Hello all from Italy. I would like to know this: what is the average age in which students in UK finish university? for example in Italy students usually start university at 19, they get their first degree (3 Years) at 24-25, then the second Degree (2 years after the first 3) at 26-27 and
then start the PhD (these are average values just published in an Italian Journal) What does it work in UK? Thanks to all.

The quickest route through higher education in the UK would be to start your first degree at 18 and finish at 21. In some areas of the sciences students can move straight to a PhD without a Masters degree. This means they can have a PhD by the age of 24.

Here's a question then to the academics: do you find that european students who've spent more time overall any 'better' than UK students ? My friend from Germany came over here for a year and was shocked at just how much work we did in comparison for the same amount of time. Personally I don't know which I favour, but 10-12 years from starting degree to finishing PhD seems a long time. I'm going to have finished mine after 8 years and even then most people think I'm taking forever.

I spent time during my undergrad degree studying in germany, and in my opinion the students there were no "better" than those in the UK. If anything, their theoretical knowledge was somewhat lacking - maybe cos teaching is spread over so many years. Main difference i noticed though was they do get a more practical experience, and have to do a compulsory research project for a year full time once they finish their degree before moving on to PhD.Like DanB, I'd be interested to know what academics think about this too though?!

Just a thing: I studied in Italy and now I am going to relocate in Uk to do a PhD. I worked for some years before deciding for a PhD and the best scientist I met (at work or at internatinal meeting etc...), all of them I met, in a way or in another, spent some years in studying in Uk. We can look at this also reading the cv of people speaking in any internation meeting on Nanotech or similar.

for Gius.
Come hai fatto a trovare un phd in UK?Sono molto interessato a cercarlo, ma come fare ?

Ciao tot, scrivevo ai prof in risposta agli annunci su questo stesso sito. Poi mandavo l'application. Finché ad uno mi hanno preso :-)

I'm Dutch but studied entirely in the UK. I find that the European system may add practical skills but I don't think it makes a difference really. The whole point of a Ph.D, I'm affraid, is that it's MEANT to be a struggle. If it weren't then everyone would have one. It's a qualification I expect students to WORK for. Yes, I support and assist but by the end they MUST be working on their own. The diff between UK and German/Italian students is the UK ones have a steeper learning curve.