MSc programmes are highly intensive. Therefore, it’s a good idea to prepare as much as possible before you come.
General advice
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Think about your previous educational experience
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How have you been taught? What has the role of the teacher/student been? How regularly have you contacted the tutor? How much help have they given?
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How have you been assessed?
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What has a good piece of work looked like? Which skills have been valued?
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Familiarise yourself with the assessment and teaching styles you may encounter in the UK.
Prepare for Success has interactive materials that help you think through possible differences in teaching and assessment culture. Find out more:
here
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Consider if there are any skills you could improve. For example,
Discipline-specific advice
As well as reviewing your general skills, it is important to prepare yourself for the specific programme of study.
A few resources with advice specifically for engineers are:
Civil Engineering Writing Project
English for Engineers: Understanding Assessed Tasks
English for Engineers You Tube Channel
Previous students have commented that they wish they had developed their discipline-specific vocabulary before starting their course. Similarly, some lecturers have commented that students need to know the precise meaning of technical words. You can develop your vocabulary by:
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accessing books on reading lists (if available)
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listening to videos or reading articles related to your field and deliberately noting key vocabulary
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trying to predict some of the vocabulary you might need
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thinking about where language may hold back other skills. For example, one lecturer noticed that although his students knew the maths, initially they struggled to understand the terms in English. You can check the English names for mathematical terms:
here