My university – B2 English Reading Test

Which student

1   is studying at a university that was not their first choice?

2   has found it easier to make friends at university than they had expected?

3   wishes they had more time to take part in social activities?

4   chose their university partly because a relative had recommended it?

5   complains about the travelling time from their accommodation to the city centre?

6   wants to continue studying at the same university after they graduate?

7   praises the approach to teaching at their present university?

8   decided to study at the university because of its location?

9   sought the opinions of current students before choosing a university?

10   is finding student life less expensive than they had expected?

My university

Six first-year students say what life is like at their universities.

A   Zehra Erdogan

There’s a club here for just about every sport or social activity you can think of, and they’re a great way to get to know other students. I’d wondered whether I might feel lonely here with my family so far away, but I needn’t have worried. There’s a group of us who get on really well, and two are already talking about doing research here once they’ve finished their first degrees. That’s my aim too.

B   Ben Robertson

I had to take out a loan to cover my costs as a student here, but I quickly found there were all kinds of expenses I hadn’t thought of, such as the cost of getting into town and back from the student village, where I live. The buses aren’t cheap and it takes ages to get there, too, but I didn’t check that when I chose this university. That’s something I could have done quite easily online, but unfortunately I didn’t. Actually, the main reason I came here was to be with my friends, who applied at the same time as I did.

C   Anika Mishra

I found it relatively easy to settle in here, just as I thought I would, really. I’d done some research on the various places offering the course I wanted to do, and what I found particularly helpful were the online comments by people actually studying in each one. Actually, this one had always appealed to me as my aunt did a research degree here and said it was a good place to live and study, though unlike her I think I’ll move onto another university once I’ve graduated.

D   Lotte Peeters

Before I came here, people had been telling me I’d find it hard to live on my government grant, but that hasn’t really been the case because during my free time I’m nearly always in the halls of residence with the other students. There’s so much to do there that it doesn’t matter that they’re quite a long way from the university, which is right in the centre of town. In fact, I can’t do half the things I’d like to do because I’m a medical student and I’m just too busy studying to join any more societies or clubs.

E   Pablo Flores

Universities in different parts of the world tend to be quite similar in some ways, such as the international mix of students, the atmosphere and even the buildings, but something I like about studying here is that you spend a lot of your time in seminars with a tutor. So, nearly a year on, I’m actually quite relieved I had my application rejected by the top university on my list: if I’d gone there I would have spent all day taking notes in lectures. The only downside is that the cost of living is quite a bit higher in this country.

F   Maxim Kuznetsov

As I have family and friends living in several nearby countries, I needed to be somewhere close to an airport offering budget flights. So studying here looked ideal, and though I’ve noticed prices are quite high in the city, there’s plenty to do on campus and I rarely need to go there. Actually, the only time I do that is when some of my old friends come to visit me, and on those occasions we take the train. There’s a good service into town, and I can get a discount by using my student card.