Abstract

This paper based on research and observation conducted at the English Department of a private British university established in Egypt, explores the role of academics and social transition in the adjustment of Egyptian students in the preparatory year of a British university, and the rigorous demands of a UK higher education system in Egypt. This paper indicates that students who do not make a seamless transition face increased difficulties in coping with the requirements and challenges of the preparatory year. In light of these bi-cultural and academic demands, and the increasingly changed nature of education in Egypt over the past twenty years, the responsibilities of faculty staff who interface mostly with preparatory year students have also been reviewed and their roles have undergone change. Because preparatory year students’ university experiences are neither satisfying nor as successful as they expect, academics have increasingly become key factors in enhancing students’ prospects of making a seamless transition, including enculturation into the life and practices of the university.