Student’s Life

The merry-go-round of student life is something that one never forgets. It's a fascinating, fantastic, fabulous experience, ir­respective of the fact whether one is a full-time or a part-time stu­dent.

Who can forget the first day at the university! You have changed from an applicant who has passed entrance exams into a first-year student. Then there is a solemn ceremony in front of the university building with serious people. And among them are your future lecturers and tutors.

The monitors hand out student membership cards, student record books and library cards — one feels like a real person. First celebra­tions and then days of hard work. So many classes, so many new subjects to put on the timetable! The curriculum seems to be devel­oped especially for geniuses. You must visit lectures, seminars and tutorials. Home preparations - a real avalanche of home works.

Everyone tries hard to be, or at least to look, diligent. Then you have first tests and examination sessions. The first successes and first failures: "I have passed!" or "He has not given me a pass!" Tears and smiles. And a long-awaited vacation.

Junior students become senior. Still all of them are one family -undergraduates. Students' parties in the students' club. Meeting people and parting with people. Yearly essays, graduation dissertations, finals.

Exercise 22. Answer the questions:

a) Would you compare college life with a merry-go-round or with some­thing else?

b) What do you think of the first months at the university?

Exercise 23. Role-play: “Career Ladder”

They say that it is a poor soldier who does not want to become a general. Name the steps of the social ladder which a student must pass to climb up to the position of the rector. Use the words from the list below, placing one word on one step.

Dean, Assistant Lecturer, Head of Department, Vice-Rector, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Assistant Dean, Professor, Graduate Student.

Rector

Student

Exercise 24. Give the English equivalents for the following word combinations and use them in sentences of your own.

• отримувати стипендію ______________________

• студентський гуртожиток ______________________

• пристрасть до читання ______________________

• робити позначки ______________________

• притримуватись чогось ______________________

• негайні результати ______________________

• тема дипломної роботи ______________________

• навчатися в аспірантурі ______________________

• працювати над дисертацією ______________________

• мати значення для когось ______________________

• дотримуватись поради ______________________

Exercise 25. Explain the meaning of the following English words or phrases and say how the corresponding notions in Ukrainian differ from the English ones.

Dissertation, thesis, postgraduate work, tutorial, grant, scholarship, essay, undergraduate, student counselor, commuter, hall of residence.

Exercise 26. The curriculum at the Airport Institute consists of several sub­jects which all students should study. Make a list of these subjects. In class speak about your favorites and the ones you dislike. Explain to your partners why you enjoy or don't enjoy them.

Exercise 27. Underline the most suitable words:

1. Jack decided to take a course / lesson in hotel management.

2. John always gets good marks / points in drawing.

3. After leaving school, Ann studied / trained as a designer.

4. Peter decided not to go in / pass the examination.

5. My sister learned / taught me how to draw.

6. I can’t go to the cinema. I have to read / study for a test.

7. At English lessons we had to learn a lot of new words by hand

/ heart.

8. I hope your work will improve by the end of course / term.

9. Martin failed / missed his maths exam and had to sit it again.

10. If you have any questions, raise / rise your hand.

Exercise 28. Match the words in the box with a suitable definition (a-j). Use each word only once.

Classmate; examiner; learner; principal; pupil; coach; graduate; lecturer; professor; tutor.

a) Someone who teaches at the university.....................

b) Someone who has college degree..............................

c) The head of school.......................

d) Someone who studies at primary or secondary school...............

e) The most important teacher in university department..................

f) Someone who teaches one student or a very small class..............

g) Someone in the same class as yourself........................................

h) Someone who trains a sports team...............................................

i) Someone who writes the question papers of an examination.........

j) Someone who drives but has not yet passed a driving test...........

Exercise 29. Speak in class what you feel when:

Patterns: I feel like a failure when I fall behind the group.

I feel pleased/confused/bored, etc. when I catch up with the rest.

- you get a bad mark;

- you fall (lag) behind the group;

- you fail (in) an examination;

- you read up for an examination late at night;

- you miss classes;

- you come late to classes;

- you have to retake an examination;

- you spend sleepless nights over a load of books;

- you look up every word in your dictionary when reading an English book.

Exercise 30. Translate into English.

1. Вона вступила до університету минулого літа і закінчить його через чотири роки.

2. Краще не пропускати заняття, бо можна відстати від групи. А наздоганяти завжди важко.

3. Усі студенти групи захистили свої проекти. Це було важке випробування.

4. Мій улюблений предмет – звичайно, малювання. Я - майбутній художник.

5. Розклад складений таким чином, щоб лекції чергувалися з практичними заняттями.

6. Я вважаю, що немає ніякого сенсу не спати всю ніч, готуючись до іспитів. Ефект від такої підготовки може бути протилежним.

7. На початку навчального року всім першокурсникам видали студентські квитки і залікові книжки.

8. Коли я починаю робити домашнє завдання, я довго не можу сконцентруватися на роботі – мене постійно щось відволікає.

9. У навчанні йому не треба прикладати багато зусиль – він все підхоплює на льоту.

10. Щоб отримати високий бал, студенти повинні вивчати великий обсяг інформації.

Exercise 31. Read and translate the story. Continue the story. Get ready to discuss it in class.

It took a couple of weeks for classes to get settled, and then we got down to the nitty-gritty. As homework began pouring in, and tests loomed on the horizon, I realized that my study skills were very poor and that it was going to be a challenge itself to teach myself to study. I experimented with several tactics, trying to find out what would work for me. I started out in the bedroom with the door closed, but it seemed the phone was always ringing. I managed to get my work done, but I was not pleased with this frustrating situation. Later I tried going outside and preparing somewhere in the yard. As my workload increased, so I felt deep disappointment. Quite by accident, however, I found the solution to my problem…

Exercise 32. Answer the questions and express your opinion on the following.

1. What advice would you give to a friend of yours if he or she had to deal with the problem of distraction?

2. What tactics do you personally choose to get yourself organized and sit down to work?

3. Discuss in class the problem of getting organized and concentrated when doing homework.

Exercise 33. Translate the proverbs into Ukrainian and comment upon them.

1. A man is never too old to learn.

2. Education covers a lot of ground but it doesn't cultivate it.

3. Live and learn.

4. By doing nothing we learn to do ill.

5. Better untaught than ill taught.

6. Brevity is the soul of wit.

Exercise 34. Role-play: “The student of future”.

The world is changing, and many people feel that universities will have to change to keep up. Make a list of the universities which may be different in re­sponse to these changes in the year 2025. Use these ideas to write a letter from a student in the year 2025, telling a grandparent about his or her first day at college.

Exercise 35. Note the following words and word-combinations; make sure that you know the pronunciation and the meaning of them.

Student's forms	first-year student/ freshman	Degrees	Bachelor Degree
	second-year student/sophomore third-year student/ junior fourth/final-year student/ senior		Master Degree
	full-time student
	part-time student
Attendance	attend classes	Dean	Assistant Dean
	compulsory attendance		the Dean’s office
	check attendance
	check students’ coming in time	Exams	pass exams
	disrupt classes		fail the exam
	miss classes		have ability
	skip/ go skiving, skiver
	be late for classes

Exercise 36. Work in pairs. Focus on the words and word combinations above and make up dialogues on the following situations.

a) First-year students at the audience-hall during the inaugural ceremony.

b) A student and a Dean at the Dean’s office.

c) Two students before the exam.

d) Two students after the exam.

Exercise 37. Read and translate the text.