Campus life
Learn about campus life! Today, we’ll discuss daily activities, places on campus, and fun things to do.
Part 1
Warm-up 1
Answer the questions
What did we discuss in the last lesson?
What is the name of your university or school, and where is it located?
What do you like most about your university or school? (library, friends, schedule, campus, …)
Part 1
Warm-up 2
Match each place with the pictures below.
a. classroom
b. library
c. campus bookstore
d. gym
e. cafeteria
f. professor’s office
Part 2
Vocabulary
Read the word, its’ meaning, and the examples
Then make up your own sentences using the word.
Student can skip the words they already know.
boring
/ˈbɔː.rɪŋ/
not interesting or not exciting
The lecture was so boring I almost fell asleep.
Long car rides without music can be boring.
campus
/ˈkæm.pəs/
the buildings of a college or university and the land that surrounds them
Our campus has a new library with lots of books.
I love walking across the campus in the fall.
attractive
/əˈtræk.tɪv/
very pleasing in appearance or sound
The park is very attractive in spring with all the flowers.
That shop has attractive window displays.
competitive
/kəmˈpet.ə.tɪv/
Involving competition; wanting to win or be more successful than others
She's very competitive and always wants to be first.
The job market is highly competitive.
semester
/səˈmes.tər/
one of the periods into which a year is divided at a college or university
I'm taking five classes this semester.
The semester ends in June, then it's summer break.
schedule
/ˈskedʒ.uːl/
a list of planned activities or things to be done showing the times or dates when they are intended to happen or be done
I need to check my schedule for next week's meetings.
The train schedule has been updated recently.
Make up your own sentences using the words.
Part 3
Reading comprehension
Read the article and answer questions.
Teacher helps student correct their pronunciation.
My great University
My university is far from boring; it is a place full of energy. The campus is so attractive with big trees and colorful flowers everywhere. Every day, I walk to my classes and feel happy to be a part of this beautiful environment.
We have a competitive atmosphere, which is good because it motivates all the students to do their best. The teachers are helpful, and they make sure we understand our lessons. I like the way they organize our semester schedule – it’s busy but it gives us time for studying and for fun.
Every semester brings new challenges, but I enjoy meeting them head-on. I am proud to be a student here at my great university. It’s a place where I am growing and learning so much!
Check your understanding
What is described as attractive about the university campus?
How is the atmosphere at the university described?
What are the thoughts on the semester schedule?
Sample answer
- The big trees and colorful flowers around the campus are described as attractive.
- The atmosphere at the university is described as competitive.
- The semester schedule is liked because it is well-organized and allows time for both studying and fun.
Part 4
Listening 1
Where is each conversation taking place? Listen and circle the correct answer.
Click to play the Audio
a. campus bookstore
b. cafeteria
a. library
b. campus bookstore
a. classroom
b. professor’s office.
a. cafeteria
b. campus bookstore
a. professor’s office
b. classroom
a. classroom
b. gym
Sample answer
1.B
2.A
3.B
4.B
5.B
6.C
Transcript
1.
A: Gee, it's pretty crowded today.
B: Yeah. Why don't you find a table, and I'll go get the food?
A: Good idea.
B: What do you want?
A: I'll have a salad and an iced tea.
B: Got it. Be right back.
2.
A: Can I help you?
B: Yes. I'm looking for this book on American art.
A: Oh, yes. You'll find that on the fifth floor.
B: Oh, can I take it out?
A: Yes, just bring it back to the desk to check it out.
3.
A: Hi, Jun. Come on in.
B: Hi, Professor Green. I had an appointment.
A: Sure, you're right on time. Okay, let's go over your essay. First, did you have any questions about my comments on your paper?
B: Uhm, yes. Can you explain what the grade means?
A: Sure. This grade is for ideas, and this one is for things like grammar and spelling.
B: Oh, 1 see ...
4.
A: Have you been here yet?
B: No. Hey, they have a lot of neat things here.
A: Yeah, look at all the stuff you can buy: books, stationery, even food!
B: I'm going to get one of the sweatshirts.
A: Me, too. I'm going to get the white one with the school logo in green.
5.
A: May I help you?
B: Um, is this Chemistry 101?
A: Yes. You're in the right place. Take this seat here, in the front row.
B: Thanks.
A: And your name, please?
6.
A: Are you here for a class?
B: No, I just want to work out.
A: Sure. Let me scan your student ID.
Okay, you're all set. The lockers are that way, the workout room is on the right, and the pool is directly behind me.
A: Thanks!
Part 4
Listening 2
People are talking about their schools. Listen and check (x) their opinions about each school.
Click to play the Audio
| 1 | positive | negative |
| campus | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| teachers | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| schedule | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| students | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| 3 | positive | negative |
| classes | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| students | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| clubs | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| campus | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| 2 | positive | negative |
| campus | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| gym | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| teachers | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| schedule | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| 4 | positive | negative |
| teachers | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| campus | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| schedule | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| students | ⬜ | ⬜ |
Sample answer
- campus: positive, teacher: negative, schedule: negative, students: positive
- campus: negative, gym: positive, teachers: positive, schedule: positive
- classes: negative, students: negative, clubs: positive, campus: positive
- teachers: positive, campus: negative, schedule: negative, students: positive
Transcript
1.
This campus is really beautiful! It's like a park. There are lots of plants and trees everywhere. That was one of the reasons I decided to come here. Another was the teachers. I heard the teachers were really great, but a lot of them don't seem to be very interested in teaching. They give boring lectures, and they don't seem to have time to talk to students after class.
Another problem is my schedule. I have trouble getting into the classes that I need.
It's because the school is overcrowded.
However, the other students I've met have been really great. I've made some wonderful friends.
2.
I've been at this school for two years now.
It's not the most attractive campus. The buildings are ugly. They look like cement blocks. And there are hardly any trees or plants. One thing that I do like here is the gym. It's a great place to go between classes. You can swim in a beautiful pool and the workout room has modern equipment. It's funny that the gym looks so nice, while the rest of the campus doesn't!
I'm pretty happy with my classes. And my teachers are very helpful. They have plenty of time to see you outside of class. I have a great schedule right now. All of my classes start in the afternoon, so I can sleep in!
I love sleeping in!
3.
I'm afraid I haven't been happy here at all.
I think I made a mistake. It costs a lot of money, but just isn't worth it. The classes are really boring. And they don't seem very useful. I want to take a computer science class, and they don't even teach that here! I haven't made many friends, either.
Everyone thinks it's so easy to meet people, but the other students seem very unfriendly to me. They do have a lot of interesting clubs.
There's a photography club I might join.
One thing that's nice is the campus. It's very attractive. There are a lot of trees and nice places to sit outside. There's even an outdoor cafe. I guess that's what you're paying for!
4.
I came here because I wanted to study art.
The photography department is famous.
The teachers are well-known, working artists. Some people think that just because you're good at something doesn't mean you can teach it. But the teachers here are great. The campus is really just a building downtown, so it isn't very nice to look at. There's no gym or cafeteria or clubs or anything. My schedule is terrible! All my classes are at 8 in the morning! That's hard for me because I like to stay up late and work on my photos. I'm so busy that I haven't really paid much attention to the other students, but they seem very nice.
Sometimes at art schools, the students are too competitive. I think this place is different, though.
Part 5
Discussion
Let’s use the vocabulary you’ve learned during the lesson and talk about the following topics/questions freely!
Teacher helps student expand and correct the answers
Do you love your university?
What makes a university campus inviting or enjoyable for students?
Is it good to have a lot of competition among students at university? Why?
Should universities have lots of trees and gardens? Why?
Do you think teachers should help students with personal problems?
Are clubs and sports important in university?
Why is it important to have friends at university?
What should universities do to help students get ready for jobs?
Review
Let’s review the lesson with teacher
6 new words in the lesson
Talk about the campus life
See you next lesson
Homework
Let’s choose one of these options for your homework
What do you like about your school? What don’t you like about your school?, Write a paragraph from 8-12 sentences to talk about that.
