English listening practice about how to get a First Class degree from a UK university. For vocabulary, questions, and vocabulary notes see the PDF transcript. ——————-See the transcript for today’s true or false statements about the talk I really did love my years at university. They were carefree years, without worries, and yes, they were fun years too. But what I really loved about university was studying a subject in depth. Feeling my knowledge of a subject grow and grow. Formulating, developing, and synthesising my opinions to make convincing arguments. How to Get a First Class Degree I read English and English Literature (notice I use the verb ‘read’ and not ‘study’ when talking about university) at University of Kent, Canterbury, in the southeast of England. What a wonderful place to spend three years. It’s a campus university. That means everything – all the lecture halls, student accommodation, the library, even grocery shops – are all together in one place. University of Kent is on a hill, looking down on the medieval city of Canterbury with its famous cathedral. I feel so nostalgic, slightly happy and slightly sad, as I remember sunny days relaxing on the grass with friends. Sunny days on campus, never to be experienced again. I was a conscientious student I put a lot of effort into my work. I was determined to achieve at university because I had got disappointing results at A-Level, the exams we take when we leave school in England. I tried to study when I was taking my exams but I didn’t actually do much work. I just sat down and looked at my books without taking anything in. I wasn’t absorbing all the important information. When I had my most important exam, my English exam, I completely panicked. I was frozen with fear for thirty minutes and I didn’t write anything. My A-level results disappointed me so I promised myself I would always work hard and try my best in the future. Failure at A-level transformed my attitude to studying. And it was this changed attitude that meant I achieved a high First Class degree – 78/100 – when I left university five years later. A First Class degree is the best mark you can get. Being conscientious about one’s studies is not the attitude of the average student. Most students do the minimum amount of work. They don’t try to do their best. Just passing the exam is good enough for them. I knew people who wrote their English essays in just a couple of hours. Compare this to my weeks of research and days of writing. I also knew people who didn’t read the required coursebooks. They would actually go to seminars (a small group discussion about an idea or a text) even though they had not prepared anything. They hadn’t done their homework. They would sit there in silence. What a waste of their university years. And how ridiculous they seemed, whenever one of the lecturers asked them a question that they could not possibly answer. In my subject - English and English literature – it is very difficult to get a First Class degree (that’s the best grade possible). If you are bright, intelligent, you can get a 2:1 (that’s equivalent to a B) without working that hard. However, you have to work really hard and you have to be consistent to get a First Class Degree. It’s not possible to write bad essays, if you want a First.. You always have to do the work. If you want to get a First Class degree at university, here’s my advice to you. It’s essential that you are disciplined. This means that you do the work you say you are going to do, at the time you say you will do it. Be consistent. If you leave your work to the last minute, anything could go wrong. You could get sick. You might not be able to finish your paper on time, and then you will be penalised, you will lose marks as a punishment. This naturally makes getting a First Class degree more difficult. Every single mark makes a difference. You also need to have a mature attitude. Respect your professors and lecturers; try to get to know them. Don’t ever complain in an aggressive, disrespectful way because they will remember it when they mark your paper. They are supposed to be unbiased, fair, in the way they mark papers but that is just how the world works. The only ever low marks I got for essays came from tutors I didn’t like – and when I don’t like someone, the feeling is usually mutual. They don’t like me either. I always had lecturer or professor friends. I learnt a lot from them and we had good times together. I would go drinking with them in Canterbury’s cosy pubs where we sat with bottles of red wine by roaring log fires. For me, the lecturers were often more interesting than my fellow students because they were eccentric, original characters with strong opinions. Most students, on the other hand, just wanted to fit in, to be part of a group, and be the same as everyone else. One of my lecturers from the University of Amsterdam – a wonderful man – invited me to stay with his family when I returned to Amsterdam some years later. He and his family have a wonderful home that was full of art and had rooms and rooms of books. They were so kind and considerate to us as guests and I will always remember how kind they were to me when I lived in Amsterdam by myself, away from my friends and family. It was so funny whenever he parked his car – he would always bump into car behind! He was very intelligent man but not so good at parking. If you are not already friendly with your lecturers it’s a missed opportunity for you. They are fantastic people, make the most of them and their intellect, their intelligence. Respect them by doing your work on time and they will respect you. That will help you on your way to attaining a First. Now all you have to do is work hard.
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