At My CollegeAlexei is going to lea

At My College

Alexei is going to leave school in a year, but he realizes that he must start thinking about further education right now, because it is essential to read for exams well beforehand. So he asks his brother to tell him about his college and advise.
Alexei: Vlad,I want to ask you about college life. Is it different from school life?
Vlad: Well, it depends on what you are interested in. We, too, in college have lessons, and marks; teachers give us homework,and there are examinations and tests.
Alexei: Well,I see. But, then, is there any difference between a school and a college?
Vlad: Why, of course. First, at college we have special subjects in
our curriculum. For example, if one
is going to be a teacher, he or she will take pedagogy, psychology, and methods of teaching. If one wants to become an economist, he or she will study economics, accounting, taxation and a lot of other things. It’s really very interesting. Second, if you work regu­ larly, attend all the lectures and seminars, and get good marks, you will be given a scholarship. If you are at the top of the group, and have excellent marks, the scholarship will be higher.
Alexei: It sounds very nice, I must say. Now, please, describe your usual day at college.
Vlad: Well, our day starts in the assembly hall, where we all gather
together and the head teacher calls the register. Then the classes begin. We have several lectures and seminars every day, and work in workshops. Students also can stay at col­ lege after classes to do research.
Alexei: How are students assessed?
Vlad: We have exams and credit tests twice a year. But of course, it is important how you work during the year.
Alexei: What is the difference between an exam and a credit test?Vlad: Well, you get marks for an exam, and when you take a credit
test, you’ll get a “pass”. Exams are usually taken at the end 192
of the course of a subject. For example, if you take chemistry for a year and a half, you will have credit tests in chemistry at the end of two terms, and at the end of the third term you will take an exam.
Alexei: Is an exam more difficult, than a credit test.
Vlad: Not really. In fact, you have more time to read for an exam: you are given from two to five days to get ready, and you are not given a lot of time to get ready for a credit test.In general, it depends on the subject.
Alexei: Well,I see. Now, what about holidays? They are not the same as at school, are they?
Vlad: We have holidays only two times a year: two weeks in Febru­ ary and two and a half months in summer.
Alexei: Vlad, what are you going to do after you graduate?
Vlad: There is a good opportunity for those who get only excellent
marks while they study. When we graduate, we can enter a university without taking entrance exams and continue our education there. That’s why I study hard and try to workregularly, and not by fits and starts. And hard work gives good results, as I am at the top of the group now.
Alexei: The prospect is very nice. I wish you good luck, then. Do you advise me to enter this college, too?
Vlad: You know, it’s up to you to decide. But I like my studies there, and I think I have made the right choice. Besides,I’ve got many friends in the college, and friendship is the best thing in the world!