Teaching and learning methods might be very different in your home country. In the UK, the academic culture varies according to subject, level of study and faculty, but you are expected to take responsibility for your own learning. Do not be afraid to ask questions or admit that you do not understand. No one will think any less of you.
Main characteristics of UK education:
- independent working
- student participation
- critical thinking
- developing own opinions.
In the UK, rather than merely repeating ideas from textbooks, you are encouraged or even expected to form your own opinions and argue them with your tutors and fellow students. You are expected to develop your own critical judgement, which is the ability to assess whether an argument is coherent and well supported by evidence. In your classes, the role of your tutor is to teach basic knowledge; the aim is not for them to tell you the 'correct' answer, but to show you ways to find the answers yourself.
Staff-student relationships at the University are very friendly and relatively informal. Staff members will tell you how they wish to be addressed; in many cases they ask you to call them by their first names. Tutors and lecturers do expect respect from all students, even though you may call them by their first names and they may be dressed informally.