Orientation Course For International Students - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations

JULIA: So you were both on last year's Orientation Course, then. How did it go?

LIZ: I loved it. The activities were well organized, and I met people from all over the world.

MARK: Yes, it was useful.

JULIA: And you think I should sign up for this year's course?

LIZ: Yes, definitely. Apart from being fun, it really does prepare you for all the things you have to do in your first couple of weeks. In fact, one of the most useful things was chatting to people who'd already been there for a year, so-called senior students. They'd been on the Orientation Course the year before last, and recommended it to us. Oh, and there was a great atmosphere at the formal dinner, too. It was so colourful, with people in their traditional dress from Asia, Africa, South America. It was one of the high points of the whole week.

MARK: That was right at the end, of course. The first thing they did, on the Monday, was take us on a guided tour of the Students Union.

LIZ: And after that they took us round the city centre, showing us things like the bus station, the main shops ...

MARK: And the best pubs ...

LIZ: Right. So it was very worthwhile.

MARK: Yes, though maybe they could have taken us to a better night club. The music at the place we went to was lousy.

LIZ: That's a matter of taste, surely! Well anyway the next day they showed us round everything on the campus.

MARK: And believe me it was everything. We must have walked miles. I could have done with less information on every building in sight, given that I'll probably never need to go into half of them, and a bit more on places everyone's likely to use at some time or other. Like the sports block, the health centre, the bicycle and car parks ...

LIZ: Which reminds me, there was an afternoon session on how to drive in this country, which seemed to me a bit weird – you know, for a university course.

MARK: I suppose it's because there've been accidents involving students who aren't used to people driving on the left. I was there actually.

LIZ: How was it?

MARK: Well, I must say I was a bit disappointed. There were some useful driving tips, but it might have been more helpful if it had included stuff for pedestrians. How to avoid getting run over, for example.

LIZ: You didn't go to the session on 'safety', then?

MARK: No.

LIZ: Well apparently that dealt with road safety for pedestrians, along with lots of other aspects of course. I wasn't there myself, but that might be something worth going to, Julia.

JULIA: I like the sound of the whole thing. Tell me, what's the accommodation like? Do you have a room to yourself or do you have to share? What do you have to take with you?

LIZ: For the orientation course, you'll have an individual room in one of the halls of residence. That'll be a different hall from the one you're booked into for the year, but they're both on the campus so you won't have far to go.

MARK: And you won't have to take too much with you. The room will have chairs, table, wardrobe, bed, mattress, blankets, sheets and so on.

LIZ: Take a warm coat or jacket, though. It may well rain and it's unlikely to reach even twenty degrees in late September.

MARK: But it shouldn't drop below about ten, at least during the day. Which is something, I suppose!

JULIA: Right. Now I know they can't do much about the weather, but did you have the feeling that they were looking after you on the course?

LIZ: Yes, we did. There were some little touches that showed they'd thought about what it was like to be starting a course of study abroad.

JULIA: Such as?

LIZ: Well it's just a small example, but they gave us free email access to contact people at home. Thirty minutes, if I remember correctly.

MARK: Actually I think it was twenty.

LIZ: Yes, you're right. I was on for over half an hour and paid for an extra ten or fifteen minutes. Not that it was much!

JULIA: Emails don't take long to write anyway.

LIZ: No, they don't.

JULIA: So, just one more thing: the timetable. When does the course actually start and finish?

MARK: Well a lot of people get there on the Sunday, though you'd have to find a room for an extra night as the course accommodation is only booked from the Monday, when things get going.

LIZ: Then they'll keep you busy all week, until the dinner on the Friday.

JULIA: And that's it, is it?

LIZ: Yes, there's nothing after that.

MARK: Though most people stay over till Saturday, partly to recover from the party but also because they can then move straight into their permanent rooms.

JULIA: I think I'll do that. Well, thanks a lot for all your advice. I'm sure I'll enjoy the course.

LIZ: I wish I could go on this year's, too!