First year at university

Jeremy Farrington: You need to be very self-motivated in your first year. The tutors are very good. They give you great ideas. But at the end of the day, they can’t force you to do the work. You can’t afford to sit back and not to do the work for a week. It’s very easy to fall behind.

Ben Wilcox: I’m living in a hall of residence. In the hall there are flats, with five people sharing a kitchen and a bathroom. The kitchen is probably the most social place. We’re all busy people but we don’t mind cooking for each other.

There’s a lot of one-to-one teaching. We have two tutorials a week but if you want to see your tutor for extra help you can arrange a tutorial any time. The lectures haven’t been so important in our first year.

Malin Paulsson: My advice to school leavers about to start their first year at university? You shouldn’t be lured by people who seem to be going out all the time and not doing any work. People do work, even if they don’t seem to. The first weeks are a party, having fun and meeting people. But you need to be responsible about your studies as well as having fun.

11. Find the answers to the following questions in the above text:

1) Why can’t a student sit back even for a week?

2) What, according to Ben Wilcox, is more important during the first year of university studies: lectures or tutorials?

3) How do British students live in a hall of residence?

4) What is the difference between tutorials and one-to-one teaching?

5) What is Malin Paulsson’s opinion of studies and social life?

12. Compare the life of British students with your own students’ life. What is similar and what is different between these two ways of life? The questions below will help you to make the comparison:

1) What is more important during your first-year studies: lectures or tutorials?

2) Do you have any one-to-one teaching?

3) How many students share a kitchen in your hall of residence?

4) What is the most important social place for the students of your faculty?

5) What is your own opinion of your first weeks at Kharkiv Pedagogical University?

13. Be ready to speak about your student’s life.

Focus on Grammar

1. Insert articles a/an or leave a space (without a word).

Example: Tom is a nice boy. His parents are – nice people too.

1. In summer students work with _____ children in _____ summer camps.

2. Have you got _____ camera?

3. My aunt is _____ book-keeper. All my relatives are either _____ book-keepers or _____ economists.

4. Students study _____ six days _____ week.

5. My brother has _____ many friends.

6. Do you collect _____ stamps?

7. Jane is _____ teacher. Here parents are _____ teachers too.

8. I am _____ first-year student. All my group-mates are _____ first-year students too.

9. Let’s have _____ look at the notice-board!

10. My parents have _____ hobbies of their own.

2. Complete the following sentences. Write what his or her job is.

Example: Ann teaches biology. She is a teacher.

1. Jane looks after patients in hospital. She _____ .

2. Mr. Smith gives lectures for students. He _____ .

3. I study at the Pedagogical University. I _____ .

4. His sisters study at school. They _____ .

5. My father builds houses. He ______ .

6. Her grandparents work on a farm. They _____ .

7. Ann’s mother works at the shop. She _____ .

8. My elder brother drives a lorry. He _____ .

9. Pete and Nick translate books from English into Ukrainian. They _____ .

10. Helen works at the library. She _____ .

If you do not remember the correct words find them in the list below:

translator, driver, shop-assistant, doctor, lecturer, builder,

school-girl, farmer, librarian, student

3. Transform the following sentences from singular into plural making use of the words in brackets.

Example: My elder sister is a student (we). We are students.

1. I have many favourite films on CDs (She).

2. My grandmother works on a farm (my grandparents).

3. John is solving an equation (Mike and Jack).

4. Look! A young man is coming into the reading hall (men).

5. A child was making a sand castle (children).

6. He was born in 1992 (his twin sisters).

7. My father is fond of fishing (all members of my family).

8. This university trains teachers (all pedagogical universities).

9. I don’t know a new professor (our group-mates).

10. Does he attend lectures six days a week (his friends)?

4. Correct the following sentences. Write two correct sentences each time.

Example: The sun goes round the earth. The sun doesn’t go round the earth. The earth goes round the sun.

1. Students study two days a week.

2. The first lecture starts at ten in the morning.

3. The sun rises in the west.

4. We take exams six times a year.

5. During the breaks students stay at their classrooms.

6. In summer students study in the Pedagogical University.

7. In winter we swim in the river.

8. Students take text-books at the canteen.

9. We sing and dance in the reading-hall.

10. My friends play volley-ball at the skating-rink.

5. Transform the following sentences into questions. Begin your questions with the words in brackets.

Example: My brother plays tennis. (How often?)

How often does my brother play tennis?

I get up at six o’clock. (What time?)

What time do you get up?

1. We study six days a week. (How many days?)

2. Our working day begins early. (When?)

3. After their lectures students read up in the reading-hall. (Where?)

4. Students have exams three times a year. (How often?)

5. The first lecture starts at eight in the morning. (When?)

6. In summer students work in summer camps with children. (With whom?)

7. We often have a look at the notice-board to know what is going on at the faculty. (Why?)

8. During the breaks students go to the canteen. (Where?)

9. My elder brother works at the office. (Where?)

10. Her family consists of eight persons. (How many persons?)

6. Decide whether the verbs in these sentences are right or wrong. Correct those which are wrong. The verb is underlined.

Example: I don’t know your telephone number. right

Don’t make so much noise. I study. wrong (am studying)

1. My elder brother works as an engineer. _______

2. Turn off the TV, please. I’m reading. ________

3. Her mother is working as a teacher. _______

4. I’m liking music and dancing. _______

5. The students usually have three double periods every day. _______

6. Look! Jane tries to open the window. _______

7. Can you hear the lecturer? What does he talk about? _______

8. I’m in a hurry. The lecture starts at eight. I go to the University. ______

9. My friends are taking exams three times a year: in winter, spring and summer.

10. I’m trying to study well at the faculty of natural sciences.

7. Read a sentence about the present and then write a sentence about the past.

Example: Nick usually gets up at seven.

Yesterday he got up at six.

1. The first lecture starts at eight in the morning. Yesterday _______ .

2. In summer my sister works at a children’s camp. Last summer _______ .

3. In the evening John listens to the music. Last night _______ .

4. My mother goes out into her garden every morning. Two days ago _______.

5. Mary usually wakes up early. Yesterday morning _______ .

6. His brother usually goes out in the evening. Yesterday evening _______ .

7. My grandfather works on a farm. When he lived in the country _______ .

8. Her sister often goes to the theatre. A week ago _______ .

9. Jack is never late for work. Yesterday _______ .

10. Kate has many friends. When she studied at school _______ .

8. Use the correct form (Past, Future or Present Simple) of the verb in brackets.

Example: Yesterday we_______ a composition (write).

Yesterday we wrote a composition.

1. Last summer they _______ their holidays working with children in a camp on the Black Sea cost (spend).

2. Next winter my younger sister _______ to the Carpathian mountains (go).

3. In a year we _______ second-year students (become).

4. When it rained students _______ for a walk and _______ in the hall (not to go, dance).

5. Tomorrow our group _______ an exam in History of Ukraine (take).

6. When he was a boy, my father _______ of collecting stamps (be fond).

7. During breaks students _______ with each other and _______ a snack in the canteen (talk, have).

8. Next summer my elder brother _______ on a farm (work).

9. When it was 9.20 students _______ a break (have).

10. In 2012 Ukraine _______ everyone to a football competition (invite).

9. Read a sentence and then write another sentence with the same meaning.

Example: Students attend lectures.

Lectures are attended (by students).

1. John translates a difficult text.

2. Jane and Mary read an interesting book.

3. Yesterday pupils wrote a dictation.

4. On Monday we discussed an important problem.

5. Tomorrow Professor Smith will correct our tests.

6. Schoolchildren often write compositions.

7. They built that house in 1958.

8. Students will take exams in December.

9. They invited Ann to the party.

10. We shall complete the work in time.

10. When were these famous people born? Choose the right year for each person:

1940 1564 1856 1814 1722 1871 1929

Example: Alexander Pushkin was born in 1799.

1. Ivan Franco _______ .

2. John Lennon _______ .

3. Martin Luther King _______ .

4. Grigory Skovoroda _______ .

5. William Shakespeare _______ .

6. Taras Shevchenko ________ .

7. Lesya Ukrainka _______ .

And now answer the following questions:

When was your mother born?

When was your best friend born?

When were you born?