their lives at the university

[PureLand]

Provide students with a supportive academic climate and set of experiential practices and activities that can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at the university and beyond. (The Student Flourishing Initiative)

Is there a specific reason that it should be "at the university" rather than "at univeristy"? Thank you

I believe both are correct, and the difference is as follows:
When I was at university, we didn’t have computers. (at university means being there as a university student)
When I was at the university … (at the unveristy means being in the building)

 

[Andygc]

Your assumption about the possible difference in meaning here is unlikely to be correct. Please clarify the source of the text. Is this a document produced by a particular university? Which country does it come from?

 

[PureLand]

Your assumption about the possible difference in meaning here is unlikely to be correct. Please clarify the source of the text. Is this a document produced by a particular university? Which country does it come from?

Thank you for your reply, Andygc

Here's the original source: The Student Flourishing Initiative - Center for Healthy Minds

Is there a specific reason that it should be "at the university" rather than "at univeristy"? Thank you

 

[Hermione Golightly]

I don't know why it 'should be at the university', considering that you don't learn anything just by being in the building. In this context, it is clear that being a student is meant. In BE we say 'at university'. This site is about an American university.
I suspect that when they say 'at the university' they mean the University of Wisconsin, the one they are writing about. The idea is that you can learn things there that other universities don't teach you.
To use their own words, " ... integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at the university and beyond." Somebody who can write that, with " ... flourish into their own lives ... ", is capable of all sorts of odd English. We don't usually 'flourish into'.

 

[Andygc]

Is there a specific reason that it should be "at the university" rather than "at univeristy"?

Yes. It's a research programme of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hence it's students at the university. It's a specific university.

 

[Hermione Golightly]

It's a research programme of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hence it's students at the university.

 

[PureLand]

I don't know why it 'should be at the university', considering that you don't learn anything just by being in the building. In this context, it is clear that being a student is meant. In BE we say 'at university'. This site is about an American university.
I suspect that when they say 'at the university' they mean the University of Wisconsin, the one they are writing about. The idea is that you can learn things there that other universities don't teach you.
To use their own words, " ... integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at the university and beyond." Somebody who can write that, with " ... flourish into their own lives ... ", is capable of all sorts of odd English. We don't usually 'flourish into'.

Yes. It's a research programme of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hence it's students at the university. It's a specific university.

I see, thank you so much for your explanations, Hermione Golightly and Andygc

I have one more question.

I wrote a sentence:
"We look forward to the next stage of our lives at univeristy" and an American guy suggested that I change it to:
"We look forward to the next stage of our lives at THE univeristy".
I was not referring to any specific school here Should I change it back? Thank you

I know that
He's at university. This means he is a student, it tells you about his status, not where he is at the moment.
He's at the university: This tells you where he is at the moment. It tells you nothing about his job or status.

 

[Andygc]

"We look forward to the next stage of our lives at univeristy" and an American guy suggested that I change it to:
"We look forward to the next stage of our lives at THE univeristy".

That's just AE versus BE. The sentences mean the same in this context. However, AE speakers tend not to say "at university" meaning "attending an institution for higher education"; that's BE. AE normally uses "at college" (perhaps "in college" - see previous threads), so I suggest that your "American guy" was thinking that "university" meant a specific college.

 

[PureLand]

That's just AE versus BE. The sentences mean the same in this context. However, AE speakers tend not to say "at university" meaning "attending an institution for higher education"; that's BE. AE normally uses "at college" (perhaps "in college" - see previous threads), so I suggest that your "American guy" was thinking that "university" meant a specific college.

Oh I see!!! Thank you soooo much, Andygc

Well, I meant my male American friend
I would stop calling him an American guy

 

[kentix]

I read the link. The study, which is proposed but not approved and funded, is supposed to take place at three universities. So I think it would have been better to write:

can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at their universities and beyond.

And not that I'm defending the writing (or the typo in their first paragraph) but I think the meaning intended here is this:

can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at the university and beyond.

They are teaching this skill they call "flourishing" and they want the students to use that skill in their lives. I first read it as "flourishing into their lives" but it's really "integrate...into their lives.

 

[kentix]

As Andy says, we in the U.S. simply do not say at university or at uni. Our general word is college. At college, in college, going to college, etc. University mostly appears in proper names or references to those or in job titles. The University of Tennessee. He is the president of the University of Tennessee. He has held the job as university president for six years. Where do you go to college? The University of Tennessee.

 

[PureLand]

I read the link. The study, which is proposed but not approved and funded, is supposed to take place at three universities. So I think it would have been better to write:

can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at their universities and beyond.

And not that I'm defending the writing (or the typo in their first paragraph) but I think the meaning intended here is this:

can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of flourishing into their lives at the university and beyond.

They are teaching this skill they call "flourishing" and they want the students to use that skill in their lives. I first read it as "flourishing into their lives" but it's really "integrate...into their lives.

As Andy says, we in the U.S. simply do not say at university or at uni. Our general word is college. At college, in college, going to college, etc. University mostly appears in proper names or references to those or in job titles. The University of Tennessee. He is the president of the University of Tennessee. He has held the job as university president for six years. Where do you go to college? The University of Tennessee.

Oh, I see There's a skill called "flourishing"! Thank you so much for your further clarification, Kentix

... can help them to integrate the knowledge and skills of "flourishing" into their lives at their universities and beyond.

And thank you again for the useful information, Kentix No wonder my American friend would have felt like correcting it!