| 9. Our class visited a community college. | ||||
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my students
We took a bus to the college.
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Our class visited a community college. The trip was arranged so that my students could get some sense of what an American college looks like on the inside. None of the students that I teach had ever visited a community college before. They’re all from different countries, and some of them have been in the United States for a very short time. Whenever we take a field trip, the school district provides transportation. Usually it’s a school bus. If you ever see a big yellow school bus full of students in the middle of the day, it often means they are on a field trip. A field trip is an important part of the educational experiences offered by the schools. Upon arriving at the college, everyone was given a folder full of information about the cost of tuition and the programs that are available. Then we were lead through the school by an admissions counselor. She understood the kind of questions that my students asked because she herself immigrated to the United States from Argentina many years ago. Her name was Angelica. She was a very kind and patient tour guide. Angelica told us that a community college is cheaper than a four-year college. Many students who attend a community college are interested in getting a two-year associate’s degree, or they intend on transferring to a four-year school. A community college costs less than a regular college or university. Students save money on tuition, and they save on housing because they can commute from home. We looked in the classrooms. Some of the classrooms had students in them. We walked through the labs, and we were given a quick tour of the library. We were shown the cafeteria and the common areas where students meet and study. The school is very big. Over 3000 students attend classes in the college every day. Unfortunately, most of my students will probably never have the chance to go to college. Either they don’t have the time, they don’t have the money, or they don’t really have an interest in attending college–which is okay. However, most of my students are raising children here in the United States. Hopefully, a visit to a college will inspire them to think about educational opportunities for their children. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Now you try it. Read the paragraphs above. If you have a microphone, you can record your voice and compare it to my voice. Check your comprehension. Choose True or False for each statement. Answers are below. 1. Several of the students had visited a community college in the past. A. True B. False 2. The tour of the college was self-guided. A. True B. False 3. Everyone arrived at the college on a school bus. A. True B. False 4. Almost all of the students on the field trip intend on going to college one day. A. True B. False 5. There are over 3000 students at the college that the students visited. A. True B. False (Answers: 1. false; 2. false; 3. true; 4. false; 5. true)
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