Academic guidance
The Visiting Student Office produces an Academic Induction Guide to help visiting students adjust to the academic culture here in Edinburgh.
Studying abroad can be a daunting experience, as you adjust to living in a new country and city and make new friends. It can also be challenging to adjust to an academic culture different to what you are used to at home. The smallest variation in style or procedure can sometimes seem like an overwhelming challenge.
After several years of advising visiting students about academic norms at Edinburgh, and how they can differ from what you are used to, the Visiting Student Office has developed an Academic Induction Guide to help you navigate your first few weeks of teaching in the College of Humanities and Social Science.
The guide was written by the Visiting Student Section, some of whom are University of Edinburgh alumni themselves, and is specifically aimed at visiting students. We would particularly like to draw your attention to sections of the guide which from experience are essential reading:
- Style of teaching
- Exams and assessments
- Reading material
- Essay writing
- Study support
Although we don’t expect you to read it from cover to cover, we highly recommend that you familiarise yourself with the guide as we hope it will prove useful in the coming months. We are always striving to improve the information we provide for visiting students, so would be keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for future editions - both positive and negative.
The Academic Induction Guide will be distributed during Visiting Student Welcome Meetings in Freshers’ Week (please see the Letter of Acceptance in your Joining Pack for details of when this takes place). It is essential that you attend the Welcome Meeting, which includes a section on Academic Induction, as well as a general welcome to Edinburgh and to the College of Humanities and Social Science.
If for any reason you cannot attend this meeting, please contact us to arrange to pick up your copy from our office.
If study abroad advisors would like a copy of the guide, then please also contact the Visiting Student Office to arrange delivery.
- Visiting Student Office
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- University of Edinburgh
- Third Floor
- David Hume Tower
- George Square
- EH8 9JX
- Work: +44 (0)131 650 3572 / 4094 / 8268
This article was published on Mar 2, 2011