General Listening Quiz

What are some of the things you need to do to apply for college and succeed in your studies at that level? What are the potential benefits of getting an online degree?

1. 1. A university degree is necessary to get a good job.
   2. Experience is more valuable than a university diploma in many careers.
   3. People should choose a major based on job opportunities, not personal interests.
   4. Student loans are worth it if they help you earn a degree.
   5. A university education helps people grow as individuals, not just as workers.
   6. Today, too many people go to university.
   7. Online degrees are just as good as traditional university degrees.
   8. In some fields, university is more important than ever.
   9. People without degrees often face unfair judgment.
   10. Success in life depends more on skills than on education.

“buckle down” = start to work hard
“If you don’t buckle down and save money, you’ll never be able to afford college.”

“hand to mouth” = with barely enough money to live
“My father lived hand to mouth while he was trying to finish college.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• yahoo (interjection): shouted when you are excited about something
  – Yahoo! I won two tickets to the concert.
• accomplishment (noun): something successful you do after a lot of hard work
  – The company recognized my father’s accomplishments and gave him a promotion.
• tuition (noun): the money you pay to take classes and be taught
  – I had to work all summer at two jobs to earn enough money for college tuition.
• pantry (noun): a small closet or storeroom where food is kept.
  – My sister took a lot of food from the pantry before she left for college.
• rations (noun): an amount of food given out for each meal, particularly when there is not much available in times of war or emergency
  – The soldiers survived on rations during the darkest days of the war.
• talk it over (phrasal verb): discuss a problem or situation before you make a decision
  – You really need to talk it over with your parents before you decide to transfer to another school.
• analyze (verb ): examine carefully
  – The rescue workers quickly analyzed the situation before they entered the building.
• maintain (verb): take care of something so it stays in good condition
  – You really need to maintain all of your hiking gear in good condition because you never know when you’ll need it.
• conserve (verb): protect something from destruction or loss
  – If the missing hikers conserve their energy and food, they should be able to survive a few more days.
• live out (phrasal verb): do something you have planned or hoped for
  – Although my grandfather was quite old, he was able to live out his dream of graduating from high school, something he wasn’t able to do 60 years ago.
• further (verb): help forward or promote
  – The university wants to further educational opportunities by providing additional scholarships.
• be doomed (verb): certain to die or be destroyed
  – My sister’s plan to go to college was doomed from the beginning because she had terrible grades in high school, and she hadn’t saved any money for tuition.
• enroll in (verb): go to or attend
  – More and more students are enrolling in computer science because they see a future in that field.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Think about these questions:

1. In your culture, who is mainly responsible for saving money and paying for college: parents or children?
2. If children pay at least part, what values can they learn from such an experience?
3. What percent of college students have part-time jobs?
4. Does the money they earn go to pay for school expenses or other non-essential items like music, eating out, or trips?
5. What are signs that university students have developed independence?

Use the internet to complete tasks:

1. What are all of the costs involved in obtaining a university degree?
2. What are some ways students can earn money to pay for college tuition?
3. Find a school you are interested in attending and visit their website. Then, research the cost of attending that institution for an entire year, including tuition, school fees, books, and housing. Also, consider additional expenses including health care, food, and incidentals.
4. What additional costs might you incur at the school?
5. Finally, consider why some programs are more expensive than others. Is a more expensive program necessarily better than a cheaper one? Why or why not? Also, remember to take into account that earning an online degree can cost less than traditional “brick and mortar” educational institutions. Thus, browsing for online schools might grant you a cheaper education while maintaining a high level of quality.