Maria’s experiences as a postgraduate student in England – answers

First exercise:

1 Why St Andrews?
2 That was it for me.
3 How was your family about that decision?
4 How did you find us?

Second exercise:
1 In 1999
2 Art history and mediaeval history – or the history of art, and medieval history. Later she mentions that business was part of the course.
3 She says they ‘came round to it‘. This phrasal verb indicates they had to change their opinion, showing here that they did not accept it at first.
4 She put in an individual application.
5 No, it was the town, which was small.
6 ‘Until they kick me out’.
7 She says her future is ….. up in the air right now.
8 The bureaucracy / opening a bank account / the paperwork / signing up for the Internet / getting a flat / homesickness – if she wants to go and hug her Mum (UK) (Mom US) she has to wait until Christmas or summertime.
9 (Getting her visa when she was in the USA). Fitting in here, getting invited to people’s homes. She found people in the UK more friendly than in the United States where she comes from – where people ‘look at you funny’ (US) if you try to make eye-contact.
10 1) She joined a choir, 2) got involved with people, she 3) met a lot of people on her course and 4) has gone to ballets and concerts with them; 5) she also has flatmates.
11 That it’s 1) a mixed house, 5 women and one man, 2) their ages range from 19 to 26 and 3) ‘it works’ = it is a success.
12 That Newcastle-upon-Tyne is so much more beautiful than she’d expected.

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