We are students now Learn the following words and expressions:

to attend school (lectures) – посещать школу, лекции

a subject – предмет

to get interested in – заинтересоваться в

upbringing – воспитание

to make up one’s mind – решить, решиться

straight from – немедленно, сразу после

to have to – должен

to be going to do something – собираться что-то сделать

to enter the University – поступить в университет

entrance examinations – вступительные экзамены

to take an examination (in) – сдавать экзамен (по)

to pass an examination (in) – сдать экзамен (по)

a first-year student – студент первого курса

a full-time student – студент дневного отделения

to last – длиться, продолжаться

a term – семестр

a credit-test – зачёт

to miss (lectures, seminars) – пропускать лекции, семинары

to carry out – проводить, выполнять (какую-либо работу)

to borrow – брать (взаймы)

a hostel – общежитие

to get to – добраться до

to do well (at) – преуспевать

a state grant – стипендия

to make one’s living – зарабатывать на жизнь

social activities – общественная жизнь

the course of study – курс обучения

a curriculum (pl. curricula) – программа

a senior student – студент старших курсов

to be engaged in – заниматься (научной работой)

a scientific society – научное общество, кружок

to graduate from the University – закончить университет

teaching practice – педагогическая практика

to submit a graduation paper – представить выпускную работу

Practise the pronunciation of the following words:

curriculum [kə'rikjuləm], mathematics ["mæӨi'mætiks], pedagogy ['pedəgoGi], psychology [sai'kOləGi], mind [maind], final ['fainəl], successfully [sək'sesfuli], straight [streit], laboratory [lə'bOrətri], scientific society [saiən'tifik sə'saiəti], senior ['si:niə], engaged [in'geiGd], to graduate ['grædjueit], graduate ['grædjuit], submit [səb'mit]], etc. [it'sətərə], supervision ["sjupə'viZn], experienced [iks'piəriənst], social ['souSiəl].

Read and translate the text “We Are Students Now”.

We began to attend school at the age of 6 or 7. We learned a lot of subjects in school such as Russian, Mathematics, History, Chemistry, Foreign Languages, Computer Studies and even Psychology. We got interested in some of them, in methods of teaching and in children upbringing at schools and kindergartens. That’s why we made up our minds to enter the Perm Pedagogical University straight from school.

We had to take entrance examinations in two or three subjects and passed all of them successfully. Now we are first-year students of different faculties of the University. We are full-time students.

The course of studies for future teachers lasts four or five years. The academic year at the University begins in September. It lasts ten months and ends in July. Each academic year has two terms and at the end of each term students take credit-tests and terminal examinations. Full-time students usually have their examination sessions in January and in June.

There are a lot of subjects on the curriculum: the History of Russia, Philosophy, Pedagogy, Psychology, Anatomy, Computer Studies, Foreign languages, etc. Some of the subjects are rather difficult, so we work hard and do our best. Some subjects are very interesting.

We study six days a week: on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday is our day off. Our classes usually begin at 8 o’clock in the morning. Every day we have got a lot of lectures, seminars, etc. As a rule we attend all of them and don’t miss classes. Some students work in the laboratories and carry out different experiments. The others have regular computer classes.

The University has a library and there are many thousands of books in it. There we can borrow any book we need and prepare for the next day’s classes, write a report or a project (a course paper).

Those who do well at their studies get a state grant. It isn’t big enough but due to it we don’t have to work to make our living. We devote our spare time to the University social activities and take part in cultural life of the University.

Some of us live in hostels. They are not far from the University and it takes us not much time to get there.

The students of our University are engaged in scientific work under the supervision of experienced teachers, take part in scientific expeditions. Students of the Biological faculty work at the experimental biological station in Kvazhva. During summer holidays some students work in summer camps for children. In the senior part of studies students have a student teaching practice in schools or in kindergartens.

At the end of the course of study we shall take our final examinations and submit a graduation paper. After graduating from the University we’ll be teachers in schools or kindergartens.