Last week, the largest specialized exhibition in the Baltic States, “Days of International Education 2008”, was held in Tallinn.
Despite the fact that interest in studying at Russian universities has significantly increased, educational institutions in the UK were most widely represented. This is due to the prevalence of the English language, the high quality of British education and a convenient system of student loans.
However, the opportunity to get an education in English was offered at this exhibition not only in the UK, but also, for example, in Switzerland, Greece, Denmark.
As for language training, here, besides England, wide opportunities open up, in particular, in Italy, Spain, and Germany.
Various countries offer many summer camps, both with academic workloads, as well as sports, but in any case with an interesting program.
UCAS for the applicant
Those who want to pursue a career at the international level are aimed at obtaining a Western, mainly British, classical education, noted the organizers of the largest specialized exhibition “Days of International Education 2008” in the Baltic States this week. At the same time, interest in studying at Russian universities has grown markedly.
This year 43 educational institutions took part in the exhibition – this is one and a half times more than a year earlier. Most are from the UK. That’s because 90 percent of those who decide to get a foreign education make a choice in favor of England. Firstly, the organizers of the exhibition believe that English is the most widely spoken language, secondly, the high quality of British education plays a role, and thirdly, a convenient system of study loans.
“For the first time, besides the educational institutions themselves, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, or UCAS, the University and College Admission Service, was presented,” says Evgeny Govor, chairman of the board of the Baltic Council for International Education, who organized the exhibition. – In Britain, it is not customary to apply to universities on their own – for example, directly to the University of Manchester or Oxford. This can be done through UCAS. “
Today it can be done through the website – www.ucas.com, where the future student will find detailed information on the programs of universities and colleges, on the conditions for admission and the selection procedure, as well as fill out an application and follow the process of its processing. By the way, you can apply to 5 universities at once. And it is important not to be late: to the most prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge – until October 15 of the previous year, and the rest – until January 15.
IELTS and 3 thousand pounds
The fact that entering the same British university immediately after our high school does not work, people have already understood. You need to undergo training at A-level – in a private British school or in special courses. But the fact that in order to apply, you need to provide a diploma or IELTS certificate, which is required from any student who is going to study in English, we, as it turns out, do not know. Whereas the TOEFL required for admission to American universities has been heard.
And our guys have not yet fully figured out university ratings. Not everyone understands that choosing from 130 British universities is not worth it to be “modest” – it’s wiser to enter a strong university with a high rating.
“Not everyone knows that studying at any university in the UK costs the same: 3,075 pounds a year,” says Olga Govor, Director of Academic Programs at the Baltic Council for International Education. – And each student has a guaranteed right to receive a study loan before starting studies. An interest-free loan, they return it when they got a job and the salary is at least 15 thousand pounds a year. This went back to the time when the Blair government carried out education reform. And a year at the university began to cost not one, but three thousand pounds. The dissatisfaction of students and their parents has led to the creation of an alternative educational opportunity. ”
And yet today, among those seeking to get a good Western education, there are more and more ambitious young people who want to get a good professional qualification and become one of the top managers of the international level. Including thanks to the diploma of a prestigious university: the University of Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol.
The best of the best
The knowledge of young people from Estonia fully complies with the requirements of classical schools. This is also evidenced by the fact that many schools are represented not just by teachers, but by directors or curriculum managers.
So, Olga Govor tells how just one girl from Estonia was enrolled in Badminton school. In total, there are about four thousand schools in the UK, a thousand of which are recognized as the best. So, the Badminton School takes 9th place in the ranking of the best. Indira Gandhi and writer Iris Murdoch studied at this school for girls. The applicants from the Baltic countries – these were four girls from Latvia and one from Estonia – were invited to meet in September, in February they passed the 7.5-hour test. And just the other day they announced the result – one was enrolled: a Russian girl from Estonia. Here is such a tough selection – and this despite the fact that a year of study with full board costs about 20 thousand pounds.
By the way, some schools offer the best of the best a 100 percent scholarship. So, three years ago, a girl from Latvia who received such a scholarship from Cambridge Tutors College this year already entered the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford University. Thus confirming that the scholarship was awarded fairly.
Swiss quality
But, of course, the exhibition offered the opportunity to get an education in English, not only in the UK. Say, in the training of hotel business and tourism specialists, the Swiss school of hotel and tourism business Alpine Center.
“The school in Athens prepares hotel specialists for the Swiss system, teaching in English,” says Irina Georgieva. – Our university in Switzerland – DCT International Hotel & Business Management School of Lucerne is among the top five. In Greece, graduates receive diplomas of bachelors and masters of the Swiss standard. The cost of training with accommodation and meals is from 10 thousand euros. Such specialties in demand today as a SPA manager, exhibition and event manager, tourism and travel manager are cheaper. In summer, students go to practice, and the building works as a hotel. ”
Or get a higher professional education in Denmark – in the field of construction, architecture, management, design, marketing, hotel business, finance, IT. Free, in English, with the option to continue studying in other European countries.
You can choose from a variety of language training programs. For example, in Italy – www.study-italian.it, for a variety of purposes: from law to cooking courses and wine tasting. Or study German in Germany: www.humboldt-institut.org. Or Spanish in Spain: www.malacainstituto.com.
For summer
Is it worth it or not to think about education abroad, it might be nice to “rehearse” during the summer holidays. Indeed, in the summer there are many camps with an interesting program. It can be just conversation camps, it can be sports, or it can be with academic load. If you choose a conversation camp, then two weeks with a flight and full board will cost from 1400 euros. If with a sports bias or with an additional course of academic training – about 750 pounds per week: with five meals a day, excursions and flight. It remains to determine how much to go.
“Based on practice, I can say that it is optimal for three weeks,” says Eugene Govor. – Especially when it comes to a small child. He finds himself in a new country, and during the first few days passes adaptation – he passes tests, gets used to new conditions, meets new people. The second week he likes everything, only the thought that on Sunday you need to leave … “
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