British Universities

[Rowan]

I have noticed on different occasions that when a Brit discusses his/her education at the university level, it is phrased in terms of having 'read' for a subject. What is the origin of using this word relating to higher education?

[parthianbow]

I have no idea!

[Rowan]

Not quite the answer I was looking for parthianbow.

[M.M. Bennetts]

I'll look into it further, but part of it must be that at an English university one reads only the one subject--lectures and tutorials are only about the subject one has signed up to read. And it's declared from the outset--a student applies to 'read' that subject and their place is on the basis that they are specialising in that.

It's nothing like an American university where one is required to take classes outside of one's specialisation--everyone must pass freshman English and have languages and some maths and not declare a specialisation until the end of the second year.

Here, specialisation starts just after GCSE's or in the old days, O-levels--those are the exams taken when one is 16. The next step is A-levels--taken age 18--and one might, today, take up to five subjects. In the old days it was only three. Then, when going on to uni, one picked one subject and read that one...

It may derive from the Victorian era and earlier, when there were only two or three subjects to 'read' at Oxford or Cambridge: Greats (the classics), theology, or the law.

Scottish univerities like St. Andrew's allow one to study other subjects alongside what one is there to read. They also allow a greater number of combined degrees, such as Business and French. I knew one chap who went there instead of Oxford because Oxford would not allow him to combine the two--which is just plain daft for an aspiring businessman, especially in Europe.

[Miss Moppet]

[quote=""M.M. Bennetts""]Scottish univerities like St. Andrew's allow one to study other subjects alongside what one is there to read. [/quote]

Some British universities offer this option. A friend of mine did her Geography degree at Lancaster and also took some History courses. Keele undergraduates also study more than one subject.

They also allow a greater number of combined degrees, such as Business and French. I knew one chap who went there instead of Oxford because Oxford would not allow him to combine the two--which is just plain daft for an aspiring businessman, especially in Europe.

Oxford do offer some Joint Schools degrees - for example, you can do History and French or History and English.

[M.M. Bennetts]

I've just asked an MA Oxon friend...he says it's because you read your subject. Basically, you read what the Bodleian has to say about it.

[annis]

Funny, someone asked me this question at work the other day, and I found this answer which seemed quite useful

Original question:

What does "to read a subject at university" exactly mean?
Does it mean: "to study" or "to teach a subject as a lecturer" or both?

Further question from another poster:

At most American universities, students are expected to come to class, take notes and then be tested. From movies, etc., I get the idea that at British universities students study independently, "read," under the guidance of a tutor and then are tested. Is that correct?

Answer:

Many years ago, before the printing press, books were rare - so to learn about a subject, students would go to a college with access to a library for them to read about the subject as well as be taught orally. The English system is that students are expected to do much of their work in personal research, which for most subjects is reading. In addition, there are 'seminars' to attend - small-group discussions between say 4-8 students and a lecturer. So it is a tripartite system of lectures, reading and seminars.
Now, on some courses, (and traditionally widespread) the lectures are not compulsory and so to work towards ones qualifications is traditionally known as "reading" the subject.
I knew a student who missed almost the whole year of lectures and crammed other people's notes just before the exams. It was not a recipe for success in his case.

[Rowan]

Thanks annis and M.M. That explanation makes sense now that I think about it.

[Lel]

I'd never have guessed this, but according to the OED using 'read' to mean 'study' can be traced back as far as Chaucer. (Franklin's Tale)
"In early use: to study (a subject), esp. at a university or similar institution. Now (chiefly Brit.): to study (an academic subject) for a university degree; to study for (a degree)."

Rowan, if you want their examples I can post them - not sure how deep you want to dig.

[M.M. Bennetts]

Having done it on both sides of the Atlantic, I would have to say I did a heck of a lot more reading in the UK than the US.

And it wasn't just because I was an idler and a slacker in the States and suddenly reformed when I crossed the pond.