The United Kingdom is a very interesting place to live and study. I’ve compiled a list of some of the more interesting facts about the UK you may not already know. While none of these will overly affect your studies, they do show the interesting flavor of British culture that you will grow to love while studying in the UK!
 

1. The word “pub” is short for “public house,” and the tradition has only officially been around since the 19th century. However, places selling beer have been around for much longer, and the “oldest pub in Britain” is a hotly contested title. One of Britain’s oldest pubs, with the papers to prove it, is Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham, which was serving ale to departing crusaders in the 12th century. The Royalist Hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire claims to have been selling beer since around A.D. 947, while another pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St. Albans in Hertfordshire, claims to date back to the 8th century, although 13th seems more likely.
 

2. At the end of the 19th century, an eager hill walker named Sir Hugh Munro published a list of 545 Scottish mountains measuring over 3,000 feet (914 m) high. New surveys have revised this to 283. Today, any Scottish mountain over the magical 3,000-ft mark is called a “Munro,” and many hill walkers now set themselves the target of “bagging,” or summiting all 283

3. The Scottish national animal is the Unicorn. Why a creature that doesn’t even exist? The unicorn was chosen because it was seen as a proud and haughty beast which would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. Two unicorns supported the royal arms of the King of Scots, and since the 1707 union of England and Scotland, the royal arms of the United Kingdom have been supported by a unicorn along with an English lion.
 

4. There are a number of traditional British foods with very odd and unappetizing names. For example, ‘toad in the hole’ looks and tastes much better than it sounds. It is simply sausages in Yorkshire pudding, named so because apparently (to some) it looks like toads popping up from a hole. You can also eat ‘spotted dick’ in England, and snigger while doing so. This is a dried fruit and suet pudding popularly served with custard in Britain. The word ‘dick’ doesn’t mean what you think it means; it’s likely just a corruption of the word ‘dough’. ‘Cullen skink’ is nothing odder than a thick haddock, onion and potato soup originally from the Scottish town of Cullen, and ‘Welsh Rabbit’ or ‘Rarebit’ is nothing but melted cheese on toast – the original name is really a silly and patronizing dig at the Welsh.
 

5. Cheese Rolling is one of the oldest customs to have survived in Great Britain. It's been going on for hundreds of years and some say it has roots in pre-Roman times. Every year, a 7 lbs. round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled from the top of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England, with competitors racing downhill after it. The first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. Roller beware: participants often end up full of scrapes and bruises, and occasionally even broken bones!
 

I hope these interesting facts about the UK have given you a taste for how very unique and delightful British culture is. Studying and living in the UK is quite an adventure, and you’ll find that you’re constantly learning new things about your adoptive country, and hopefully you fall in love with it as much as I have!

You can find out more about studying in the UK by contacting one of our Advisors.

Studying in the UK is very different from studying in Canada. It takes some adjusting, but you can definitely get used to the different class schedules, fashion, and layout in no time! The following is based on my experience as a Canadian Masters student who did her entire undergrad in Canada, so it may not be universally true. Read on for the difference’s I’ve spotted!

First of all, before we get into the actual educational experience, I have to say: the fashion over here is different. In Canada, it isn’t out of the ordinary to see students show up to class in sweatpants or pyjamas, but that is not the case in the UK. Everyone looks their best. There are always girls in my class wearing dress or skirts, and at the very least, everyone is in jeans. It’s still casual, but not to the level of casual students take it to in Canada. I think if I actually showed up to class in sweatpants here, people would be concerned for my health. I guess what I’m saying is: be prepared to put in a bit more effort into your look that was expected in Canada.

Next, the class hours. In Canadian universities, classes can start as early as 8am and go until 10pm. That is not the case in the UK. At least at my school, they have a strict 9-6 rule, and all classes are scheduled within that time frame. No more super late or super early classes, yay! This was definitely an unexpected bonus when I moved to the UK.

Also, schedules. In Canada, university students build their own schedules based on the classes they want to take. At my school in the UK, at least for the Masters programs, you have a dictated schedule of classes you have to take, and you maybe get to choose one elective from a provided list, depending on your program. It was nice not to have to plan out my classes, but I kind of miss the freedom it brought. I know that my undergraduate degree had an unusual amount of freedom for choosing courses (I only had 1 required class, and then I got to pick the rest from different categories. As long as the category requirements were filled, I could graduate), but it is something that I miss while studying in the UK.

As well, my course has a scheduled lunch break, which is so nice. Every day we have at least an hour for lunch, which means I don’t have to schedule it in myself! Also, they plan times for clubs and activities. At my school in Canada, clubs and practices took place either before or after class hours, meaning that they were either before 8am or after 10pm. Those hours were not conducive for getting a full nights’ sleep. Here, Wednesday afternoons (again, at my school) are set aside for activities like that to take place, and no classes are scheduled for Wednesday afternoons! It’s a nice midweek break.

I’m not sure if it is just my program, or my UK university, but the school is slightly less organized than Canadian schools. You have to do a lot of organizational work yourself, and really keep on top of your deadlines and assignments, because new things seem to spring up often. As well,  I’ve had to do a lot of assignments that weren’t marked, and participation grades are not a thing here, in my experience. I really miss those 10% attendance marks, I’m not going to lie.

If you’re a person that loves school spirit and sporting events, the UK may disappoint you. Homecoming, school wide St. Paddy’s celebrations, and school spirit events are not really a thing here, but that doesn’t mean that students don’t have school spirit; they just show it in a different way. You may not be attending tailgate parties for Homecoming football games, but you can still get involved and go to the pub on weekends. It’s much more toned down, but people still love their universities here.

The last difference between studying in the UK vs. studying in Canada is how easy it is to make friends. You have almost, if not all, of your classes with the same people, so it’s really easy to get to know people and make friends. In my first year of university, I was in so many different classes with so many different people, that it was more difficult to get to know people. Here, you get to know almost everyone in your cohort pretty quickly, at least at the Masters level! It’s really nice.

I hope this blog could help you see the difference in studying in the UK vs. Canada, and help you decide to study here! Though it is different from my experience at a Canadian university, I love it here, and wouldn’t change the experience for anything (except maybe participation marks!).

Law is one of Across the Pond’s most popular subjects for Canadian students. Have you thought about studying Law in the UK but you don’t know if it’s a good option? Here are some of the top reasons why you should consider studying Law in the UK:
 

Shorter Degrees

The qualifying law degree in the UK is referred to as an LLB, which is equivalent to an LLB or JD degree in Canada. The program normally takes 3 years to complete with 2 years of compulsory modules and 1 year of electives. However, many universities offer a 2 year LLB program for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree; this program includes all compulsory modules but no electives. This means, if you already have an undergraduate degree you could have your law degree in as little as two years!
 

More Options

Since the UK is home to many more universities than Canada, there are a wider range of options to choose from. You can study in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Since we work with a wide range of universities, the entry requirements vary. Generally speaking, they are much for less competitive than they are in Canada.
 

Simple Application Process

Applying to UK universities is fairly straightforward and much more inexpensive than applying in Canada. Applications for law schools in the UK are on one centralized application called UCAS - meaning you only need to submit one application! You can apply to a maximum of 5UK universities for  which is approximately $50. In Canada, you are looking at way more in application fees! Also, don’t like exams? UK universities don’t require the LSAT!
 

International Experience:

Employers tend to look quite favourably upon an international education. Indeed, a job applicant with an international degree is able to show that they have international experience, which is highly valuable in our more globalized society. In addition, it proves they are adaptable, open-minded, independent, and self-sufficient.
 

Opportunities for Extra Activities

Most of Across the Pond’s partner universities offer extra activities that will make your experience even better, such as:

• On-Campus Law Clinic
• Mooting Opportunities
• Courtroom Facilities
• Professional Training Placements
• Relationships with local legal practitioners
   

Pursue an LLM to specialize

An LLM is a one year master’s of law and is equivalent to an LLM in Canada. We recommend considering pursuing an LLM after completing an LLB in order to specialize in a particular area of law while earning a post-graduate level qualification. Popular LLMs include:

• Criminal law
• Human Rights law
• Commercial Law
• Environmental Law
• Maritime Law
• International Law
• Family Law
• And more!

The best part is - applications for international students (with some exceptions) are open until June 30^th each year! Think studying in the UK is right for you? Please contact one of our Advisors.