Welcome to your first day on campus! Today’s lesson is designed to help you navigate a typical university environment using everyday English. You’ll use present simple and continuous tenses, spatial and temporal prepositions, and descriptive language to talk about routines, locations, and the flow of student life. Let’s begin by imagining your first week at a new university.
Opening Task: Campus Simulation
Imagine this is your first day at UC Berkeley. You’ve been given a map of the campus and a basic student schedule with the following classes:
With your partner, look at the map and choose five buildings for your student schedule. You can invent your own schedule using real building names from the map. For example:
- 8:00 AM – Class in Evans Hall
- 10:00 AM – Lab in Latimer Hall
- 12:00 PM – Lunch at Golden Bear Café
- 2:00 PM – Lecture in Dwinelle Hall
- 4:00 PM – Meeting with your advisor in Sproul Hall
Try to choose locations that are spread across campus. This will make your navigation practice more realistic.
With a partner, describe your planned day. Use present simple to explain your schedule and present continuous to talk about what you’re currently doing. Try to include as many spatial and temporal prepositions as possible.
UC Berkeley Campus Map
Use this map to explore the campus and decide where your classes and meetings will take place. Make sure you and your partner can describe how to get from one place to another using appropriate prepositions and time phrases.Vocabulary Focus
Let’s review key vocabulary for this lesson. These terms are commonly used when describing campus life, schedules, and daily routines. Each word includes an example and a sample sentence to show its usage in context.
| Word | Example | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| library | a quiet building for studying and reading | I usually study in the library after lunch. |
| lecture hall | a large classroom for university lectures | The lecture hall was full before the economics class started. |
| quad | an open courtyard area on campus | Students often eat lunch in the sunny quad. |
| grab coffee | to quickly get coffee | I like to grab coffee at the café before my 10 AM class. |
| attend office hours | to visit a professor during their scheduled help time | You should attend office hours if you have questions about the assignment. |
| advisor’s office | where academic advising happens | My advisor’s office is next to the registrar. |
| spacious | having lots of space | The student lounge is spacious and has comfortable chairs. |
| hectic | very busy or full of activity | The first week of classes can be hectic for new students. |
Grammar Focus
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