Conversations 7

Listen to a conversation between two students at their university cafeteria.

Tom: Oh, there you are.

Ralph: Hi. Did you get the classes you wanted?

T: Not really. My Physics lectures are eight to nine in the morning Tuesday and Thursday. Those’re gonna be killers. I’m gonna need two alarm clocks. And I got a Friday lab from two to four. I couldn’t get an earlier one because they conflict with my Biology course. It’s only has one section, so I have no choice there.

R: Those Friday classes sure spoil a four-day week, don’t they? (Laughs) Want some coffee?

T: Uh, sure. You still got time before you register?

R: There’s still a few minutes till ten, and they don’t let you start early. They’re pretty strict– they won’t let you in there till your time comes.

T: That’s because it’s so crowded, I guess. Registering eighteen thousand students in four days makes it pretty busy over there.

R: I’ll be right back. (He gets them coffees.) There you are. (Pause) Coffee. I’m gonna be drinking a lot of that this semester.

T: Me too, I guess.

R: Did you pick up a cafeteria cash card yet?

T: No, not yet. I’ve gotta go to the bank first. The biggest card they’ve got is a hundred dollars, isn’t it?

R: I think they’ve got a two-hundred dollar one this year. Prices have gone up so much they’ve added a new denomination– like Zimbabwe does! But I’ve still got some money on my last year’s card, so I haven’t checked for sure yet.

T: Well, I’ll take out two hundred bucks just in case. Might as well get the biggest one– I’ll be using it all, that’s for sure. I practically live over here. It’s a good place to study.

R: Can I sublet your half of the room then? (Laughs)

T: (Laughs) Gee, maybe we should. Pick up some extra money. They say there’s a real shortage of dorm space this year.

R: How come? The student body’s about the same as last year, I think. Or smaller– tuition’s gone up again and I’ll bet some students just couldn’t afford it this year, with this slow economy.

T: No, it’s because they tore down Dormitory A to put up a new one– but all they’ve got is the shell so far. That plumbers and electricians strike this summer sure threw a monkey wrench into the construction schedule. It won’t be finished now till the end of December at least.

R: Wow! There must’ve been five hundred rooms in Dorm A! That’s a big dent in campus housing, all right. Are they doing anything about it?

T: Well, I hear the Housing Office is trying to lease as many off-campus units as they can find, but most of them are rented to students already.

R: Too bad. I wouldn’t want to live off-campus anyway, though.

T: Why not?

R: Well, it’s so cheap and easy to live right here. The rent’s less than half of what we’d have to pay out there, and we’re right on campus within a few minutes of everyplace. The only problem is the roommates they give you.

T: (Laughs) Yeah? Well, you’re stuck with this one for the rest of the year at least, pal! But y’know, of we stayed roomies, we could share the rent on an apartment somewhere not too far off. So it wouldn’t cost that much– and think of the parties we could throw! You can’t have a real party in a dorm room.

R: Huh! Yeah. That’s something to think about. Let’s keep our eyes open for a place for next year, then.