Initial Course Options Discussion
A student meets with an academic advisor to discuss general course options for an upcoming semester, inquiring about different majors or elective paths.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
semester
A semester is one of the two main periods of the academic year, usually lasting about 15-16 weeks, like fall or spring term.
major
A major is the main subject or field of study that a student focuses on during university, such as History or English.
elective
An elective is an optional course that students choose to take, not required for their major, to explore interests.
prerequisites
Prerequisites are courses or requirements that must be completed before enrolling in a more advanced class.
introductory
Introductory means beginner-level or basic, often used for courses that give an overview of a subject without advanced knowledge needed.
overview
An overview is a general summary or broad introduction to a topic, helping you understand the main ideas without going into details.
workload
Workload refers to the amount of study, assignments, or effort required for a course outside of class time.
catalog
A catalog is a published list or booklet with details about all available courses at a school, including descriptions and schedules.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm leaning towards either a humanities major, like History or English, or perhaps something in Environmental Studies.
This sentence expresses uncertainty and preference using 'leaning towards' (meaning tending to choose) and 'either...or' for options. It's useful when discussing interests with an advisor; the grammar shows alternatives with examples like 'like History or English'.
Why don't we look at some introductory courses that could count towards either major?
This is a polite suggestion using 'Why don't we' to propose an action. It's practical for meetings to suggest ideas; the relative clause 'that could count towards' explains benefits, helpful for negotiating options in academic talks.
Are there any particular courses you'd recommend that offer a good overview without requiring too many prerequisites?
This question asks for recommendations using 'would recommend' (polite request) and a relative clause 'that offer...'. It's useful for seeking advice on courses; it highlights conditions like 'without requiring', common in inquiries about requirements.
None of them have steep prerequisites.
Here, 'none of them' means not any, and 'steep' describes high or difficult requirements. This sentence is good for describing course accessibility; it's a simple negative structure useful when comparing options to reassure about ease.
The workload is manageable, perhaps 5-7 hours outside of class per week.
This describes course demands with 'manageable' (easy to handle) and quantifiers like '5-7 hours...per week'. It's practical for evaluating classes; the adverb 'perhaps' softens estimates, and it's useful in discussions about study time.
Feel free to email me if you have more questions after reviewing the course catalog online.
This offers help using 'feel free to' (permission to do something casually) and a conditional 'if you have...'. It's a common closing in advisory talks; the gerund 'reviewing' shows ongoing action, ideal for encouraging follow-up.