Margarita Pashkina, Master student of Department of Heat and Mass Exchange Processes and Installations, Institute of Power Engineering Efficiency Problems, won a grant of "Global Education" scholarship program and was admitted to Sheffield University in England.
Margarita has already spoken about her experience of admission to the University abroad. This time it is her impression of her study at Sheffield University.
The expectations perfectly matched the reality, and the reality perfectly realized the expectations. I supposed that it was hard to study in England. It really was.
The difference in education is vast. What are our studies in Russia? We are given equations, examples, calculations. In England, it is totally different. There are no abstract condition problems like evaluation of the thermal process installation that is set nowhere. No, the examples are of real companies and real problems that need to be solved. The problems are complex, never narrow. To solve them you need to think and to reason. This is the main difference in education between Russia and England – you should practice "critical thinking" skill to develop it. Another difference is in evaluating knowledge of a student. In Russia, it is essential to give the right answer. In England, you need to give a proof. To have an answer is much less important than to have analytic skills and endeavor thinking.
You have to be prepared to a tenacious study process. That’s it. Before England, I used to think that it is hard to study at MPEI. In England, students spend all their time in the library. Everyone goes to library to study, unlike in Russia, where it is alright to study at the dormitories. During a session, it is unreal to find a place in the library, only if you come early in the morning.
It was tough to study, no time to spare for yourself. No cribs, many checkers at the examinations, students sitting apart. When I told my friends that in Russia there are cribs at the exam, they were surprised.
Despite the hard work, at Sheffield the student life is in blossom: there are many hobby groups, sports, clay modelling, dancing, drawing, sightseeing organized by the students’ council. There is room for international communication, in my group, for example, there were students from Mexico and China.
Moneywise living in England is very expensive, but the grant gives you enough means for well-being. The largest expenses are on the accommodation. At Sheffield it costs around 400-500 pounds per month. Secondly, goods are 2-3 times more expensive than In Moscow. In spite of that, in cafes and restaurants the prices are equal with the Russian ones.
If asked would I stay in England to continue, I would say no. The studies are tremendously hard. I prefer Moscow because of the leisure time. In England, you wouldn’t have it. We even have visited London only in Christmas.
But overall, I feel very well about my grant to study in England.
You can familiarize yourself with the terms of participation in the Global Education Program on the program’s official website: educationglobal.ru
Information materials of the Program are posted on the stand of the Department of International Relations - main building of MPEI, the 2nd floor