What Is University Life Like?

A ____________________________

One of the best parts of university life is living away from home and parents. You get freedom and the chance to meet new people. Most students opt to live in halls of residence for their first year of study - this usually works out cheaper than finding a flat or house and means there'll definitely be loads of people in the same boat as you, so you won't feel lonely. The university also guarantees accommodation in university halls for all new single undergraduate students that apply before the deadline.

B ____________________________

An important aspect of being at university is managing your own time. It's up to you to decide when you'll study, when you'll go shopping and when you'll have a night out. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Of course, it is a good idea to organize your time with a weekly or monthly schedule. Remember, you can be as flexible with your time as you like but you'll always need to make sure you get out of bed for lectures, meet project deadlines, and schedule in plenty of revision days before exams.

C ____________________________

So you're living away from home, planning your own routine and even cooking your own meals - and that means looking after your own money. At university, it's all about the cash. Fees, student loans, rent, bills - you name it, you might have to pay for it. But don't let money worries put you off.

D ____________________________

After a hard day's study, going out and having fun is what student life is all about. The city is a lively place buzzing with events, cinemas, clubs and bars, so you will never be short of things to do.

E _ ___________________________

That's right, university life is about learning. You'll be expected to go to all your lectures and classes. Most courses are assessed through exams, essays, practical work and projects. You'll have anything from one to five hours of lectures, etc. in a day. But on top of that, you are expected to do a number of hours of self-study. Every student has a personal tutor to help with any problems you might have or you can speak to your lecturers and other tutors if you have questions. If you plan your time and your workload, you'll have plenty of free time to enjoy student life at the university.

to оpt – выбирать;

to meet a deadline – уложиться в установленный срок;

a student loan – кредит на обучение;

to put off - отталкивать, мешать;

to buzz – гудеть/веселиться;

tutor - руководитель группы студентов;

tutorial - консультация, встреча с преподавателем

 

3. Read the text above. Say, if the following statements are true or false. Find sentences in the text that support your point of view:

1. Living in halls of residence usually costs less money than renting a flat or house.

2. The university provides accommodation in university halls for all undergraduate students that apply before the deadline.

3. It is necessary to plan your activities with a weekly or monthly schedule.

4. Along with independency students face the responsibility to take care of their own expenses.

5. Students aren’t supposed to go to all their lectures and classes.

6. It’s impossible to have plenty of free time to enjoy student life at the university.

 

4. Match the parts of the sentences.

1. I can't afford to live in the halls of residence	a) probably because I always left it until the last minute.
2. We have two tutorials a week	b) so many students have jobs.
3. In my first year work seemed like a burden,	c) but, on the whole, most of them settle down and make friends.
4. The first weeks are parties, having fun and meeting people	d) so I commute from the other side of London every day.
5. There's no way that the grant can possibly cover your expense	e) but you do need to be responsible about your studies as well as having fun.
6. It's always a bit stressful for first-year students to come to a strange university	f) that suits your interests and abilities.
7. You can't sit back and not do the work for a week even	g) but if you want to see your tutor for extra help you can arrange a tutorial any time.
8. At a university you can choose a course	h) if you don't feel up to it.

What sentences from the table above correspond to the following topics?

1. Work pressure  

2. Money    

3. Social life        

4. Organization of studies

5. Look through the text. Find the following information: modules, qualification, timetable, academic studies.

Students’ workload

If you are enrolled at a university you register on a course consisting of compulsory modules and optional modules that leads to the award of a qualification. Or you register on a course that gives credit that can be counted as a part of a qualification. The early years of your course will have more compulsory and core modules. As you progress, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of options. Your personal tutor will advise you on the best module options to suit your particular academic interests.

After registering on your program, you will be able to access a personalized academic timetable. If you’ve never been to university before, you may be surprised at how much control you have over your timetable. A lot of courses provide the same class several times throughout the week, allowing you to sign up for the one that fits best with your other classes and personal commitments.

During term time, you’re expected to spend an average of 42-46 hours a week on your academic studies (including teaching/contact time and independent study), and you also need to undertake some work during the vacations (e.g. further reading/research, revision, assignments).

Every student adjusts to this new workload in their own way and time, and there are plenty of people who can offer advice and support.

 

6. Match the words to make the phrases used in the text above. Use the phrases in your sentences.

1.be enrolled	a) a course
2. register on / to sign up for	b) a qualification
3. compulsory/optional	c) at a university
4. the award of	d) the same class
5. undertake	e) advice and support
6. adjust to	f) some work
7. offer	g) new workload
8. provide	h) modules

7. Match the words and their definitions.

1. a course	a) a formal talk on a serious subject given to a group of people, especially students
2. a lecture	b) a meeting of students with a teacher for training, discussion, or study on a particular subject
3. a seminar/workshop	c) a regular meeting between a tutor and one or several students
4. a lab	d) a period of time in which students are taught something
5. a tutorial/tute	e) a set of classes on a particular subject, usually leading to an exam or qualification
6. a class	f) an academic period for laboratory work

Part II. Language

Prepositions of time

Preposition	Usage	Example
at	specific time	at 9 o’clock at 10 am at lunchtime
	holiday periods	at Christmas at Easter
	in phrases	at the weekend (AE on) at night at midnight
in	months, years, decades, centuries	in May, in 1990, in the sixties, in the 19th century
	seasons	in winter
	parts of the day	in the morning
on	days of the week	on Monday, on Tuesday morning
	dates	on the 12th of July
	holidays with the words “day, eve”	on Christmas Day on New Year’s Eve
no preposition	with the words next, last, every, this	next week/ month; last night/ year; this morning, every day

8. Use the suitable prepositions of time where it is necessary. Work in pairs, ask and answer the questions.

1) Do you sometimes prepare for classes ____ the mornings?

2) Are you usually at home ____ 7 o'clock ____ the evenings?

3) Do you sometimes work ___night?

4) What do you usually do ____ weekends?

5) Do you usually go shopping ____ every Saturday?

6) Do you go skiing ____ winter?

7) Do you have a holiday ____ December?

8) Is there a holiday in your country ____ 6^th of January?

9) What did you do ____ last month?

10) What will you do _____ Sunday evening?

 

9. Read the information in Tom’s Computer Science timetable and answer the questions:

1. What lectures does Tom have twice a week? (Note the preposition a lecture on!)

2. Which day of the week is the busiest? How many classes does Tom have on this day?

3. How many lectures does Tom attend each week? What about labs and tutes?

4. What time does the earliest/latest class start?

5. What activities has Tom planned besides the classes? Which of them involve studying?

 

The following example shows how a first-year student arranged his timetable.