50   I can describe university life

A    Academic life

Word  Example  Meaning

academic  I enjoy academic subjects like history.  connected to education, especially school or university.

undergraduate  Undergraduates usually do a three-year course.  a university student studying for their first degree.

graduate  She’s an Oxford graduate. He graduated last year.  a person who has finished their degree (when they finish, they graduate V).

tutor  You can ask your tutor for advice on your work.  sb who teaches and looks after a student or a small group of students.

professor  She’s a professor of law.  the highest level of teacher in a university.

lecture  I went to an interesting lecture on Italian politics.  a talk given to a large group to teach them a subject (the person is a lecturer N).

seminar  Are you going to the seminar this morning?  a class at a university where a small group discuss a subject with a tutor.

debate  We had a great debate.  a formal discussion.

attend sth  You have to attend lectures.  go to sth, or be present at sth.

take notes  Don’t forget to take notes.  write words quickly to help you remember sth.

read widely  Try to read widely.  read a lot of different kinds of books.

write a thesis  I’m writing a thesis on global warming.  do a long piece of writing on a particular academic subject.

do research  You do research for a PhD.  do a long and careful study of a subject.

continuous assessment  We don’t have exams; it’s all continuous assessment.  a way of judging students by looking at the work they do during the year.

3     Text yourself. Look at the words and cover the examples and meanings. Can you remember the meanings?

  

B    Student life

Advice for new students

• In Britain, many university students live away from home. This means you get the freedom and opportunity to meet new people. Most students choose to live in a hall of residence in their first year, where you are less likely to be homesick or lonely.

• Student life is all about learning to manage your money: tuition fees, loans, bills, accommodation fees, etc. You may be able to get a scholarship, and many students find part-time jobs to help pay the bills.

• At university, you can be flexible about when you study, but be sure to get out of bed in time for lectures, do your work on time, and plan your revision period before exams. 

Glossary

away from home  in a different place from your home. OPP at home.

freedom  the right or ability to say or do what you want.

opportunity  the possibility to do sth that you want to do. SYN chance.

hall of residence  (in universities) a building where students live.

homesick  sad because you are away from home and you miss it.

manage sth  be in control of sth.

fees  money you pay for the professional advice or service of a doctor, lawyer, etc. (tuition fees are the money that you pay to be taught).

loan  If you take out a loan, you borrow money, usually from a bank.

scholarship  money that an organization gives sb to help them study.

flexible  able to change easily. flexibility N.

revision  the process of studying sth again to prepare for an exam. revise V.

 

spotlight  in time, on time

If you are in time for something, you arrive before or at the correct time.

If you are on time for something, you arrive at exactly the correct time.

He arrived in time for the lesson.

(= before the lesson started.)

The lesson started on time.

(= at the correct time.) 

ABOUT YOU  Write your answers, or ask another student.

Answers from an Italian person

1     Students usually live at home, unless they go to university in another city.

2     Some students live in halls of residence, but most of them live in shared flats or houses.

3     Yes, they do have to pay tuition fees unless they receive a scholarship.

4     Normally they don’t have to take out loans because their parents help them.

5     Yes, scholarships are available.

6     It would be great to have the chance to study abroad.

6     Text yourself. Cover the glossary words and look at the meanings. Can you remember the words?