By Felix Rante

一旦你从大学毕业并找到一份全职工作，你可能看起来不太可能再回到高等教育中去，但不要轻易地把它取消。有许多人，包括我自己，决定在从事全职工作的同时攻读硕士学位。

如果你也在考虑这样做，值得一提的是，拥有硕士学位有巨大的好处。它可以增加你获得重要晋升的机会，使你的工资翻倍，或者让你在你的领域内寻找更专业的工作。然而，除了这些好处外，它也将是智力上的挑战，而且与你的全职工作打交道也是一种痛苦。这里有一些提示，可以使平衡行为变得更容易。

让你的经理满意

把全职工作和硕士学位结合起来，在积极促进持续学习的工作场所总是比较容易，但是，即使是这样，你也需要确保你的经理同意这个想法。如果你被认为是积极的，并表现出强烈的职业道德，你就更有可能让你的弹性工作时间或学习时间的请求得到批准。试着想一想，你可以实施哪些程序或系统，使你在学习期间的工作量更轻松。

更有效地工作

帕累托原则，也被称为80/20法则，说的是在许多情况下，大约80%的效果来自20%的原因。因此，如果你想保持你的学习和工作，重要的是，你要停止做那些对你的产出没有重大影响的事情。通过利用你的资源和更好地管理你的时间来提高你的生产力，忽略那些只会耗费时间的非必要任务。

把它记下来，然后把它弄好

全职工作意味着你不会有所有的时间花在大学作业上，所以你需要利用一切可能的机会。不要试图推迟开始你的大学作业，直到你有了"正确的心态"或有一整个下午的时间可以用来做作业。如果你这样做，你可能永远不会开始，你最终会提交一份平庸的工作或耗尽时间。

一旦你完成了一项工作，不要等待开始下一项工作。通过立即开始，更容易从你离开的地方接续下去。即使你只记下一些粗略的笔记，它也会使你下次工作时更容易，并确保你按时和高质量地完成所有作业。

创建你自己的学习中心

在家学习对很多人来说都很好，但如果你有其他地方可以学习，你可能会觉得更有成效。当地的图书馆或咖啡馆是学习的好地方，没有家庭的干扰，但如果你想要一个真正属于自己的基地，你可以考虑在某个地方租一个办公场所。这可能会很贵，但它可以让你有一个基地，你可以把你所有的学习书籍和笔记放在那里，这样你就不必随身携带东西了。缺乏干扰也应该帮助你避免拖延，而你总是可以在你最需要的时候走出去，到附近的咖啡馆喝一杯。

告别你的一些恶习

虽然你可以偶尔在周末开派对和喝酒，但如果你打算边工作边学习，你就必须换掉一些休闲时间。这也适用于其他定期的承诺，无论是你通常每周参加的运动还是在当地慈善机构的志愿者轮班。准备好利用周末时间做作业和准备考试。

菲利克斯-兰特是一名首席Java软件工程师，也是牛津大学的兼职专业硕士生。他喜欢旅行，喜欢拍很棒的照片，喜欢喝杯好喝的特色咖啡

(Lead image: Gabriel Rojas Hruska (Flickr))

By Josephine West

Fewer EU students will apply to UK universities as a result of Brexit, according to a new report into the effects of the EU referendum.

Many students surveyed across Europe for the report, published by the QS Intelligence Unit, said they felt Brexit showed immigrants are no longer welcome in the UK. This was particularly true among students in Spain and Italy, with many telling interviewers they felt personally insulted by the EU referendum result. They were also scathingly critical of the lack of certainty surrounding Brexit, attributing blame to the UK government’s lack of transparency and communication on the matter.

Over 1,000 students were asked for their opinions on Brexit in the report, with interviews carried out in 11 cities across Europe. Responses were overwhelmingly concerned or pessimistic, with only 12% of students in France, 10% of students in Germany, 7% of students in Italy, and 6% of students in Spain saying they believe Brexit will have a positive impact on their career. Interestingly, many of the more positive responses may have been motivated by a sense of opportunity. For example, some students, particularly in Frankfurt, felt that London’s financial district was set to relocate in their favour and championed the economic benefit to their own countries.

Although wider perceptions about the UK had not completely changed, a common point of discussion was that universities outside the elite Russell Group could suffer more from leaving the EU. According to students, middle tier universities such as Lancaster or Reading University would struggle to attract international students in the face of rising fees, visa restrictions, and funding reductions.

What should universities do now?

The report, titled The Effects of the EU Referendum on the UK’s International Student Market, recommends several ways British institutions can target students from the EU and keep their international student figures high. Reassuring students and setting out some key communication strategies is crucial to calming fears. Fees also need to be addressed, with proposals for financial aid and scholarships clearly set out. Transparency will go a long way to rebuilding relationships, and universities that adopt a personal touch for different countries at university fairs and grad school events may see good results.

If UK universities can counteract negative perceptions about the UK being unwelcome to immigrants, and make clear the British HE system’s door is wide open, a significant drop in EU applicants could yet be prevented.

Every summer, the world’s best universities clamber up the QS World University Rankings® 2018. From employer reputation to faculty student ratio, we factor in a good mix of different indicators to give you a clear picture of how the world’s best universities compare, but sometimes a picture can tell you more than any ranking ever could. Take a look at the best universities in the world this year.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Next to the lovely hot pink hydrangea is Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Killian Court, a marble-clad building erected in 1916 with beautiful friezes carved in large Roman letters overlooking the Boston river and skyline. These days, it’s mostly used to host ceremonies.

2. Stanford University

Pictured here is Stanford University’s student observatory, situated in the green, rolling hills west of Stanford’s main campus. It features several telescopes and is largely used to teach astrophysics. It’s also a great spot to take lovely scenic shots of the Californian countryside.

3. Harvard University

Harvard University’s football stadium is U-shaped and has a capacity of 30,323 seats. Since its construction in 1903, it’s hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, as well as 660 football and lacrosse competitions, various political rallies and live music gigs.

4. California Institute of Technology

The Pasadena-based California Institute of Technology has a beautiful sunny campus situated approximately 11 miles from Downtown Los Angeles. It’s got lovely arched corridors, reddish brown tiles, domes and bell towers, and Spanish influences here and there. Pictured here is California Institute of Technology’s Los Angeles-era 70-seat Beckman Auditorium, where performing arts, screenings, and lectures often take place.

5. University of Cambridge

This photo of the May Ball, a black tie Cambridge-wide tradition celebrating the end of the academic year, was taken at St John’s College, a college of the university known for its famous alumni, including the Romantic poet William Wordsworth and the slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce.

6. The University of Oxford

Pictured here is the view from Oxford University’s stunning Bodleian, one of the oldest libraries in Europe. A beautiful dome of meandering mahogany staircases, it’s home to 330 oil paintings and inlaid wooden ceilings as well as over 12 million books and other items.

7. University College London  

University College London’s quad (short for quadrangle) pictured here faces the UK capital’s Gower Street. It’s a short walk from Soho, King’s Cross, the British Museum, and the Senate House Library, a Brutalist tower built in 1937 that inspired the fictional Ministry of Truth described in George Orwell’s acclaimed novel 1984.

 8. Imperial College London

Pictured here is Imperial’s South Kensington campus, a beautiful medley of architectural styles ranging from the Edwardian to the ultra-modern.

9. University of Chicago

The University of Chicago’s main campus based in downtown Chicago has a very collegiate Gothic architectural style modelled after the UK-based University of Oxford. With ivy creeping up its limestone facades, lovely traceried windows and spires, the resemblance is uncanny.

10. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

The main building of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich was built in 1864 and inspired by neoclassical architecture.

仿佛已经有足够多的大学排名了，英国政府又引入了另一个排名，一些英国顶尖大学表现不佳。

LSE、南安普顿大学和利物浦大学，尽管都是精英Russell Group大学的成员，都被授予了教学卓越框架（TEF）的最低等级，即铜牌。相比之下，许多很少在排名榜首附近的大学被授予金牌，包括邦戈尔、巴克金汉、考文垂和朴茨茅斯等。

保守党政府引入了TEF，旨在评估不同大学的教学质量。未来，计划是大学的TEF评级将决定他们可以向学生收取多少学费。只有获得金牌和银牌评级的大学才能按通货膨胀调整学费。

那么，TEF是如何计算的呢？

纳入教学卓越框架的大学由独立的学者、学生和雇主组成的独立小组进行评估。主要的评估基于以下数据：

• 来自全国学生调查的有关“我的课程教学”，“评估和反馈”以及“学术支持”的回应
• 来自高等教育统计局的学生保留率数据
• 前学生就业和深造比例

大学还需要提交一份书面报告，说明他们如何满足各种标准。这可以用来突出显示未被上述收集的数据捕捉到的缓解因素或其他信息。

哪些大学表现不错？

如上所述，一些令人惊讶的大学获得了金牌，与牛津和剑桥等知名大学并列。以下是今年教学卓越框架中获得金牌评级的大学的完整统计数据，以及用于比较的2018 QS世界大学排名，以及选择的银牌和铜牌大学。

N/A 表示该大学未被列入 QS 排名。

银牌：被评为银牌的大学包括伦敦国王学院、布里斯托大学、约克大学、曼彻斯特大学和华威大学。

铜牌：被评为铜牌的大学包括伦敦政治经济学院、南安普顿大学、利物浦大学和戈德史密斯学院。

哇，那份金牌大学名单和 QS 排名真的很不一样！

在教育卓越框架下被评为金牌的 46 所大学中，有 21 所根本没有出现在 QS 大学排名中。那么，您应该相信谁呢？这种巨大的差异主要是由于评估大学所使用的不同标准。虽然教育卓越框架对大学的研究影响不太感兴趣，但 QS 使用的六项标准之一是每所大学每名教职员工产生的研究引用次数。QS 还更加强调大学在学术界和雇主中的声誉，而教育卓越框架更关心学生的反馈意见。 点击此处了解更多有关 QS 排名方法的信息。

当然，以当前学生对教学的看法来评估大学是件好事，对吗？

嗯，这就是教育卓越框架存在问题的地方。虽然使用当前学生的意见似乎是评估教学质量高低的可靠方式，但实际上并不是这样，因为这会导致奖励大学和课程，教学要求较低或不那么紧张的情况。还有一点是，每个学生几乎没有什么可以用来比较他们的大学经验的东西，因此很难客观地评估他们的导师有多好。

然而，教育卓越框架面临的最大问题是，许多学生不欢迎这个想法，认为他们的积极反馈可能会让大学有权在未来提高学费。因此，许多大学的学生曾经 抵制全国学生调查 以示抗议。政府计划如何解决这个问题还不清楚，但在他们解决之前，可能会导致一些不寻常的结果。

那么，选择大学时我应该关注教育卓越框架吗？

全国学生联合会组织了抵制全国学生调查的行动，称教育卓越框架是“另一个毫无意义的大学排名系统，没有人要求的”，但这并不意味着在选择大学时不能将其视为有用的参考。

我们目前的建议是，对于被评为金牌的大学要多加了解，而不要过分关注传统上被评为铜牌的大学。前者表明大学不仅提供高质量的教学，而且还培养了满意的学生，而后者的铜牌评级可能会受到各种因素的影响。即使是教育卓越框架的背后之一也曾说过 潜在学生应该将其与其他排名和信息结合使用。仅因为一个大学没有被评为金牌，并不意味着它不是英国顶级大学。

Sponsored by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)

Applying to medical school can feel pretty daunting. It’s one of the most competitive degrees out there, so your application really needs to be doing everything it can to prove you’ve got the brains and drive required for an amazing career in the health service.

Because we’ve got your back, we’ve spoken to Dr. Gerard Browne, Admissions Lead at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) about some of the practical steps he recommends you take to maximise your chances of getting in.

1. Draw up a shortlist of your top med schools

Make sure you’re fully prepared and do your research thoroughly. Draw up a list and make sure you visit the schools to get a feel for the place. Talk to the students and have a good look around the campus and city – five years is a long time to be based somewhere you don’t like. If you’re not able to visit, check out the website, look at what other students have to say and see if the university is making the effort to come and see students in your country.

2. Volunteer or intern at your local hospital

It’s definitely an advantage to get some experience in a hospital, doctor’s surgery or care setting – it will give you valuable first-hand experience of what being a doctor is really about. If you’ve tried applying for work experience and just cannot get any, then don’t worry, think about doing some voluntary or community-related work.

3. Aim for an AAB in your A levels

Med schools like UCLan can afford to screen all applications that fail to meet up every listed entry requirement, so it’s vital you’re perfect across the board. So, if you’re applying to their Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, you absolutely need to make you have got the required AAB in your A Levels (or any equivalent). Don’t neglect your English language standardized test either, if applicable. Aim for a minimum score of 7.0 in all categories in your IELTS.

4. Med schools won’t accept late applications

Unlike other subjects that tend to be more flexible, med schools are so oversubscribed that they’ll make you wait until the next year if you miss this year’s round. Usually, you will need to apply by October through the UK University and College Application Service (UCAS).

5. Don’t be too modest

Your personal statement needs to be giving evidence you have the qualities required by a trainee doctor. Universities look for direct, hands-on experience of helping ill, disabled, distressed or disadvantaged people. As well as your work and voluntary experience, you should also show evidence of a healthy work-life balance to demonstrate your ability to cope with conflicting demands on your time. Also, a career in medicine involves working as part of a team, so give examples of team-work. This doesn’t just mean times you led a team, it can include times you played a more junior role in a project too. Throughout your application, ensure that you demonstrate an understanding of what it means to be a doctor in the 21st century.

6. Get your favorite teacher to write you a reference

You’ll need an academic reference written by a member of staff from your school or college to support your application. A character reference isn’t sufficient so if you’re not currently in education you should ask a past academic supervisor.

7. Be prepared to fly to the UK for an interview

While some universities offer the chance to be interviewed elsewhere, it’s most likely that you will be expected to travel to the UK for interview. This will give you the chance to see the school first-hand and meet the team. Some universities like UCLan offer Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), which most schools of medicine feel gives everyone the opportunity to demonstrate a range of skills and attitudes.

For further information on studying medicine at UCLan visit www.uclan.ac.uk/mbbs, call +44 (0)1772 892400 or email cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk