IELTS SPEAKING TOPIC: CAREER

Sample & Mock Test

Part One

I am studying agriculture specifically agronomy. So I learn how to grow plant effectively and efficiently in term of massive production. I find taking care of plants from seed until produce something that can be harvested is very exciting.

I completed a master's in Agricultural sciences from a university in Japan. I want to pursue my higher education in a university in Netherlands that widely regarded as the world's top agricultural research institution. I dream to become a University Professor who is proved as an internationally recognized expert in my field someday.

At the moment I'm studying. I’m doing a graduate degree in molecular biology in the Vanderbilt University.

I've always loved life sciences, particularly biology... And when I received my bachelor's degree I took a research internship in a laboratory where I studied interactions between proteins... And then I understood that I want to pursue my career in biochemistry or molecular biology.

Well, overall I think I am a good student. ... I am not an eager beaver, nor the teacher's pet... but I'm good at scientific subjects and, most importantly, I like studying.

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Yes, I was definitely a good pupil. I was a quiet, shy child who never caused my teachers any trouble or played truant. I worked hard on my coursework and got on well with my peers.

Yes, of course. I've taken an intensive course this year, where I've attend classes three times a week... And I plan on pursuing my studies in the future, too.

I've never really liked school... I'm not a bookwormand a lot of humanities subjects seemed too boring to me. However, the workload was not too big... The other good thing about school is being able to see your friends. And fortunately, I had wonderful classmates.

Back in my day, there weren’t many opportunities to do extra-curricular activities. However, I was in the school choir at my secondary school. We use to put on concerts and one year we did a tour of Germany.

Formal education starts at five years of age but most children go to preschool when they are around three. This isn’t compulsory but really helps them to develop socially.

My family moved around a lot when I was growing up so I went to many different schools including three primary schools, a grammar schooland a co-educational comprehensive school. I even attended a private school for a year.

E.

Part Two

You should say:
When it was
Why was it hard
What you were doing at that time
I would like to talk about my last school year. It was really diffucult due to enormous amounts of homework I had to do and all the exams I had to prepare for... Em, so I studied hard, having no time to goof around ... Moreover, I forgot a lot of things from the school curriculum, that's why I had to do a lot of revision...  But despite the tough preparation, I managed to set aside some time to rest and interact with my friends and family... After all, my efforts were not in vain... I passed all the exams well and was admitted to the university of my dream.

There There were three subjects I particularly enjoyed at school, English, geography and P.E. but if I had to choose a favourite, I guess it would be geography.

I suppose you start learning about the natural features around you and other countries in primary school but geography first appeared on the curriculum as a specific subject in secondary school. I’d been fascinated with other places and cultures for as long as I could remember. My dad had travelled a lot and had a large map on the wall with pins in all the countries he’d been to. I loved looking at it so perhaps that’s where my interest in geography first started.

The geography classroom was great; full of globes, atlases and books about places that were very different to where I lived. We had a nice teacher called Mrs Rose who used lots of pictures and maps in her lessons. This was perfect for me as I’m a visual learner. If Mrs Rose had just talked all the time, as some of our teachers did, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the subject so much or learnt so easily.

I even liked doing geography homework. I can remember sitting at my desk at home spending hours carefully drawing maps and adding all the features. When my mum took me to the library on a Saturday morning, I’d look for adventure stories set around the world or books on how people live in other countries.

When I reached the sixth form and had to choose just three subjects to study, geography was one of them, although I actually failed my final exam. My family moved house yet again just before I took it and I was very unsettled. I had a private tutor for a few months then retook the exam and got a good grade.

At university, I trained as a teacher myself. I chose primary educationso taught geography along with many other subjects. However, during one of my training placements, the headteacher asked me to spend three weeks teaching the subject to every class in the small village school, from 5 year olds up to 11 year olds. It was one of the happiest times in the whole of my career even though I hadn’t even got my teaching qualification yet.

E.

Part Three

As for me, every teacher should be able to catch student's attention. It is very important to make your subject interesting to the others... Also, teacher should be a subject specialist and a kind, helpful person...

It was only recently, after reading an article about a local university, that I realised just how much research goes on in them. It was about a new facility in the medical faculty and outlined the important research they will now be able to carry out on stem cells and brain tumours. This type of work is vital if we are to combat illness and disease in the future.

For most people though, universities are places of learning where you go to get your degree and prepare for your future career, so teaching must have a high priority. As teachers, academics have the role of passing on knowledge to the next generation.

Weighing it up, I think that the teaching side of their work is the most important because unless they instruct and inspire their students, there will be no-one to fill the most important jobs in society or to carry on the research work the academics do.

I believe that the presence of a university in a town or city has a significant positive impact on the area. For a start, it's often the largest employer, offering jobs at all levels from cleaners and maintenance staff to lecturers and top academics.

Large educational institutions like this bring in lots of investment from around the world from foreign students and for important researchprojects. The presence of thousands of students during term times is also a massive boost to the local economy.

In addition to the financial benefits, there several ways in which universities contribute socially. For example, university towns and cities tend to be vibrant, with a great social life due to the large numbers of young adults living there. What’s more, the campus itself usually has a number of facilities that can be used by local people. A university city I used to live in had an excellent theatre that attracted top plays, shows and performers from around the country.

To be honest, I think it's very advantageous to study in such way... It gives you more time flexibility, especially if you have a job... Not to mention that it is fairly cheap, compared to face-to-face classes..

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For many people, especially mature students who work, distance learning is the ideal way to study. There are several benefits that immediately come to mind. Firstly, the cost is far less than it would be to attend a college or university with their high tuition fees. 

Secondly, you can study anywhere and in your own time and at your own pace. Some students, myself included, find that this method of learning suits them better than sitting in lectures or going to tutorials. You do have to be self-motivated to keep up with the coursework though, and you still get assignments to write and sometimes a dissertation, but you can fit these around your daily life. 

Thirdly, there’s a huge range of correspondence courses and online courses available these days so you can take almost any subject you want to and even study for a degree qualification this way. So all in all, distance learning courses have many advantages over other methods of study.

Definitely not. I think it really depends on a country you live in... Moreover, it depends on your financial capabilities... Some schools and universities are just too expensive... Only a small fraction of people can afford to study there.

E.

Other Vocabularies

• Professional development: They spent a lot of money on professional development.
• Technical background: I can't hire him. He just doesn't have the technical background. 
• Project management: After I graduate, I'm hoping to work in project management. 
• Organized: You need to be more organized. You're not efficient enough.
• Courses: Will the company pay for the training courses?

Career path: It's never too late to change your career path, She knows exactly what she wants. She has clear career goals.

Job advertisements: We're looking for hardworking, motivated employees. I'm looking for someone who is interested in fashion. Could you email me your resume?

• CV: I've had look at your CV, and I'm impressed.
• Salary and benefits: They offering an annual salary of $ 45K.

Education/experience: You must have at least three years sales experience to apply. Can you tell me about your education and experience? I have a degree in Fashion design from UCLA.

Job description, Job duties: If you read the job description, you will see what job duties are.

Describe jobs or project that you find interesting: For me, sales is an enjoyable job, I find being a designer very engaging

Describe jobs, projects, or clients that are high-pressure, difficult pr require a lot of time: John has a very challenging job: He's a firefighter, Marta is the CEO of a large corporation: a very demanding job, I'm not well-paid. It's difficult to support myself

Describe a job or project that provides a sense of satisfaction: Helping others learn is really rewarding, completing that project was extremely satisfying 

Conference: Teleconferencing technology allows us to have very effective meetings. Soon, all businesses will communicate by teleconference (video meeting). No more plane trips! But buying new teleconferencing equipment isn't realistic. We don't have the money right now. 

A huge market: Our market share in Europe and America is good. Now we need to sell more in the developing world. China is one of our most important markets. Africa will be a huge market for us in the future. A German CEO says that Africa will be a huge market for computer businesses. The CEO believes that African economies will grow by 100% by the year 2050. I am also optimistic about Africa, but it's not realistic that the economy will grow 100% in such a short time. Africa needs fewer laws that hurt business before the economy will grow that quickly. [Africa will grow quickly] 

Demonstration: Can you demonstrate how the new software works?

A competitive industry: If we lower prices, we'll beat the competition.

Innovation and development: Innovation is critical factor in our success. To get new customers, we need to innovate constantly. I propose that we create something innovative

be creative: I love this ad! See what a little creativity can do?, we are unhappy because our boss gave us less time for creative thinking this year. The population of the world is increasing, so we need to produce more food. Customers are criticizing our new products, we need to develop new and better products. The speaker had fascinating ideas for the future.

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New software

I want to tell you about our new software. Mo Shop is going to be great for us because it will kill the competition. It's an innovative way to shop with your mobile phone. People have criticized us for being so traditional; we've finally developed something that will make people's lives easier. Here's just one example of our developers' creativity: With Mo Shop, your phone will tell you when you're out of milk or eggs and pay for it at your nearby supermarket. Then the store will deliver it to your home. Amazing, right?

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Staff Changes

We're getting a new CEO, He's moving to go to a startup, Mary's transferring to Boston, Johnny's being replaced by a new intern, She's leaving to go traveling, Sally is joining marketing department, He's quitting to take some time off. 

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Wider company changes

IXW is buying out its biggest competitor.
Management is shutting down the project.
We're kicking off a new project in the second quarter.
Sales is recruiting a new team to drive growth.
We're making some staff redundant.
Our team is expanding, and we're moving to new offices.
The company is downsizing the sales department. 

* * *

A: After the buyout, we'll have a 25% market share.
B: You mean, we're buying the company?
A: Yes, that's exactly what I mean. We're meeting with their CEO next week in New York.
B: Let me make sure that I've understood correctly. We're buying the company, and you want me to go with you to a meeting next week?
A: Yes, that's correct. In New York.
B: Wow, And we can talk about this? With staff, I mean.
A: No. Actually, I'd like to wait until the deal is certain. 

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Office Issues

The bathrooms are out of order
It's come to our attention that the company intranet isn't working
The phone lines are down
The projector in the conference room is out of action
Our databases were hacked
The company lost millions due to a major product defect
Customer information was stolen 

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Emergency Situation

I'm writing to inform you of a serious, emergency situation at Fun Inc. We've discovered that our databases have been hacked, and a large amount of customer data has been stolen. We're trying to find out how the hackers got into our system. This is a very serious situation for us and could affect more than 50% of our customers. We're looking into the situation, so please bear with us while we investigate. This information is confidential, so you are reminded that passing on this information to non-staff members is strictly prohibited.

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> We have a severe problem, it's looking like a serious issue. Please bear with us as we resolve the issue. Thanks for your understanding regarding this matter.

> It's a small problem, and there's no need for concern. We're looking into the problem with some urgency. We'll give you an update when we have more information. We expect the issue to be resolved within the next few hours. 

Public elementary school, middle school, private school, high school

Bachelor's degree: Bachelor's degree in literature | Trent got his bachelor's in communications. Now he's doing his master's | She got a Bachelor of Arts in political science | BA in business management | He has a bachelor's from Yale and master's from Emory | He says that you just got your bachelor's.

Master's degrees: Charles did his master's in communications | your qualifications are impressive: Two master's degrees! | I did my MS in mathematics | I received a master's in business administration/ MBA | So, would you ever like to do an MBA? Yea, maybe in a few years, but first I need to make some money.

Doctorates: She has a doctorate in criminal justice | I am a Ph.D. I did my doctorate in psychology at the University of Washington | I'd like to do a doctorate someday | He plans on getting a Ph.D.  

Joint degree

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In the US, a college is often a single school offering a liberal arts degree, while a university has multiple schools (engineering, law, etc.). Americans refer to both as college, unless they are talking about a specific university. When university is used, an article such as the usually precedes it.

• I'm going to college in the fall
• They both went to Pacific University
• We play on the volleyball team at the university.

In the UK, college is generally a place for further or vocational education, whereas university is where you study for a graduate or postgraduate degree. The article the is not usually used with either term.

• I'm going to university in the autumn, I went to college to study computer programming.
• In the US, students say they are in college; in the UK, students say they're at university.
• Paul and his sister are both in college, Paul and his sister are both at university.

Professional development refers to the skills and knowledge you build to enhance education after finishing high school. Use expressions like these to talk about professional development:

• The head teacher coaches the other teachers as part of their professional development.
• HR scheduled some on-the-job training so we can learn how to use the new software.

Continuing education refers to courses an adult takes to enhance education after finishing high school. Use expressions like these to talk about continuing education:

• Ernie has a design degree, but now he's taking a night course in economics at the local college.
• Maybe I'll get a certificate online.

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humanities: studies about human culture, such as literature, languages, philosophy, and history. 
Chloe excels in humanities subjects. She's adept at arts and languages.

sciences: studies about the world, such as physics, biology, chemistry, and maths. 
Mark doesn't like scientific subjects, he's just too lazy to learn formulas.

A for effort: a good mark, which is given someone for trying hard rather than for a success.
Although I'm not the smartest in my group, I often get an A for effort, because I try hard.

bookworm: a term to describe someone who really likes to read and spends a lot of time on it. 
I'm a real bookworm. I won't stop until the book is read.

distance learning (e-learning): education that takes place remotely, usually via the Internet. 
Distance learning is more flexible than traditional education, because students don't have to attend classes and can schedule their timetables as they want.

eager beaver: an enthusiastic and hard-working person. 
My friend is an eager beaver. He studies everything with pleasure and gets great marks.

face-to-face classes: a traditional way of studying - in a classroom with a teacher. 
When I was a kid, face-to-face classes had no alternatives, but nowadays a myriad of educational establishments offer online courses and individual tuition.

higher education: education that is followed after high school. 
I plan on getting higher education after finishing school.

hit the books: begin studying hard.
I'm on my third year in the university, it is time to finally hit the books.

individual tuition (private tuition): instruction received individually or in a small group. 
Individual tuition is sometimes more effective than group work.

intensive course: a course that offers longer and more frequent classes. 
A few years ago I took an intensive French course in the university.

internship: a temporary position which students usually take to get work experience and practical knowledge. 
Before I went into design industry, I took an internship in a company.

mature student: someone who's older than others. 
Nowadays it's not uncommon to face a mature student in the class. People often change professions and get a second or third degree in their mid-thirties.

not the sharpest tool in the shed: a polite way of saying that someone isn't very smart. 
Maybe John isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's a good friend nonetheless.

schoolboy error: a very basic and stupid mistake. 
Sam made a schoolboy error on his English test.

single-sex schools: schools for either boys or girls.
My brother studied in a single-sex school.

small fraction: small part. 
A small fraction of students managed to pass this exam.

state school: a school which is paid for by the state or country.
It is hard to find a good state school nowadays.

subject specialist: a person who is very talented in one specific field. 
My math teacher was a real subject specialist. Thanks to him math is my favourite subject now.

teacher's pet: student whom teachers like the most. 
Hugo is a teacher's pet, he attends all classes and manages to get good marks with poor knowledge.

three R's: basic educational skills (reading, writing, arithmetic). 
Pupils in a primary school study the three R's.

to attend classes: to visit classes. 
In my college, students need to attend classes five times a week.

to fall behind with studies: to progress less quickly than others.
Mary was ill for two weeks, so she fell behind with her studies.

to give feedback: to give some information or criticism on a subject. 
I launched a project a couple of days ago and I want my friends to give me some feedback.

to goof around: spend time doing nothing important. 
Sometimes I like to goof around, although my parents scold me for that.

to learn something by heart: to memorize something. 
Last year i had to learn a very big poem by heart for my literature class.

to meet a deadline: to finish something within a time limit. 
Unfortunately, we weren't able to meet the deadline for our project.

to pass with flying colours: to pass easily and with excellent result. 
I'm studying hard and I will pass IELTS with flying colours.

to play truant: to skip classes without permission. 
During my school years I often played truant with my friends.

to pursue studying: to continue studying.
Lora would like to pursue studying in the future to become a professor.

to set aside some time: to take some time. 
I need to set aside some time to collect my thoughts.

to sit an exam: to take an exam. 
Tomorrow I'll have to sit a two-hour math exam.

to take a year out: to spend one year working or traveling before studying in the University. 
My friend took a year out and went traveling to the UK.

tuition fees: money you pay for your education. 
I had to pay tuition fees this summer

formal education – education normally delivered by trained teachers in a systematic way in a school, college or university.
- In Norway, formal education starts when children reach the age of six.

compulsory education – the legally-required period of time that children are expected to attend school. In the western world, these laws generally require that children attend school from the ages of 5 to 16 or 18.
- One day, a formal education will hopefully be compulsory for all children.

preschool – a school for children who are too young to begin their formal education
- Most children in the UK go to a preschool but it isn’t compulsory.

nursery school (UK)/kindergarten (US) – preschool education
- In the UK, most children begin nursery school at the age of four.

primary school (UK)/elementary school (US) – the type of school for children ages 5-11
- Bindi was so excited about starting primary school when the new term started in September.

primary education – the education of 5-11 year olds
- In an ideal world, primary education would be compulsory in every country.

secondary school (UK)/high school (US)  – the type of school for children age 11 to 16, sometimes 18
- I want to teach in a secondary school when I finish my teacher training as I really enjoy working with older pupils.

co-educational/mixed – a school where girls and boys are taught together.
- These days, most schools in the UK are co-educational.

comprehensive school – a state school that accepts pupils regardless of their level of academic ability or achievement
- There is an ongoing debate as to whether all young people should attend comprehensive schools or if schools that select pupils on academic ability are still relevant.

grammar school (UK) – state secondary school that selects their pupils by means of an examination taken by children at age 11
- Although many people are against selective education where some school places go to the most academically able pupils, grammar schoolsare still popular.

private school – a school that is not supported by government money, where education must be paid for by the children’s parents
- Jonah’s parents decided to pay for him to go to a private school because most classes only had 20 pupils in.

private education – education parents have to pay for
- Only a small percentage of parents can afford to give their children a private education.

• public school (UK) – an exclusive, expensive school, run independently
• public school (US) – a school which is free and paid for by the government

boarding school – a school where students live and study during the school term.
- Yu Yang hated boarding school as she missed her family and felt very homesick.

• course – a series of lessons in a particular subject
• vocational – education or training directed at a particular occupation and its skills, often requiring practical skills
• intensive – fast-paced courses which give a lot of information quickly and in a short time

qualification – an official record showing that you have achieved a certain level of education or skill in a particular subject or skill area
- Riya was determined to leave school with good qualifications so she could get a well-paid job to support her family. 

certificate – an official record of achievement, generally issued for a short course
- Shona was delighted to be presented her TEFL certificate on passing her course to become an English teacher.

fellowship – a teaching or research post given to a person studying for an advanced degree.
- Being awarded a research fellowship at my university is a dream come true as it enables me to stay on and study for my doctorate.

tutor – a teacher who works privately with one student or a small group
- Our son struggles with maths so we’ve got him a private tutor to help him with his work.

lecturer – a person who teaches at a college or university.
- My cousin is a lecturer in physics at the University of London.

professor – a teacher of the highest rank in a department of a British university, or a teacher of high rank in an American university or college
- Professor Stephen Hawking was one of the most influential figures in modern science.

an academic – a person who teaches in a college or university and continues to research and increase knowledge about their specialist subject
- She was such a bookworm at school and always in the library researching some topic or other, so it’s no surprise that she became an academic.

pupil – a person, usually a child at school, who is being taught
- The pupils loved Miss Lefebvre’s French lessons as she gave them fun learning games to play.

mature student – an adult student who attends college or university some years after leaving school
- Jose was so grateful for the chance to study for a degree as a mature student having left school with very few qualifications.

peer – a person who is in the same class, age group or social group as someone else
Pupils these days are under a lot of pressure to dress and behave like their peers.

curriculum – the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college
- Her parents chose the school because it offered a broad curriculumincluding drama and dance which were her favourite subjects.

syllabus – an outline or summary of the subjects to be covered in a course
- The new syllabus included environmental science which was becoming more popular as a school subject.

home economics – cooking and other aspects of household management, especially as taught at school

rote learning – a teaching style based on learning by memorisation through repetition
- My parents’ education was based on rote learning but there was more emphasis on learning by investigation by the time I went to school.

literacy – the ability to read and write, sometimes use as a subject title for reading and writing
- Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world with just 28% of people able to read and write.

literate – to be able to read and write
- In the past 20 years, the proportion of adults in the world who are literate has increased from 75% to 84% which is a great improvement.

illiterate –  to be unable to read and write
- There are many children in the poorest countries of the world who have little or no access to education and are illiterate.

remedial – involving pupils who need extra help with a particular area of study or subject
- Pupils who got poor grades use to be put in a remedial class but now they are given extra support from a learning assistant.

additional needs/special needs – related to students who need special help due to a learning or physical difficulty
- Shona spend the later part of her teaching career working in a school for students with additional needs.

extra-curricular activities – activities or subjects offered in addition to the normal curriculum usually offered outside normal class hours, such as art, cooking or computer clubs and extra sporting activities
- The most popular extra-curricular activities at Westcroft School were pottery, badminton and computer programming.

discipline – a set of rules governing conduct or behaviour
- Schools where a high level of discipline is maintained, generally have above average exam results

• impose discipline
• maintain discipline
• lack of discipline

timetable – a chart showing times of particular events, such as lesson times in the school day
- Ruby wasn’t very happy with her new timetable as she had double maths followed by double science on a Monday, both subjects she found hard.

halls of residence – a college or university building where students live
- In his first year at college, Somchai lived in a hall of residence, but in his second year, he rented a house with some other students.

student accommodation – living accommodation for college or university students
- The university offered a range of student accommodation including studio apartments, flats, halls of residence and shared houses.

assignment – a piece of work given to someone as part of their studies
- I have three more written assignments to complete this term. 

coursework – written or practical work done by a student during a course of study, often assessed in order to count towards a final mark or grade
- Helga was really bad at exams so she chose a course where 50 per cent of the overall marks came from assessed coursework.

dissertation – is a long formal piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree.
- It was hard getting my dissertation finished by the deadline and I handed it in on the very last day.

thesis – a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done for a higher degree
- Adao wrote his PhD thesis on the effect of organic fertilizers on soil fertility in tropical climates.

presentation – a speech or talk given in front of an audience
- As part of their end of year assessment, the students had to give a presentation on the theories of learning for children under 3 years of age. 

lecture – a formal talk on a subject given to a large group of students who would normally take notes
- She was so pleased that the lecture was cancelled as it gave her time to catch up on some coursework.

tuition – teaching or instruction, especially of individual pupils or small groups
- Dana was unable to get to lectures after breaking her leg but the college provided individual tuition for her until she recovered.

tutorial – a small group study session with a tutor often following a lecture
- He always found tutorials helpful as it was a chance to ask questions about what they’d heard in the lecture.

seminar – a class at university in which a specific topic is discussed by a teacher and a small group of students
- At university, I found seminars far more useful than lectures as I learn best in a small group.

lesson – a period of learning or teaching, usually in a school
- Walter was late for the history lesson and got into trouble with the teacher.

homework – additional coursework work given to pupils to complete in their own time outside school hours
- Most pupils hate homework as they’d rather be out with their friends or playing computer games than studying.

correspondence course – a course of study in which student and tutors communicate by post
- Juan’s local college didn’t offer a course in accountancy but he found a good correspondence course to give him the qualification he needed.

online learning – Similar to distance learning but done 100% via the internet and often involving in-person interaction with a teacher online
- I find online learning ideal for preparing for my IELTS exam and enjoy connecting with my teacher via Skype.

a grant – money given by the government to support a student while studying
- Bernice was successful in her application for a grant which meant that she could attend her local university.

a student loan – money which a student can borrow while they are studying, but which has to be repaid
- Geraint took out student loans of £9000 a year to pay for his tuition of fees and left university heavily in debt.

a scholarship – money given to someone, often by the institution they are studying at, to help pay for their tuition
- He was overjoyed to receive a scholarship to Oxford University as his parents couldn’t afford to pay the fees. 

unconditional offer – the offer of a place at an educational institution for which you already meet the entry requirements
- Mustafa was delighted to receive an unconditional offer from his first choice university and accepted immediately.

conditional offer – the offer of a place at an educational institution which requires you to meet certain entry requirements, usually specific exam grades
- She was fairly confident that she would get the exam grades she needed to take up the conditional offer at Bristol University.

to major in – to choose as your main subject
- I want to major in primary education with a specialism in science.

to read (a subject) – to study a specific subject
- Hans read geology at university and is now working for an oil company in the States.

faculty – department in a university that specialises in a specific subject
- It was a proud day for the university when the faculty of science move into the new, state-of-the-art building.

research – a detailed study of a particular subject
- I’m really enjoying this research project on the migratory behaviour of the golden eagle.

• conduct research
• carry out research

to work your way through university – to have a paid job while studying to support yourself financially
- With the steep increase in tuition fees, many students are forced to work their way through university.

to keep up with your studies – to not fall behind with your work
- Giang would have to limit his time socializing with his friends if he was going to keep up with his studies.

gap year – a period, typically an academic year, taken by a student as a break between school and university or college education
- Many students spend their gap year travelling to get more experience of life before they settle down to studying for a degree.

to take a year out – to take a gap year
- Before going to the university, I took a year out to travel and also earn some money.

to enrol – to officially register on a course at a college or university
- She didn’t know an old friend had enrolled on the same course until they met up on the first day.

sign up for – to commit to something for a specific period such as the duration of a course
- Having signed up for the photography course, she now had to ask her brother if she could borrow his camera. 

to drop out –  to leave a course before completing it
- Hiran was forced to drop out of university when his father became ill and he had to take over the family business to support his family.

a dropout – a student who fails to complete a course of study and leaves the educational institution with no qualifications
- Many famous and very wealthy entrepreneurs are college dropouts, which proves that you don’t need a degree to succeed in life.

well-educated – someone who has received a high level or good standard of education
- You could tell that he was well-educated by the way he spoke.

to meet a deadline – to complete a piece of work by the required date
- I didn’t think I’d get my essay written in time but I just met the deadline.

note-taking – to take notes in a lesson or lecture when the teacher is talking
- I find note-taking in a lecture really difficult as I miss much of what is being said while I’m writing.

to revise – study or read something again in order to remember it better, often before exams
- No matter how hard I revise, my mind goes blank as soon as I get into the exam room.

to review – to read over something again. Similar to revise, but generally done just after a lesson or lecture rather than in preparation for an exam
- Bella found that reviewing her notes just before going to sleep helped her to remember the key points.

workload – the amount of work that has to be done
- The course workload felt overwhelming at first but became more manageable once the students had covered the theory and moved on to the more practical part of the course.

to pass with flying colours – to pass an exam or test easily and with excellent result
- He was sure he was going to fail his maths exam but passed with flying colours.

scrape through – to just pass an exam
- She ran out of time in the exam and left many questions unanswered but just scraped through with a pass mark.

to resit/retake an exam – to take an exam again in order to get a better result
- Madee needed band 7 in her IELTS Speaking test but only got 6.5, so she had to retake the exam.

E.