# Counselling Session for College Students: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 2, Test 4, Listening Part 3

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 2, Test 4, Listening Part 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | B | I think they would be useful for everybody ... I prefer people just to drop in when they can. |
| 22 | B | new college students really have to do a lot of work on their own |
| 23 | A | The resource center is very good, but it closes so early. |
| 24 | C | it really comes down to using every available hour in a systematic way. ... you'll find that you still have time for yourself and your hobbies as well. |
| 25 | C | I need to find out a few more things about you first. |
| 26 | check work | It's also vital to check your work for errors. ... always take time at the end to check what you've written. |
| 27 | record | if they mind you recording the lectures. |
| 28 | a friend | Something else you can do is check your notes with a friend after the lecture. |
| 29 | general interest | not to confine yourself to reading on your subject. ... You should also read things of general interest that appeal to you |
| 30 | dictionary | Do you have a good dictionary? ... It would probably be a good idea to get one. |

## Why these answers are right

**21. B.** The question asks who the sessions are for. John heard about them from a science student and thinks they should be compulsory, but the counselor says they would be useful for everybody and that she prefers people to drop in when they can, so any student may come, B.

**22. B.** You need what new students must do. The counselor says the biggest difference between college and school is that new students have to do a lot of work on their own, which means getting used to working independently, option B.

**23. A.** This asks what John dislikes about the resource center. He praises it as very good but complains that it closes so early, even though it is in the library, so his complaint is about limited opening hours, A; he never mentions crowding or missing materials.

The why and the trap for questions 24 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/counselling-session-for-college-students/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Section 3, you will hear a conversation between a counselor and a student named John.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully to the conversation and answer questions 21 to 25.

**Counsellor:** Hello, John.

**Counsellor:** What can I do for you?

**John:** Well, I heard about these counseling sessions from a friend doing a science course, and I was really interested.

**John:** I think they should be compulsory really.

**Counsellor:** Well, to be quite honest, John, I think they would be useful for everybody, but well, everybody has their own way of going about things.

**Counsellor:** I prefer people just to drop in when they can.

**John:** Yes.

**Counsellor:** I find that talking to students about the requirements of a course helps to clarify what needs to be done.

**Counsellor:** I mean the biggest difference between college and school is that new college students really have to do a lot of work on their own, and it's sometimes useful to get advice on how to take control of your time and work effectively.

**John:** Yes, I mean, it seems like a very light workload until assignment time comes, and then I seem to be working all night sometimes.

**John:** I'm not the only one.

**John:** It's ridiculous.

**John:** The resource center is very good, but it closes so early.

**John:** It's in the library, and so you'd think you could use it more.

**John:** It's a real problem for me.

**Counsellor:** Well, you're certainly not the only person in that position.

**Counsellor:** As I'm sure you've found, it really comes down to using every available hour in a systematic way.

**Counsellor:** If you do this with a plan, then you'll find that you still have time for yourself and your hobbies as well.

**John:** Yeah, I've heard from Thomas that you made him a sort of plan like this, and he's going away for the weekend with all his work handed in.

**John:** Whereas I haven't even started.

**Counsellor:** I need to find out a few more things about you first.

**Counsellor:** I'll give you this form to fill in about your lectures and things before you leave.

**Announcer:** You now have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.

**Announcer:** Now listen to the rest of the conversation and answer questions 26 to 30.

**Counsellor:** Now, what are your main problems?

**John:** Well, what most concerns me is I'm still not doing very well in my assignments.

**Counsellor:** Well, I know that you plan your writing carefully, but this can come to nothing if the assignment doesn't answer the question.

**Counsellor:** That really is the key.

**Counsellor:** You must read the question carefully, and give it a great deal of thought before you even start planning or writing your first draft.

**Counsellor:** It's also vital to check your work for errors.

**Counsellor:** Everybody makes them, and they can influence the person marking the work.

**Counsellor:** So, always take time at the end to check what you've written.

**John:** As far as listening is concerned, I find it hard to keep up sometimes in lectures, especially two-hour ones.

**John:** I sometimes just seem to go off into a dream.

**Counsellor:** It's a good idea to find out from your lecturers, if they mind you recording the lectures.

**Counsellor:** You only need one of those small cassette recorders.

**John:** Yeah.

**Counsellor:** The quality is pretty good, and a second listening can really clarify things.

**Counsellor:** Something else you can do is check your notes with a friend after the lecture.

**John:** Yes, that's a good idea.

**John:** Thanks.

**John:** It's hard to do all that all the time, though, uh, especially when there's so much reading to do.

**Counsellor:** Yes.

**Counsellor:** It's important though, not to confine yourself to reading on your subject.

**Counsellor:** You should also read things of general interest that appeal to you, you know novels, newspapers that kind of thing.

**Counsellor:** Do you have a good dictionary?

**John:** Not really.

**John:** I've never bothered with one.

**Counsellor:** It would probably be a good idea to get one.

**Counsellor:** Dictionaries aren't expensive.

**Counsellor:** And they can help a lot.

**Counsellor:** Also, you can underline or highlight new words, and then you've got a...

**Announcer:** That is the end of section 3.

**Announcer:** You will now have half a minute to check your answers.

[Practice Counselling Session for College Students](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/counselling-session-for-college-students)