Work in pairs. Think of three facts, experiences or expectations (astonishing, interesting, unusual, or typical) concerning university life and your studies. Discuss them with your partner and be ready to present them formally to the rest of the class. Don’t forget to introduce yourself – give your name and at least one fact about yourself!
Find your department in the lists above so that you are sure to give the correct English name forit.

(1) -- select -- Practicals Seminars Fieldwork Lectures Consultations are talks on a particular subject given by teachers where regular attendance is usually not required. Reading assignments are set here to help students to read about the subject in their own time.

(2) In -- select -- Practicals Seminars Fieldwork Lectures Consultations , a small group of students meets under the guidance of a teacher to discuss an essay or report on a specialised topic, usually prepared by one of the students. They form an integral part of the programme of study within a number of courses.

(3) -- select -- Practicals Seminars Fieldwork Lectures Consultations form a part of some courses and allow students to gain 'hands on' experience in working within a subject. They involve experiments, computer-based analysis, laboratory work, fieldwork, numerical or graphical analysis of data, and the production of academic written reports.

(4) -- select -- Practicals Seminars Fieldwork Lectures Consultations are discussions between individual students or a very small group of students and their teacher. Such meetings are held to deal with a range of topics including giving advice related to specific study issues (essays, presentations, reading materials), or simply helping with any difficulties that arise in the course of studies at university.

(5) -- select -- Practicals Seminars Fieldwork Lectures Consultations is of great importance to the teaching of some branches, and some departments integrate ……….. into various courses in the second or third year. Specialised excursions are run to chosen localities; apart from one-day trips to points of local interest, longer trips are often run as well.

Masaryk University Brno was founded as the second Czech university (with four faculties – law, medicine, natural science, and arts) on 28 January 1919 by President T. G. Masaryk (1850 - 1937). Today, it is the second largest university in the Czech Republic in terms of the number of students in accredited degree programmes*. The university's curriculum is based on disciplines grouped under the faculties of Arts, Social Studies, Law, Medicine, Science, Education, Economics and Administration, Informatics, and Sports Studies. The university includes a rector's office (the top administrative body of the university), a dean's office (the top administrative body of each faculty), the faculties, and a number of other schools, centres, and institutes.

Students who want to go to university must first pass entrance examinations. If they get a place at the university, they do not have to pay for the teaching – in other words, the tuition* is free; some of them can even receive a grant or scholarship (for living expenses). Both the Bachelor's* and Master's* degree models are considered undergraduate programmes. At the faculties of Arts and Social Studies, the Bachelor's and Master’s programmes take three and two years, respectively* (or five for a Master’s that does not already include a Bachelor's degree). During this period, students study certain subjects for their degree. The courses consist of a combination of lectures, seminars and practicals, supplemented by consultations and, in some branches, fieldwork. When students finish the course and pass their final examinations, they receive the degree.

After graduation* some students can choose to go on to do a post-graduate or doctoral programme that takes at least three years and consists mostly of seminars, consultations and, above all, carrying out original research leading up to the writing of a dissertation. Postgraduates finish their courses with a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree. Furthermore, the recent introduction of a university-wide credit system based on the principles of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) has ensured greater flexibility and helped foster* the internationalization of curricula.

Gap-year students trying to convince parents that sitting on a beach is a worthwhile way to spend a year will be disappointed with the message in a new government-backed report which suggests to volunteer* or get a job. The study concludes that people who take a year out before going to university, or just after they graduate, and use that time to gain useful skills are more attractive job candidates than those who rush for a degree. Dr. Andrew Jones of the study team found that employers were particularly interested in the "soft skills" that students pick up when travelling, volunteering, and working, because they do not trust universities to teach the arts of communication, teamwork, and leadership.
However, failing to plan the year properly can leave a hole in your CV. Jones adds, "there is a clear differentiation between those doing a structured placement and the people who go on extended holidays diving off the coast of Thailand.“ He spent a year interviewing "gappers", their parents, career advisers, universities, and future employers about what a good gap year should involve. Some 800 organisations in the UK now offer chances for young people to do voluntary work and placements in industry in the UK and abroad; nevertheless, it seems that most gap-year students still do not properly plan their year.
According to the research, up to 200,000 students or recent graduates will take a year out this year. A growing number are state school educated, and are not being financed by their parents. The research disproves the myth that the increasingly common gap year is for the wealthy, or just an opportunity for an extended holiday. The rise of the boarding school equivalent of a gap year, which sees parents paying up to £20,000 for a structured world tour doing Prince William-style conservation work in the rainforest, masks a growing number of students working their way through their gap year to pay their university fees. Dr. Jones advises students to have something to show for their time. After all, he adds, "they are probably just going to get bored sitting around for six months."
Tom Griffiths, an ex-gapper and founder of Gapyear.com says, "One of the fastest growing areas is earning money to go to university. It's a brilliant thing to have on your CV. If you're that focused on getting ahead, employers love it: it shows character, confidence, goal setting, and persistence." However, he adds that there is a revolt against backpacking at the moment. "There's this old opinion that you've got to do some good volunteering, yet there are a lot of people who actually just want to go off and see the world. I did some of that during my year off and I matured; I grew up. Some people say that's a wasted year. It's not; it's a growing year."