Lectures: These are large classes (sometimes over 25 students), lasting just under one hour.

Seminars: These are smaller classes, usually up to 15 students. The tutor will notify students of the topic in advance, and often a group of students will prepare a short presentation for discussion.

Tutorials: These are meetings between a tutor and an individual student, or sometimes a small group of students. This is an opportunity for you to discuss the progress of your work, and to tell the tutor about any problems you are having with a topic or with study methods.

Practical Work: On many courses you will have practical workshops e.g. laboratories. This is intended to give you practical experience of the theories you have learnt.

Independent study: On any course you will be expected to do some independent study. This may be unfamiliar to you, but it is an integral part of UK academic culture. It will help you to develop key skills such as critical analysis and problem solving, to develop your research skills, and to develop your own ideas.
Written work: This may include essays, a project or a dissertation, and assignment questions.

Assessments: There are many different forms of assessment, and these will vary according to your course. The main types include `closed' examinations, where you are not allowed to refer to books or notes and have a specific time to complete a number of questions; `open' examinations' where you can refer to books and notes; assessed essays, projects and dissertations; presentations to a seminar; practical assessments.