【ForYaliLiuthehardestthingaboutUKhighereducationishavingtogotothepub.“It’showmuchyouneedtoinvestsociallywithotherstudents”shesays。“Idon’tlikegoingtoapuborclubbutpeoplejustkeepgoingoutand】

　　ForYaliLiuthehardestthingaboutUKhighereducationishavingtogotothepub.“It’showmuchyouneedtoinvestsociallywithotherstudents”shesays。“Idon’tlikegoingtoapuborclubbutpeoplejustkeepgoingoutandIfeelthepressuretogoouttoo.”ThisisbecauseunlikeinChinashesaysthereissomuchemphasisduringthecourseonteamworkandgroupprojectssosocializingwithotherstudents–especiallyBritishpeopleiscrucial.

　　Liu23whoisinherfinalyearinbusinessadministrationattheUniversityofBathisoneofmorethan80000ChinesestudentsstudyinginUKuniversities.TheyareresponsibleforalargeproportionofthemorethanF10bnayearthatinternationalstudentscontributetotheUKeconomy.Howeverresearchshowsthatwheretheiracademicattainment（成就）isconcernedthepictureisnotsatisfactory.Whilenearly58%ofallstudents-and45%ofoverseasstudentsgraduatedwithafirst-classdegreelastyearthiswastrueofonly35%ofstudentsfromChina.

　　TofindanexplanationZhiqlWangandIanGrafordlecturersattheUniversityofBathcomparedtheperformanceofChineseandBritishundergraduatesineachyearoftheirdegree.Takingasampleof100BritishandChinesestudentsandcomparingtheiraveragemarksandfinaldegreeyearonewhentheyperformedbetterthantheirUKcounterpartsandyeartwowhentheyperformedworse.

　　Theybelievethedropresultsfromtwofactors.FirstChinesestudentsfailtoadapttheirapproachestolearningandsotheirperformancedeclinesinthelateryearswhenthecomplexityoftheworkincreases.SecondmanyyoungpeopleinChinaenrollinhighereducationduetopressurefromfamilyratherthantheirownmotivation.

　　ProfessorSedghithinkspartoftheproblemmaybethechangingsocio-economicbackgroundofChineseundergraduates.While85%ofChinesestudentsatBritishuniversitiesbefore2000werematurestudentsoftenfundedbythegovernmentsince2004howevertheyhavebeenyoungermostfundedbytheirfamilies.

　　MaybeUKinstitutionsneedtoworkhardertotakeintoaccountwhatabigchallengeitisforyoungpeoplefromaradicallydifferentcultureandlinguisticbackgroundtoadapttolifeintheUK.“Weneedtodomorecontactingstudentsbeforetheirarrivalassigningthemtutorsencouragingpee