INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH STORY 🤔 Making Decisions 💭 Level 5 - 6 / B2 + | BRITISH ENGLISH WITH SUBTITLES

Summary

Sophia, a star student with dreams of becoming a doctor, struggles to balance her ambitions after failing her Cambridge University interview. During her gap year, she gains valuable work experience at a hospice, realizing the importance of human connection. She re-applies to universities, including Cambridge and Sheffield, and is accepted by both. Ultimately, Sophia faces a tough decision between prestige and personal fulfillment. After much reflection, she chooses Sheffield, deciding to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor while staying close to the people and experiences she loves.

Takeaways

• 😊 Sophia had dreams of becoming a doctor but ended up working in a boring office after failing her first Cambridge interview.
• 🎓 Despite being a star student with excellent grades, Sophia lacked work experience, which affected her Cambridge application.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Sophia's parents encouraged her to focus on her studies, which limited her ability to gain practical work experience during school.
• 🤝 During her gap year, Sophia started volunteering at a children's hospice and gained valuable experience in the healthcare sector.
• 💡 The hands-on experience at the hospice helped Sophia realize the importance of connecting with people and the value of real-world work over just studying.
• 📋 Sophia applied to several universities, including Cambridge and Sheffield, with a stronger application due to her recent work and volunteering experience.
• ✍️ Sophia sought advice from her old tutor to refine her personal statement, showing her growth and determination to improve her application.
• 🎯 Sophia received interview offers from both Cambridge and Sheffield, leaving her with a difficult decision about her future.
• 🏙️ Sophia fell in love with Sheffield during her interview visit and felt a strong connection to the city and its university.
• 🤔 After reflecting on her dreams and priorities, Sophia chose Sheffield, realizing that her dream had changed and she preferred staying close to her family and the hospice.

Q & A

Why did Sophia decide to take a gap year after her A-levels?

Sophia decided to take a gap year to gain real-life work experience, particularly in healthcare, to strengthen her university application for studying medicine.

What made Sophia’s first attempt at applying to Cambridge University unsuccessful?

Sophia's first attempt at applying to Cambridge University was unsuccessful because she was unprepared for the interview questions and lacked relevant work experience in the healthcare field.

How did Sophia spend her gap year in preparation for reapplying to university?

During her gap year, Sophia worked 28 hours a week in an office job and volunteered at a local children's hospice, where she gained hands-on experience that helped her grow personally and professionally.

What did Sophia learn from her volunteering experience at the hospice?

Sophia learned the importance of connecting with people, especially in a healthcare setting. She gained valuable insights into the healthcare profession, realizing that empathy and communication are just as important as medical knowledge.

How did Sophia’s gap year experiences improve her second university application?

Sophia's second application was much stronger because she was able to describe her office job experience, which improved her organizational skills, and her hospice volunteering, which deepened her passion for healthcare.

Why did Sophia struggle with deciding between Cambridge and Sheffield?

Sophia struggled with the decision because, although Cambridge had been her lifelong dream, she felt more connected to Sheffield, where she could stay close to her family and continue volunteering at the hospice.

What concerns did Sophia have about attending Cambridge University?

Sophia was concerned that at Cambridge she might not relate to some of the privileged students and that she would miss out on the social and family connections she valued. She also worried about balancing her studies with her personal well-being.

What role did Sophia’s parents play in her decision-making process?

Sophia’s parents were very supportive throughout her decision-making process, encouraging her to follow her gut instincts and choose what would make her happiest, regardless of Cambridge's prestigious reputation.

How did Sophia finally make her decision between Cambridge and Sheffield?

Sophia ultimately decided to attend Sheffield because she felt more comfortable with the city and campus, and the opportunity to continue her volunteering at the hospice aligned with her personal values.

What realization did Sophia come to about her lifelong dream of attending Cambridge?

Sophia realized that dreams can evolve over time, and while attending Cambridge had been her goal, her experiences made her understand that her true happiness lay in staying close to her loved ones and continuing her hospice work.

Outlines

00:00

😓 Sophia's Disappointment and Life After School

Sophia, despite her stellar academic record, finds herself disillusioned working in an office job. After excelling in her A-levels with four A's, her dream of studying medicine at Cambridge University is shattered when she fails the interview. Lacking work experience, she regrets focusing solely on her studies during college, unlike her friends who had part-time jobs. Now taking a gap year, Sophia is determined to gain real-life experience to improve her chances of getting into university. She works 28 hours a week at a boring office job, saving money for university expenses, and spends her free day volunteering at a local children's hospice, which gives her valuable insight into the healthcare field.

05:01

📄 Preparing for University Applications

Sophia begins applying to universities again, including Cambridge, a university in London, and a local one near her home. This time, her application is much stronger, thanks to the experiences she gained from both her office job and hospice volunteering. She reflects on how working at the hospice shaped her passion for healthcare and gave her a more meaningful perspective on what it takes to be a doctor. Despite struggling with the word limit on her personal statement, Sophia seeks guidance from her old personal tutor at college. The meeting reignites old memories, and her tutor is impressed by how much she has grown, offering encouragement and advice for her upcoming interviews.

10:03

🌸 Shifting Dreams and New Perspectives

Sophia finds herself torn between her childhood dream of going to Cambridge and a newfound sense of belonging closer to home. While preparing for her university applications, she realizes that her priorities have shifted. Volunteering at the hospice has changed her perspective, and she now feels a deeper connection to her local community. After a helpful meeting with her personal tutor, Sophia gains clarity about what she values most. Writing her personal statement no longer feels daunting, as she now has more to say about her life experiences. She applies to three universities and begins the waiting game for interview invitations.

15:03

🎓 Interviews and Tough Decisions

Sophia is invited for interviews at Cambridge and Sheffield. During her Cambridge interview, she feels confident and prepared, thanks to her previous experience. Afterward, she reflects on how proud her family is, as she would be the first to attend university. However, she starts to question whether Cambridge is truly the right fit for her. Sophia also interviews at Sheffield and falls in love with the city and its atmosphere. Sheffield's proximity to home and her ability to continue volunteering at the hospice appeal to her. Faced with the difficult decision between Cambridge and Sheffield, Sophia makes a pros and cons list to weigh her options.

20:06

💭 Making the Big Decision

Sophia receives acceptance offers from both Cambridge and Sheffield. Although this should be a dream come true, the decision is harder than she anticipated. She enjoys the comfort of being close to home and continuing her work at the hospice, but the prestige of Cambridge looms large. After a thoughtful conversation with her parents, Sophia realizes that her dream has evolved. She chooses Sheffield, trusting her instincts and valuing her happiness over the allure of Cambridge's reputation. In making this decision, she learns that dreams can change, and it's more important to follow what feels right for her future.

Keywords

💡Gap Year

A 'gap year' refers to a year typically taken by students between high school and university to gain life experience. In the script, Sophia takes a gap year to gain real-world work experience, particularly in a healthcare setting, to improve her chances of getting into medical school. This period allows her to explore her passion for medicine while also reflecting on her future choices.

💡Work Experience

Work experience refers to time spent working in a job or a field to gain practical skills. Sophia's lack of work experience is initially a disadvantage during her first Cambridge interview, but later, her time volunteering at a children's hospice and working in an office helps her strengthen her university application by providing valuable skills and life lessons.

💡Cambridge University

Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Sophia initially dreams of attending Cambridge to study medicine. However, after her first unsuccessful interview, she gains work experience and applies again. Her evolving feelings about Cambridge reflect her growing understanding of what truly matters in her life, beyond prestige.

💡Volunteering

Volunteering is the act of offering time and skills without financial compensation. Sophia volunteers at a children's hospice, where she learns about the importance of connecting with people and gains hands-on experience in the healthcare sector. This experience not only strengthens her medical school application but also helps her understand her true motivations for becoming a doctor.

💡Children's Hospice

A children's hospice is a facility providing care and support for children with life-limiting illnesses. Sophia volunteers at a local hospice, where she assists with meal times and activities. This experience plays a critical role in shaping her personal growth and her desire to work in healthcare, as it teaches her the importance of compassion and human connection.

💡Personal Statement

A personal statement is a written document submitted with a university application that highlights a candidate's qualifications, experiences, and motivations. In the script, Sophia struggles to narrow down her experiences but ultimately writes a compelling statement with help from her tutor, Miss Turner. Her personal statement reflects her development, highlighting both her office work and volunteering.

💡A-Levels

A-Levels are advanced level qualifications typically taken by students in the UK before entering university. Sophia earns four A's at A-Level, which initially make her a strong candidate for Cambridge, but her lack of work experience and interview preparation hinder her first application. Her academic success forms the foundation of her application, but she learns that experience is equally important.

💡Interview Process

The interview process refers to the formal assessment where candidates are asked questions to evaluate their suitability for a position or academic program. Sophia's first interview for Cambridge is unsuccessful, as she is unprepared for the questions and lacks work experience. In her second attempt, however, she is more confident and better prepared, having gained significant experience.

💡Decision Making

Decision making is the cognitive process of choosing between different options. The script follows Sophia’s journey of making life-altering decisions, from taking a gap year to choosing between Cambridge and Sheffield universities. Her decision-making process reflects her inner conflict between following her childhood dream and pursuing a path that aligns with her current values and experiences.

💡Future Ambitions

Future ambitions refer to long-term goals or dreams an individual aims to achieve. Sophia’s ambition is to become a doctor, and her journey revolves around making decisions that will help her reach that goal. Although Cambridge represents her childhood ambition, her work at the hospice and time spent reflecting lead her to realize that her ambitions have evolved to prioritize personal fulfillment over prestige.

Highlights

Sophia had dreams and aspirations to be a doctor but ended up in a boring office job.

She had been the star student with four A's at A-level but failed the Cambridge interview due to lack of preparation and work experience.

Sophia took a gap year to gain real-life work experience, working in an office and volunteering at a children's hospice.

At the hospice, Sophia realized the importance of hands-on experience and the value of connecting with people over just studying.

She developed a passion for volunteering at the hospice, helping with meal times, activities, and shadowing doctors and nurses.

Sophia's new experiences made her university application much stronger, including both office work and her time at the hospice.

She decided to apply to Cambridge again, but also applied to universities closer to home, like Sheffield, where she could continue volunteering.

Sophia prepared extensively for her interviews, feeling more confident than the first time around due to her added experience.

After her Cambridge interview, Sophia felt confident and was proud of how far she'd come.

During her Sheffield interview, she felt a strong connection to the city and campus, which influenced her decision-making.

Sophia retracted her application to Queen Mary University, focusing her decision between Cambridge and Sheffield.

Despite being accepted into both Cambridge and Sheffield, Sophia struggled with her decision, torn between prestige and personal happiness.

Sophia's personal tutor praised her experience, saying Cambridge would be 'crazy' not to accept her.

Sophia realized her priorities had shifted, and her love for the hospice and being close to home outweighed her desire for prestige.

After careful thought and reflection, Sophia chose Sheffield, realizing that dreams can change and evolve.

Transcripts

making decisions

b2 level 4 intermediate

english story

sophia had been at work since 8 am

she was fed up of the same old daily

grind

this was not what she wanted from her

life

she always wanted more she had dreams

and

aspirations to be a doctor

instead she was sat in a boring office

listening to her colleagues about

other people

in the team all she wanted to do

was go home

sophia gained four a's at a level

she was the star student of her year

she wanted to go to cambridge university

to study medicine but she failed the

interview

process she wasn't prepared for the

questions they asked her

and she didn't have enough work

experience to talk about

she spent her whole time at college

studying

she'd never had a saturday job like her

friends

she wanted to get a job but her parents

wanted her to focus on her studies

so instead of working on the weekends

she spent them studying luckily

her parents gave her a monthly allowance

which meant she could go out with her

friends once

a week she always looked forward to

friday nights with her friends

every friday night they'd get glammed up

and head

into town they had the best time

she missed them most of her friends were

now at

university but sophia had decided to

take a gap year

she thought it was for the best she

really needed to get some real-life work

experience

so she could get into cambridge

sophia worked 28 hours a week in an

office it was pretty boring she was

trying to save as much

money as she could university in the uk

can get ridiculously expensive

as she wanted to be able to enjoy

herself

and not worry about cash she got the job

through a temping agency she spent her

days replying to emails

helping with invoices and organizing

meetings as

sofia only worked 28 hours

it meant she had one weekday off a week

to do as she pleased she spent this day

volunteering at a local children's

hospice

she loved her time there people

always asked her if it was a sad place

but it was the opposite everyone who

worked there was so

positive and talented

at the hospice she helped with meal

times and

organizing activities for the patients

she also shadowed the doctors and nurses

she learned an incredible amount about

what working in the healthcare sector

is really like she wished she'd done it

sooner

sofia realized that gaining hands-on

experience

meant so much more than hours chained to

her desk

studying

of course she had to be able to show

that she could understand

biology very well if she wanted to be

a doctor but working at the hospice made

her realize

how important it is to be able to

connect with

people she loved talking to the staff

and working with the children even

though many of them were very sick

she liked to think that she made their

days

a little better

[Music]

she started volunteering at the hospice

in the summer

after she received her a-level results

she knew she had to make the most of her

year

out of education first on her list was

to get a job

and the second was to find some relevant

work experience

to support her university application

sophia had been volunteering and working

in the office for three months

when it was time to apply for university

again this time

she decided to apply for a university

closer to home

if she went there it would mean she

could continue her volunteering

at the hospice she also applied for

cambridge

and a university in london

sophia had so much more to talk about

in her ucas application than she did

last year

she described her experiences working in

the office

and how this helped her to become more

organized

she listed the new program she was able

to use

and she detailed how she had developed a

new system

for processing customer queries

although sophia had expanded her skills

and knowledge

working in the office job it was nothing

compared to her experience at the

hospice

when she started her university

application

she realized how passionate she was

about the things she had experienced

and learnt from helping set up

activities

to talking to the patients about their

thoughts

and fears

[Music]

the problem was that there was a word

limit on the application

she was struggling to narrow down the

points she wanted to make

she decided to make an appointment to

see her old personal tutor at college

to go over her personal statement

she would also ask the tutor if she

would be her

reference for the application

sophia finished what she could of her

personal statement

and printed it off ready for her tutor

to check

she arranged to meet with her the

following day

it was strange for sophia to think about

going back to her

old college she only left six months ago

but so much had changed it felt like her

college days

were a lifetime ago

the next day sophia went to the college

and checked in with the receptionist who

called her tutor

sophia sat in the waiting room looking

at the pictures of

students who had gone on to do amazing

things she never

realized that so many notable people had

studied at

her college there were pictures of

doctors

famous rock stars and tv presenters

all over the walls she hoped that

perhaps one day

she could be on this wall of fame she

didn't want to be

famous though she wanted to be

successful

after a few minutes of waiting her old

personal tutor

miss turner appeared she was pleased to

see sophia

they chattered all the way to her office

and reminisced about her time at the

college

once they sat down miss turner went

through sofia's application

and couldn't believe how much experience

she had gained

in such a short amount of time

wow sophia she exclaimed

if cambridge doesn't take you this time

they're crazy

you've got way more experience than any

of the other students here

i'll give you some practice questions to

go over for the cambridge interview

i mean you've done it now so you know

what to expect

but it's always good to be prepared

but i haven't even applied yet said

sophia

she wasn't sure deep down if cambridge

was what she wanted anymore

yes of course she knew it was one of the

best

universities in the world and it would

look amazing on her cv but that wasn't

so important to her anymore

there were so many other reputable

universities in the uk

that would be just as good if she went

to a university closer to home

it would also mean that she could keep

volunteering at the hospice

she wanted to have her independence

but she also wanted to stay close to her

family

she knew that if she went to cambridge

she would be studying

alongside some very privileged people

who might not be able to relate to her

for sophia it was important to enjoy the

social

aspect of university just as much as the

studying

after all university is supposed to be

one of the best times of your life

sophia didn't want to be worrying about

her peers

she wanted to be having fun

sophia had visited cambridge for her

interview

the university and city were beyond

beautiful

and everyone she met was lovely

until working at the hospice going to

cambridge had been her lifelong ambition

but now she was starting to feel

differently

after spending an hour chatting with her

tutor

sophia walked home and thought about

everything

they had discussed miss turner had given

sophia some useful tips for her personal

statement

now she had to go home get on her laptop

and get all her ideas down on paper

sophia made herself a strong cup of tea

and got comfortable for a night of

writing

she always found writing about herself

to be a little

embarrassing she didn't know what to say

and didn't want to sound big-headed or

like she was exaggerating her experience

she made a list of five bullet points

which she wanted to cover and started

writing it didn't take as long as she

thought it would

and after 90 minutes she was finished

she sent the statement off to her

teacher to make

the finishing touches now it was time to

wait

and see where she was accepted for an

interview

she applied to three universities

in the end cambridge sheffield

and queen mary in london

a few days later sophia received a

confirmation email

which explained that her application had

now been

submitted that's it she thought to

herself

now i play the waiting game

she wondered what she might do if she

didn't get accepted again

perhaps she could get an apprenticeship

with the hospice

there was nothing else sophia could do

so she threw herself

into her work and her volunteering

in the evenings and on the weekends she

met up with friends who were back in

town

she was having a great time she was

earning good money for an 18 year old

the weeks passed by with no news but

sophia didn't panic

she knew that thousands of students

across the country

and even from abroad were applying for

the same courses

she just had to be patient and wait her

turn

finally one sunny tuesday morning

she received an email she had been

offered an

interview for both sheffield and

cambridge

she felt a mix of emotions from

fear to excitement to apprehension

sophia had three weeks to prepare for

the interviews

she watched youtube videos read blogs

and looked up potential interview

questions on the internet

this time she wanted to be fully

prepared for what they were going to ask

her the first

interview sophia had was at cambridge

she took the train to the city with her

mom

luckily her interview was at 11 a.m

so afterwards they would have time to

explore the city center

and go for food sophia also wanted to

visit

one of her favorite shops the cambridge

satchel

company

they arrived in the city early sophia

always was an early bird they walked

around the beautiful cobbled streets

and got a coffee she felt strangely calm

she had done this before and she could

do it again

the only difference was that this time

she had

so much more to say

[Music]

sophia went to the university and

checked in

her mum decided to wait in a nearby cafe

and read her favorite book sofia sat and

waited in the historic

university reception until someone

called her name

and she was taken to the interview room

she was questioned for over half an hour

about her a-level studies about what

made a good doctor

and about her experience at the hospice

she felt confident in her answers

when the interview was over she thanked

the interviewers

shook their hands and left with her head

held high

sophia's mum was so proud of her

she would be the first generation of her

family

to go to university she would also

be the first doctor in the family

sophia wasn't thinking that far ahead

next she had to prepare for her

sheffield interview

which was in two days

the next day sophia was back at work

but all she kept thinking about was her

cambridge interview

and what she would change for her

interview at sheffield

the next day she had an early night

the next day her dad drove her to

sheffield

if she gained a place at this university

she would be able to commute by car

which would save a lot of money

on accommodation costs more importantly

she would be able to continue

volunteering

at the hospice

from the moment she arrived at the

sheffield university campus

she loved it she loved the city's hills

and the way people

talked she also loved the students union

and the general vibe on campus something

about

sheffield just clicked with her

her dad waited in the students union for

her

while she went for the interview some of

the questions they asked her were

difficult

but she asked them to rephrase and then

she was

able to answer overall the interview

lasted 45 minutes she was ready

for some lunch afterwards

later that night she laid in bed

thinking about what the future was going

to hold

she had made some calculations and

decided

that even if queen mary university

invited her for an interview she

wouldn't go

she loved london but it was so expensive

and she wanted to stay closer to home

the next morning she updated her ucas

status

and retracted her offer from queen mary

now it was between cambridge and

sheffield

she could imagine studying at both

universities

they both had brilliant reputations and

their course offerings were incredibly

diverse

and exciting

sophia imagined that she was offered a

place at both

universities and she made a prose

and cons list she discussed her concerns

with her parents

but ultimately it was up to her

sophia's parents were always supportive

of her ambitions

the next few weeks passed by in a blur

sophia was as busy as always working

volunteering and seeing friends

she also passed her driving test and

decided to start

saving money for a car

finally three weeks after her interviews

sophia got an email to say cambridge had

made a decision

she was too nervous to open it she

decided to wait

until sheffield replied she wanted to

open

both emails on the same day

[Music]

another two days passed

they were the two slowest days of

sophia's life

finally her phone pinged and there it

was

a response from sheffield she logged

into ucas

to view her options

she didn't tell anyone she had received

the replies

she wanted to keep it to herself for now

she didn't want to be influenced by

other people

she took a deep breath as she clicked

login

as the page loaded she closed her eyes

all of a sudden she was very nervous

what if she didn't get any offers at all

after a few moments she opened her eyes

she couldn't believe what she saw she

had been

accepted to both cambridge and sheffield

sophia gasped her dream had come true

but somehow the decision felt harder

than she thought

sophia had always been a home bird

she liked to be around her home comforts

and close to her friends and family

now she had a new volunteering role at

the hospice

she didn't want to leave it but

on the other hand it had been her dream

to study at cambridge

now she had the chance would she take it

sophia decided to keep the news to

herself

for a few more days she wanted to think

about what she really wanted

she had lots of questions she needed to

ask herself

did she want to move away did she want

to keep her volunteering role

did she want to go to cambridge

she spent the next few days doing lots

of research

she did virtual university campus tours

and read reviews for restaurants and

clubs in cambridge and sheffield

she researched what the halls of

residence look like

and how much it would cost her to live

in

each city

the weekend arrived and sophia went to

the hospice

she told one of the nurses her news

the nurse was so happy for her but

sophia didn't seem

so excited after spending the day with

the staff and patients

she knew she had her answer

[Music]

that night when sophia was having dinner

with her parents

she broke the news they were both

overjoyed sofia's dad even got a tear in

his eye

after a few minutes she told them that

she didn't know what to do

of course cambridge was her dream

she just wasn't sure if it was still

her dream

everyone knows that cambridge university

is one of the best

in the world if sophia went there

she knew that her cv would shine

having said that sheffield university

also had an amazing reputation

sophia didn't want to do anything she

would regret

her mum asked her a simple question

what does your gut tell you sofia

forget the reputation and your cv

and everything else what do you

want deep down

sophia sat for a minute it say

sheffield i love this city

the campus was great and i could still

work at the hospice

but it's so hard to get into cambridge

i just worry that people will think i'm

daft for not

taking it who cares what people think

said sophia's mum you have to do what is

best for you

and what will make you happy we'll be

proud of you no matter what you

decide

after dinner sophia went to her room

she looked through the photos on her

phone that she'd taken when she was in

sheffield

and cambridge she then opened her laptop

and logged into ucas

[Music]

this is it she said as she made her

choices

sophia felt relieved although cambridge

had

been her lifelong dream she realized

that dreams can morph

and change she was still going to be a

doctor but she was going to be a doctor

whilst keeping the things and the people

she loved close to her

we hope you enjoyed this lovely english

story would you make the same decision

as sophia

tell us in the comments

[Music]

you