How To Be Successful in Your Pre-Sessional Course

Elly, Majed, Csili, Anna Rita.                             Kosar and Antonio

Here at LSI Portsmouth, one of the most intensive courses we run is our Pre-sessional courses, which prepare students for their university courses.  It is not for the faint hearted, it takes dedication, perseverance and a lot of work.  The students AND the teachers work incredibly hard, putting in so very many hours of preparation, study and course work. 

Last week was Graduation week at the University of Portsmouth and we were so proud to welcome back two very special students who had attended their graduation just around the corner at the university.  We thought it would be nice to interview them, so the lovely girls in reception, who get to know all the students spoke to them and got some fantastic pictures. They both gave some really good advice for prospective university students.

Regular readers of our blog will remember Majed, who did a rooftop interview video for us.

So, this is his second interview, and we couldn’t be more proud to speak to him today.

What is your name?

Majed Alshehri

Where are you from?

Saudi

When were you with us Majed?

September 2014 – July 2015

What courses did you do?

A bit of everything!  GE, IELTS, Cambridge and PSE

What did you go on to do at the university?

Advanced Manufacturing Technology MSc at UoP (And he got a Distinction!!!)

Majed, why did you choose to come to the UK to study?

I was able to go anywhere, but I decided either the UK or the US. In the end, I felt I would have better academic opportunities if I came to the UK

Ok, Majed, what made you choose LSI Portsmouth?

Because LSI is the best!

;-) Thank you very much. So now, Majed what does the future hold for you?

I’m going back to work, I was just promoted because I now have this Masters. (Congratulations Majed)  Later on, I think I may do a PhD, and if so, I would really like to do it at the University of Portsmouth.

If you had one bit of advice you could give anyone who was coming to study English in the UK, what would it be?

It’s really important that you focus on your studies.  It’s only a couple of years and then you can do what you want.  I have seen quite a few people who have wasted their time, not doing the work, maybe because they weren’t paying for themselves, it’s a real shame and such a wasted opportunity.

Majed visited one of our current Pre-sessional classes while he was here, to share his experience and to give the students some encouragement.  To see how much they appreciated it, have a look at their faces!

What is your name?

Kosar Akram

Where are you from?

Iraq

When were you at LSI Portsmouth?

2012

What course did you do?

The Pre-sessional course.

What did you go on to do?

Civil Engineering BEng Hons – (and she got a First!)

Congratulations Kosar. So tell us why did you choose to come to the UK?

Because of the culture.  I love the accent!  I felt that there were a lot of opportunities here.  It is also close to a lot of other places, which gave even more opportunities.

What made you choose to come to LSI Portsmouth?

I did a lot of research before coming here.  I saw really positive reviews from other students. From the photos I saw it looked like a very multicultural place, and I could imagine myself in one of those photos. Before I came I had a lot of contact with the school, through emails and phone calls and I was very impressed with how helpful and friendly everyone was.

So, Kosar, what does the future hold for you now?

Ah so much; My first aim was to get a graduate job, and I did it, I got a job with the UK’s largest construction company! (Congratulations again). I also want to work in women’s rights.  I would love to become one of the inspiring personalities in the world and encourage women to follow their dreams.

I would really like to write a book about my life and experiences and of living through two wars. I would like to work with Kurdish people in the UK, we have a lot of challenges.

If there was one bit of advice you would give anyone coming to study English in the UK?

The absolute most important thing is to INTEGRATE!  You MUST make friends with everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from.  It’s not just about going to classes.  I believe it is honestly one of the best things I have done since I have been here.

  

(The lady who interviewed Kosar said the following: “I cried multiple times while talking to her – thank god it wasn’t on film.  I am so incredibly proud of her.  When you think about everything that she has overcome and how hard she has worked to get to where she is, it really makes you feel like you need a kick up the backside and get out and do something with your life.  Truly inspiring.)

Kosar gave the speech at her graduation ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSOixGgmNN4 watch from around 1:11:00.

Majed and Kosar, thank you so much for coming back to see us and for talking to us today. We are so grateful and so happy that you got what you deserved, you both worked so hard, and showed what can be achieved when you really want something.  Please keep in touch

Thank you Elly and Csili for doing the interviews and photos.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

For anyone thinking of following a Pre-sessional course - here is a brief list of what they study:

• The language and study skills that are needed for a BA/BSc, MA/MSc or PhD taught in English

• The expectations and culture of British universities

• How to become a successful independent learner

• How to adapt to living and studying in the UK Course Content:

• Research skills

• Academic writing including grammar, vocabulary, referencing and avoiding plagiarism

• Academic reading

• Listening and note-taking

• Speaking, for example in seminars and tutorials

• Presentations

• Critical thinking

• Time management

• Independent study skills

• Basic IT

For more information about the courses have a look at this link: http://www.lsi-portsmouth.co.uk/images/PSE_Brochure_High_Res.pdf

10 Tips to choose your Pre-sessional course

It is not easy knowing how to choose the right course to help you gain entry into the university of your choice.  Below, our Pre-sessional Director of Studies Robyn gives you 10 of the most important points to think about when choosing your course.

 1- Experience: Look for how long the institute has been running their course.

2 - Location: Is it in the same city as the University you want to go to? For example if you want to go to the University of Manchester, look for a course in Manchester.  This will save you money because you won’t need to move again, and you will be familiar with the city.

3 - Cost: How much does the course cost? What is included in the cost? How big will the classes be? Are your books included? How many hours per week will you study?

4 - Opportunities:  How many opportunities will you have to practice? How many essays will you write and get feedback on? Will you do presentations? Will you have lectures?

5 - Direct Entry: Will you get direct entry to the university or will you have to take another IELTS exam?

6 - Pass Rate: How many students pass the course every year, and if students fail what are the reasons they fail?

7 - Relationship with the University: Does the Pre-sessional course provider understand exactly what is needed by the university?

8 - Accreditation: Does the course provider have inspections that check the quality of the courses they provide? For example British Council or BALEAP accreditation schemes.

9 - Staff Qualifications: Do the teachers have for example an M.A. in Applied Linguistics or a Teaching Diploma (i.e. DELTA).

10 - Student Feedback: What do past students think about the course, is it good? What do other people say?

We hope this helps you with the very difficult decision.  If you need any more help, then do get in touch with us.  If you would prefer to watch Robyn explain the points, watch her here explaining in a video.

If you would like to read this in another language please click below:

In Arabic
Chinese - (China / Singapore / Malaysia)
Chinese -  (Hong Kong / Taiwan / Macau)
English
Thai               
Vietnamese

Pre-sessional Leaving Ceremony Last day of term 2014

We were very proud of our latest group of Pre-sessional students, seen here at their leaving ceremony on the last day of term in December.  They all worked so hard and now they have had a break will be going on to continue their studies in their chosen fields.  We would like to wish them all the very best for their futures.

Congratulations to all our Pre-sessional leavers !!!!

On the 5th September 199 students from 17 classes who had been studying on our
Pre-sessional courses finally came to the end of their course.  We took a little video of them and it is quite clear the relief they had at finally finishing.  You may also see the relief on the teachers faces, as they had also worked so hard to help all the students.  Course manager Robyn and Logistics co -ordinator Ed also did a fantastic job of organising everything.
We would like to wish all the students all the very very best in whatever they do, and thank all the teachers for their amazing work.

Our Pre-sessional leavers ceremony June 2014

60 very hard working students received their certificates on Friday at their leaving ceremony.  They have all worked so hard, they really deserve to do well in their chosen futures.  Their teachers must be some of the hardest working teachers ever seen -  dedicated, passionate and all of them caring so much about their students, everyone, students and teachers deserve a huge pat on the back and big congratulations!