How people study varies from person to person, from school to school, and from place to place. In this episode, Andrew shares his experience of doing a master’s degree in Montreal, and tells us about what being a university student is like for him. Technology has certainly had an impact on education, and this episode will bring you up to speed on some of those changes. Listen in to learn more about the life of a Canadian grad student!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Expressions included in the learning materials
- To be looking to do something
- In the thick of it
- Poli-sci, HR, and other short forms
- The light at the end of the tunnel
- A window
- Stop it!
- There’s something to be said for…
- An open-book test
- To be in it together
- To learn something the hard way
- To get something down
- 400-level classes
- Double duty
- Thesis and Theses
- To have something under your belt
- It’s downhill from there
Sample transcript
| Harp: | I remember having to write so many notes, and having a callous where you would just write and write and write in class. |
| Andrew: | Yeah. And now if I do have to write something, like an exam or a quiz, in class, it really shocks me. Because I’m like, “Why am I doing this?” Like, my hand doesn’t know what to do. It gets cramped up after a couple of minutes. It’s really pathetic. And it’s sort of sad. Like, we’re losing the art of writing. And my handwriting now is super sloppy, and I’m always afraid that the professors can’t read it. But it’s just the way that things are going. We’re switching to electronic note taking. |
| Harp: | Yeah. I wonder if there’s ever gonna be a time when we’re writing our exams on computers at school. |
| Andrew: | Well, a lot of my quizzes that I do have to take are online now. And I just take them whenever I want. There’s a window, like, a 24-hour window, and I just log in and write the quiz at my house. |
| Harp: | Wow. So much has changed since I was in university. |
Audio/Learning Materials: Culips