console yourself with the fact that Bath is one of the most expensive places in Britain ... Please also bear in mind that you need to decide whether you are looking for a course in literary translation or a more general course, which would include things like legal and technical translating. (The latter may be more boring but that's probably where the market is stronger).

For a general postgraduate course in translation see what the University of Surrey (in Guildford) and the University of Kent at Canterbury have to offer. For literary translation, try the University of East Anglia (Norwich), which is one of the few to offer an MA specifically in literay translation.

In all cases ask about the cost of living. Guildford is about 25 miles from Central London and not cheap, Canterbury is just under 60 miles from London and Norwich about 115 miles. None of these places is particularly far from London. Even Norwich is under two hours by train ...

I don't have up-to-date information on the Surrey or Kent courses, but you should be able to get information from a websearch. In any case, this gives you something concrete to work on.

[Koa]

Thanks a lot Kaka (are you named after a football player?:confused:), I had not explored those Universities sites yet, as I'm searching places I've heard about before first ;)
I had no clue about Bath being an expensive place :eek: I was actually thinking it would be quite safe on that side, not being London or too close to it... Anyway, anywhere in the UK the cost of living is much higher than here, I will try and get a job once I'm there to help my savings...

The point is also that I'm not too sure of what I want... I know that doing translation I'd better specialise, however I was considering doing something like Slavic Studies, making sure that the course offers some translation and skills that I can use concretely (as far as I've seen, some courses seem as vague as what I've done so far, while other seem to concentrate more on useful stuff), but sometimes I wonder if I should go to International Relations instead...

I wonder if I'll ever get to a choice and a consequent decision... oh well, at least I'm trying.
I just havent searched much these past days cos I've been busy and I'm graduating tomorrow :eek2: After that I'll be back at spending hours checking Universities sites...

[kaka]

Yes, Bath is notoriously expensive and rather 'classy' too ...

As for the Slavic Languages, I think you need to ask yourself about the level of demand for translation from them. (It's generally standard practice to translate from the foreign language into one native language or occasionally one's second language). It might be worth talking to a professional translator or, if possible, to a number of them to get some 'feel' for what the work is really like.

[Koa]

As for the Slavic Languages, I think you need to ask yourself about the level of demand for translation from them.


There's more and more economic and cultural contact with Russia & East Europe. And that would be more 'specialised' than being a translator with English, French, or Spanish or German. I don't think I want to be a translator to/from English only, there are too many of those, a less common language would have less competition for work (and tends to pay more...)

[Koa]

Hey I hope someone has another piece of advice for me...

Would it be useful to go myself to the UK soon and have a look and ask questions at Unis myself? I need an excuse to runaway for a bit again, and this seems like a good one... a tour of Unis. Do they have like offices where you can ask? Are they helpful? I fear too much the possibility of a blind choice (again)... :(

And I'm starting to be paranoid about not being good enough, like unless I take a course for non-natives, my English wouldnt be good enough especially since I want to do stuff like translation...:eek:

[Nightshade]

Hey I hope someone has another piece of advice for me...

Would it be useful to go myself to the UK soon and have a look and ask questions at Unis myself? I need an excuse to runaway for a bit again, and this seems like a good one... a tour of Unis. Do they have like offices where you can ask? Are they helpful? I fear too much the possibility of a blind choice (again)... :(

And I'm starting to be paranoid about not being good enough, like unless I take a course for non-natives, my English wouldnt be good enough especially since I want to do stuff like translation...:eek:
yes they have "open days" actually the open day time of year is starting in january but you can also visit anyold time.:nod:

[Koa]

Great...cos I think I've missed most open days though the place I seem more interested in has one on 1st February which is perfect as it gives me plenty of time to organise a trip and to try and use the beloved Ryanair at its best...

So I'd try to have a look at other places as well, if they let me in LOL ;)

Thanks as usual for the help Nighty, you're my member of the year all the way...:)

[Nightshade]

What a pity Im not goping to be here when you come :( Oh well life !

[Koa]

Ryanair at its very best is tempting me a lot...I might book and hope it's ok... It makes me feel like I'm doing anything to avoid doing something serious and procrastinating decision...though well, that's what I'm doing...
See, if it wasn't for the sense of guilt about travelling (and enjoying) too much, I would have booked already...Though I know I will anyway...I just wish I was more impulsive... Carpe diem...

babbling babbling babbling