It’s cold and rainy outside so it must be time for a post!
Studying at university isn’t easy! If you are studying in a foreign country and having to survive in a different culture and use a second language then it can be very daunting. (Daunting: can you guess the meaning from the sentence? Have a go and then check it here.) So if you need some encouragement, then just keep an eye on what’s at the end of the road: you will eventually graduate and gain the recognition that you deserve. In this post I’m recommending a video for you to watch which is Sophie talking about her graduation at the University of Plymouth (yes, that’s where I work!). I think this is a good video because it will encourage you to work hard towards your graduation and you will practise your English as you listen. The script is provided below the video so you can refer to it. When you are practising your listening skills I suggest that you listen first once or twice without reading the script and see how much you can understand. Then you can read and check the parts you found difficult. Listen to those parts again and again until you hear the separate words and then listen to the whole video again. The other thing I like about this video is that Sophie talks about the extra-curricular things she has done (the things outside her formal classes) to make the most out of her time at university. For example joining clubs and societies and being a student ambassador. Students who are more active have more fun and learn more too. Listen to Sophie talking about her graduation and read the accompanying script here.