B. Studying at university

If you want to go to (= enter) university, you must first pass examinations that most students take at the age of eighteen (called 'A', that is advanced, levels). Most students take three 'A' levels (three examinations in three different subjects) and they must do well in order to get (=obtain) a place at university because the places are limited. At the moment, approximately 30% of young adults go to university in Britain.

If you get a place at university, the tuition (= teaching) is free, and some students also get (= receive) a grant, that is money to pay for living expenses, e.g. food and accommodation as well. Students at university are called undergraduates while they are studying for their first degree.

Most university courses last (= go on for / continue for) three years, some courses last four years, and one or two courses, e.g. medicine, may be even longer. During this period students can say that they are doing/studying history, or doing / studying for a degree in history, for example. When they finish the course and pass their examinations, they receive a degree (the qualification when you complete a university course successfully). This can be a BA (= Bachelor of Arts) or a BSc (= Bachelor of Science), e.g. I have a friend who has a BA in history, and another who has a BSc in chemistry.