IELTS Listening · Cam 5

Test 3 Part 2

As I said earlier, there is, I think, At Rexford, an excellent combination of physical and geographical advantages,

Level: B1 · 104 sentences

Transcript

As I said earlier, there is, I think,
At Rexford, an excellent combination of physical and geographical advantages,
As well as having a rural setting and still being close to central London.
Something that will certainly be of interest to you is
That Rexford is just 35 minutes from London Airport.
At Rexford, we have a strong research capability.
We came seventh out of 101 universities
In last year's research assessment, carried out by a government body,
And did particularly well in your particular subjects, engineering and science.
Actually, we got a top research grade of five for engineering,
Geography and computer sciences.
One further point...
And I know from talking to you individually
That a number of you may be looking for some experience in industry
After the course, is
That all our science and engineering research departments have unusually close relationships with industry in the area.
Anyway, that's enough sales talk from me.
I'll just take a sip of this coffee that's just arrived, thank you, and
Then I'll say something about what actually happens when you apply.
Right.
Now, if you do decide to make an application,
What you do is send it directly to me in my department.
I will then immediately send confirmation, and the application process begins.
And I'd like to say at this point
That you shouldn't worry if this process doesn't work all that quickly.
I mean, occasionally there are postal problems,
But most often the hold-up is caused by references.
The people you give as referees,
Shall we say, take their time to reply.
Anyway, it's absolutely normal for this process to take three to four months.
What I do in this period is keep in touch
With you and reassure you that things are moving along.
One of the ways we've devised to help you decide about applying,
As well as later when you've been accepted, hopefully,
Is to put you in contact with,
If possible, a student from your own country
Who is at present studying with us.
What you can do is phone them up,
We will of course liaise between you,
And discuss your concerns with them.
That way you can get an objective opinion of what you can expect
If you come to live and study at Rexford.
Not only the academic atmosphere,
But important details like what the leisure facilities are like and whether the English weather
And food are really as awful as everybody says.
If you decide you can face it,
The contact can also help you just
Before you leave with tips on what to pack
And that sort of thing.
At the moment, I think we've got two second-year students and one postgraduate from this country.
Now, to move on to the other concerns you expressed earlier.
At a UK university,
As I'm sure you know, you will be in an environment
Where independent learning is the norm,
Which takes most students a while to adjust to,
And at a time when you will be separated
From your normal surroundings, and in most cases, your family.
This can be a difficult time.
But remember that something like 25% of our student body are international students like yourselves,
And that there are several organisations in the university and city whose main purpose is to offer help and ensure
That your time with us is enjoyable and useful.
One or two of you touched on the subject of accommodation earlier,
So I'll just add a few points.
It is the University's policy to give priority
In the allocation of residence places to three categories,
And those are visiting students, exchange students and new postgraduate students.
However, demand exceeds supply,
So there is still a need to put your name down early for campus accommodation, particularly
If your family is accompanying you.
This means that the earlier you decide whether you want to study with us, and
So get the procedure moving, the better it will be for everybody.
Yes?
What if you would prefer to live outside the university?
If you're planning to live off campus,
You've got to sort things out even earlier.
As with everything in short supply,
The good accommodation gets snapped up months before the beginning of term.
In other words,
If you're starting in October, you need to be thinking
About it in June, or at the very latest, July.
So you do need to think very carefully about what you need,
How much you can afford to pay well in advance.
What you can't do is leave it
Until a few days before the start of term.
The agencies in town are pretty good.
It's just a matter of contacting them in good time.
Of course, we have a full-time accommodation officer available to help all students.
She'll get in touch with you when you're accepted.
She's got plenty of contacts in the town
And will deal with the agencies on your behalf.
One or two of you asked me earlier
About your level of spoken English.
Obviously, most of you have already achieved a lot.
I wish I could speak your language half as well.
Having said that,
Though, I'm afraid the lecturers will make little or no allowance for the presence of non-native speakers in the audience.
So anything you can do to improve your spoken English,
Even beyond the pretty high levels most of you have already reached,
Will help make your stay with us
That bit more fun for you.
Some extra practice before you arrive is worth more than,
For example, private lessons afterwards when you won't really have time.
Oh, and one last thing before I invite further questions.
It's very important that you...