Public Lecture – lexis and notes
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – CBT – is a combination of psychotherapy and behavioural therapy. It encourages people to examine how they think about themselves, the world and other people, and also how what they do affects how they think and feel (their behaviour). It focuses on resolving problems in the here and now, rather than concentrating on past causes. Practitioners help people to develop different strategies for dealing with their problems, not just short-term but long-term too.
chartered – adj – used of only some professions of people who have successfully completed the necessary training and examinations; eg a chartered accountant, a chartered engineer
Vice-Chancellor – the person in overall charge of a British college or university
inaugural – adjective – introductory at a formal event, marking the start of a new position or appointment
to extend – formal verb – to offer – you can extend your thanks to your hosts, or extend a warm welcome to everyone, as here.
a milestone – an important event in the development or history of something or in someone’s life
to drift – to move solely with little control or direction
to scrape – informal – to do something with difficulty
to scrape a pass – to succeed by a very slim margin
to scrape into university – to get into university, but with the minimum of requirements.
UK students apply to get into university through a system called UCAS, a central organization which collects all information relating to university entrance. The vast majority of students are placed by this organisation. Most students complete application forms in the autumn before going to university the following autumn. There have been discussions for years about changing this system to one which would place students after their exam results in the summer, when they would know their grades.
Clearing is only operational for a short time in the summer every year, to help students gain places at universities at short notice. Students who did not apply for university earlier, or did not gain the grades they needed for their original choices of university, can find out where there are relevant places free on appropriate courses and what grades are required.
A student applies to Clearing and gets onto a course through Clearing.
new-found – adj -only recently found, discovered or begun
a work placement – experience of the workplace which is unpaid, and part of the process of gaining understanding of the field. You go on or have a work placement. "She’s on work placement at a library."
to pay tribute to someone – to acknowledge the importance of a person’s involvement and contribution
a carer – someone who is responsible for the care of a person who is young, old, disabled or ill