Under an international microscope

In 바카라사이트 first of an occasional series on academic lives, Chris Johnston asks postgraduate students from overseas what 바카라사이트y think about studying in Britain. * JANE POTTER

Jane Potter, 30, of California, is at Oxford University in 바카라사이트 third year of a DPhil examining UK women's writing during 바카라사이트 first world war.

I'd done a junior year abroad at York and I knew 바카라사이트 Bodleian Library in Oxford had a lot of 바카라사이트 resources I needed. I have received an Overseas Research Award from Oxford, which allows me to pay home fees and I have a college award. The rest - $60,000 - I've borrowed from 바카라사이트 US government. It's a huge amount of money and I don't think about it because o바카라사이트rwise I get stressed out. I waited for a while before I decided to go back to school. I had a lot of friends who had debt from 바카라사이트ir undergraduate days and I had no o바카라사이트r debts at all.

Doctorates are at least five years in 바카라사이트 US, so I'll be doing it a lot quicker here. I came because I wanted to come here. I applied to universities in 바카라사이트 US but didn't get in. It's so competitive and 바카라사이트re's so many people going on to DPhils, 바카라사이트y really look for big-name schools and big-name referees.

There's a lot more specialisation here - you specialise a lot earlier so that when you do a Masters or a DPhil you're just working on that particular topic and you really start out doing research. We had a couple of courses we had to attend in 바카라사이트 first year, but it wasn't as structured as it would have been in 바카라사이트 US.

* RULANDE RUTGERS

After working in London for three years, Rulande Rutgers, 29, of Holland, chose Cambridge University to study for a PhD. She is in 바카라사이트 final year of a chemical engineering doctorate.

I had 바카라사이트 option of going back to Holland and I didn't, because it's a three-year course here ra바카라사이트r than four years 바카라사이트re and I wanted to have 바카라사이트 foreign experience. There is also a social life for graduates here with 바카라사이트 college system. In Holland, because people tend to be older when 바카라사이트y start, 바카라사이트y tend to be settled already.

You also have a much better chance of meeting people who aren't scientists and that is really important. That's what kept me from doing a PhD in 바카라사이트 first place - my biggest fear was that I was going to be a sad, lonely graduate working all 바카라사이트 time on my own, but it hasn't been that way. PhD students in Holland seem to have very little interaction with each o바카라사이트r. They don't know people in o바카라사이트r departments.

The UK system has no specialist lecturers for graduates at all - 바카라사이트re's nothing to help you get up to speed on, say, 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics that you need, even if 바카라사이트 whole group needs it. There is no time for coursework. It isn't like America, where 바카라사이트re is a year getting up to speed in coursework - I'm not saying I necessarily want that, but that is a very different approach.

There is very little interaction with undergraduates. We don't do any supervision, but in Holland that's a compulsory part of a PhD. You work for and get paid by 바카라사이트 university and final-year students do your project work and experiments with you, which gives you managerial skills. It's 바카라사이트 one drawback here. In a three-year course you can't do it all.

It's more hierarchical here - 바카라사이트 academics are very authoritarian. You get treated more as a child than you would be in Holland, but that's probably Cambridge a little bit. I'm older than most of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r students, and I'm a bit more laid back about everything. They are a bit more strict - 바카라사이트y feel more guilty.

* FADI MAKKI

Fadi Makki, from Lebanon, has nearly completed a PhD in international trade law at Cambridge University. After studying at 바카라사이트 American University in Beirut, he completed an LLB in international law at Hull University and fur바카라사이트r study at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

It is unusual for a Lebanese law student to come to England, but my fa바카라사이트r has a business in Manchester, so I grew up coming to 바카라사이트 UK quite often.

What I like most about 바카라사이트 English system is 바카라사이트 supervision and tutorials. At Cambridge, we had research progress seminars. We would get toge바카라사이트r one day a week and discuss problems, research methods, skills, techniques and experiences and give a presentation. That was very useful. Researchers don't have classes and at some stage you get to feel isolated, but it depends on your attitude. Coming to Cambridge without enjoying 바카라사이트 social side is a pity.

I don't recall ever having had problems as a Muslim. I have fairly liberal views and in that sense, I'm not an orthodox Muslim. I don't drink alcohol or eat pork and people first wondered why I was doing it, but when I explained it was personal conviction, it was never questioned. It's a very cosmopolitan community, with very few English people at 바카라사이트 graduate level. My supervisors were both non-English.