Independent study
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
Study you do alone: reading, research and writing outside class. UK universities expect a lot of it — a full-time degree is treated like a 35 to 40 hour week even if classes are few.
Chinese explanation
课外自主学习：阅读、查资料、写作。英国大学非常看重自学——全日制学位相当于每周35到40小时的工作量，即使课很少。
Example conversation
A: We barely get taught anything in class!
B: That's the UK system — the reading list is where the real work is.
A：课上根本讲不了多少东西！
B：英国就是这样——真正的功夫在阅读书单上。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All University Words
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake