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Uni life: seminars, tutors, deadlines and Freshers'

Halls, seminars, tutors, deadlines and grades, in student British English.

We're going out at ten. Are you coming to pres?

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All 15 phrases

Freshers and halls3

  1. Are you coming to pres?'Pres' (pre-drinks) means drinks at someone's flat before going out.
  2. Which halls are you in?Halls (halls of residence) are student accommodation, mostly for first-years.
  3. I've got freshers' fluThe cold that spreads through everyone in the first weeks of term.

Courses and tutors5

  1. I've got a seminar at tenA seminar is a small group where you're expected to have done the reading and to speak.
  2. Which module is that for?A module is one unit of your course.
  3. Would it be all right if I came to your office hours?Office hours are set times when tutors are free to see students.
  4. Dear Dr Patel, / Hi SarahHow to start an email to a tutor.
  5. My supervisor wants a draft by FridayYour supervisor is the academic who guides your dissertation (the big final-year project).

Deadlines and rules5

  1. Would it be possible to have an extension on this essay?Ask before the deadline and use the official form, not just an email.
  2. I'd like to apply for mitigating circumstancesThe formal request when illness, a bereavement or a crisis has affected your work or exams.
  3. What's the policy on using AI for this assignment?Rules can be different for each module.
  4. I've been invited to an academic misconduct meetingA formal investigation into plagiarism, collusion or AI misuse.
  5. I'm going to miss a few sessions. Who should I tellIf you're on a Student visa, tell your department before you're absent and explain why.

Grades and revision2

  1. I'm on track for a two-oneUK degrees are graded as a first, a two-one (2:1), a two-two (2:2) or a third.
  2. I need to get my head down this weekI need to stop going out and focus on work.
Check yourself15 questions

Question 1 of 15

Do you have to drink alcohol at pres?

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Moments
0 of 15 phrases have a clip
Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
Phrases
Picked by Talk.
How Talk picked them
Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 15 phrases.
Licence
Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Meanings and examples
Written by Talk in plain English.
Dictionary details
From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
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