帮助美国留学生应对大学新生活的25条建议

　原文：Perhaps you were class president in high school. Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate program. Actually, it doesn't really matter what you did in high school as you make the transition to college. High school success (or lack of it) doesn't automatically apply to college.

　　译文：或许你高中的时候是学校的学生会主席，或许你还是某个社会荣誉团体的一名成员，或许你是从一所名列前茅的重点中学毕业的，又或许你还是毕业生代表，还有甚你参与了什么荣誉项目或参加了国际文凭课程。但是，进入大学，你高中曾做过什么就已经变得不重要了。你高中是否成功、表现突出并不能代表你大学的表现。

　　原文：You start college with a clean academic slate, along with a lot of independence and a myriad of critical decisions as you begin the transition into adulthood. The decisions that you make and the actions you take during this first year of college will have a major impact on the rest of your college experience.

　　译文：你跟其他许多的个体一样，你们站在同一学术水平线上，向成年人迈进，而这一阶段你们做出的决定与决策关乎你们一生的转变。大学第一年里，你做的所有的决定和所做的一切都将会对你接下来的大学生活产生深刻的影响。

　　原文：According to American College Testing (ACT), one in every four college students leaves before completing their sophomore year -- and nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before obtaining a degree or complete their college education elsewhere.

　　译文：根据美国大学入学测试的数据，每四个人中就有一个人没有读完大二，差不多有一半的大学新生要么就是没有拿到学位就退学了，要么就是转到其他地方完成大学教育。

　　原文：But wait! This article is not meant to scare you or take away any of the joy, excitement, and anticipation you feel about going to college. Quite the opposite. This article is all about the things you need to do to not only survive your first year of college, but to thrive in college. And many of the tools, skills, and habits you develop through this article can not only be used to help you succeed in college, but in your future career as well.

　　译文：当然，这篇文章不是为了吓唬你们，打消你们刚进入大学的激动、热情与参与度的。相反，这篇文章会给大家列出一些新生需要做的事情，让大家不仅仅在大学“存活”下来，更能在大学里“茁壮成长”。这里提到一些你需要培养的工具、技能或习惯不仅能帮你成功度过大学时期，也能影响到你的未来。

　　原文：The first few weeks on campus are extremely critical for all new students. It is during this time that you make critical decisions that will have an effect on the rest of your life. Some of these 25 tips are critical during your first weeks, while the others are meant for longer-term guidance and survival. Whatever you do, be sure to be yourself and try to enjoy your college experience as much as possible. Expect to feel some stress and homesickness, but don't let these issues wear you down.

　　译文：对所有的新生来说，大学刚开始的几周非常关键，就是在这几周你做的至关重要的决定将会影响你今后的生活。这25个建议里有一些是关于大学第一周的，而其他的一些则是一个对你大学生活长期的指导。无论你做什么，一定要认清自己，尽可能地享受你大学的所有经历。在感觉到了压力或者些许乡愁的时候，也不要让这些事情将自己击溃了。

　　原文：Go to all orientations. Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour? Yes. The faster you learn your way around campus -- and around all the red tape -- the more at ease you'll feel and the better prepared you'll be when issues arise.

　　译文：参加所有的入学前指导班。你是不是有必要参加其他的一些校园旅行呢?是的，需要。你只有越快地熟悉校园的一切，所有的规章制度、繁文缛节，在碰上问题的时候你才能准备的更好，从而更轻松地应对。

　　原文：Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall. The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net -- not only this year, but for all your years. You may change roommates after the first semester or you may stay roommates for all four years -- just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students.

　　译文：了解你的室友和宿舍的其他舍友。住在一起的人，大部分都会经历同样的事情和感情波动，同时也是你的安全网—不仅仅是在这一年里是这样，大学几年都是如此。也许你在第二年的时候可能会换室友，又或者大学几年你都是同样的室友—不管怎么样一定要试着多去了解那些至少在接下来一年时间里都会在一起的人。

　　原文：Get Organized. In high school, the teachers tended to lead you through all the homework and due dates. In college, the professors post the assignments -- often for the entire semester -- and expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, use an app, or get a big wall calendar -- whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due.

　　译文：安排好自己的生活。在高中的时候，老师会引导告诉大家完成作业或者安排日期，而在大学，教授布置下作业—经常的都是整个学期的作业—而你一定要准备好。买个文件整理器、下个相关手机APP，或者弄个大点的日历表—反正就是要提醒自己什么时候要交什么作业。

　　原文：Find the ideal place for you to study. It may be your dorm room or a cozy corner of the library, but find a place that works best for you to get your work done -- while avoiding as many distractions as possible.

　　译文：给自己找一个固定的学习地点。这可以就是你的宿舍，也可以是图书馆的某个角落，但是一定要找一个最适合你全身心投入学习工作的地方—记住不要找—尽量避免受到干扰。

　　原文：Go to class. Obvious, right? Maybe, but sleeping in and skipping that 8 am class will be . Avoid the temptation. Besides learning the material by attending classes, you'll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.

　　译文：要去上课。这是很必要的，不是吗?但是睡过头，然后逃掉8点钟的课，这种事很容易发生。一定不要被这种想法引导，去教室上课不仅能学到东西，同时还能了解到教授所传达的一些重要信息，比如测试重点、课的调整。

　　原文：Become an expert on course requirements and due dates. Professors spend hours and hours preparing course syllabi and calendars so that you will know exactly what is expected of you -- and when. One of the lamest excuses a student can give a professor: "I didn't know it was due today."

　　译文：严格遵照课程要求与任务提交日期。教授花了大量时间准备课程大纲和时间安排，所以了解自己什么时候应该做什么事情是你要需要知道的。最最蹩脚的借口就是对教授说：“我不知道今天是截止日期”。

　　原文：Meet with your professors. Speaking as a professor, I can assure you there are only upsides to getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students -- take advantage of that time.

　　译文：多余教授会面。作为一个教授，我能确定，了解你的教授的方式只有一个，尤其是可能那个学期你还会被其他事情所绊住的时候。教授的办公时间才是完全用来会见学生的—好好利用这个时间。

　　原文：Get to know your academic adviser. This is the person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future semesters, deciding on majors and minors. This person is a key resource for you -- and should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts. And don't be afraid of requesting another adviser if you don't click with the one first assigned to you.

　　译文：了解你的学术顾问。这个人能帮你解决课程冲突、添加或删除课程，为你拍以后各个学期的课程，决定专业与课程结构。对你来说，这个人就是关键的一个资源—也是你有学术问题和课程冲突的时候可以求助的人。如果你跟第一个分配给你的顾问没什么接触，别害怕找找其他的。

　　原文：Seek a balance. College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don't tip the balance too far in either direction. One of my favorite former students always used to say her motto was to "study hard so she could play hard."

　　译文：平衡好你的生活。大学生活是社交与学业相互融合在一起发生进行的，不要让你的重心过于偏向其中的一边。我有一个我之前很喜欢的学生，经常说的一句话就是：努力地学习所以她才能放肆地玩。

　　原文：Get involved on campus. A big problem for a lot of new students is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not quite belonging. A solution? Consider joining a select group -- and be careful not to go overboard -- of student organizations, clubs, sororities or fraternities, or sports teams. You'll make new friends, learn new skills, and feel more connected to your school.

　　译文：对校园有归属感。对于大部分新生来说最大的一个问题就是想家和找不到归属感。解决办法?考虑一下加入某个社团—不过一定要小心，不要鲁莽—这些社团可以是学生组织、俱乐部、联谊会或兄弟会、运动队。你会交到新朋友、学习新的技能、慢慢地就会对你的学校有亲切感了。

　　原文：Strive for good grades. Another obvious one here, right? Remember the words of the opening paragraph; while good grades could have come naturally to you in high school, you will have to earn them in college -- and that means setting some goals for yourself and then making sure you work as hard as you can to achieve them.

　　译文：争取取得好成绩。记住我们文章开头说的，无论你在高中时期成绩有多么优异，你要做的是在大学里学到东西—也就是说要给自己设定一些目标，确保自己付出的努力能够实现它们。

　　原文：Take advantage of the study resources on campus. Just about all colleges have learning labs and tutors available. If you're having some troubles, these resources are another tool available to you. Another idea: form study groups.

　　译文：充分利用校园的一切学习资源。所有的大学里都有教学实验室和导师，如果你遇到了什么问题，这些资源都可以给你一些帮助。或者你也可以从一些学习团体那获得帮助。

　　原文：Make time for you. Be sure you set aside some time and activities that help you relax and take the stress out of your day or week. Whether it's enlisting yoga techniques, watching your favorite television shows, or writing in a journal, be good to yourself.

　　译文：给自己留出些时间。你要确保给自己一些空间与时间放松、释放压力。你可以选择练习瑜伽、看自己最喜欢的电视节目、或者给杂志社写写稿子，这些都是对自己有好处的。

　　原文：Don't feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or a major. It doesn't matter if it seems as though everyone else seems to know what they're doing with their lives -- believe me, they don't -- college is the time for you to really discover who you are, what you enjoy doing, what you're good at, and what you want to be. It's not a race; take your time and enjoy exploring your options.

　　译文：选择专业的时候不要因为有压力就草率地做出决定。就算看起来其他人都似乎清楚地知道自己想要做什么的时候，也不要着急，没什么关系，相信我，大学里是让你发现真实自我、享受自己做的事情、发现自己擅长于做什么事情、自己想成为什么样的人的一个阶段。这不是一个比赛，好好地规划你自己，慢慢摸索，享受摸索的过程吧。

　　原文：Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Don't look to place the blame on others for your mistakes; own up to them and move on. Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you.

　　译文：对你自己和自己的所作所为负责。不要为自己的错误而去责备其他人，坦率一点，继续向前。成年人就是要对发生在自己身上的事负责。

　　原文：Make connections with students in your classes. One of my best students said his technique in the first week of classes was to meet at least one new person in each of his classes. It expanded his network of friends -- and was a crucial resource at times when he had to miss a class.

　　译文：与你班上的同学多联系。我的一个最优秀的学生说他的方法就是在每个课上认识至少一个新同学。这扩大了他的朋友圈—当他有时候没办法缺了课的时候，这些人就是很好的资源。

　　原文：Find the Career Services Office. Regardless of whether you are entering college as undeclared or have your entire future mapped out, seek out the wonderful professionals in your college's career services office and get started on planning, preparing, and acting on your future.

　　译文：找找就业辅导办公室。无论你是没什么计划进入大学的，还是对未来有自己的规划，去学校就业辅导办公室找找那些非常棒的专业人士制定一下你的计划，为你的未来做好准备。

　　原文：Don't procrastinate; prioritize your life. It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment and still get a good grade, but that kind of stuff will not work for you in college. Give yourself deadlines -- and stick to them.

　　译文：不要拖延，提前规划好你的生活。在和高中的时候就算拖到最后一刻完成作业也许也能拿到好的成绩，但在大学里这可行不通。要给自己划一个截止日期—并且要坚持下去。

　　原文：Stay healthy/Eat Right. A lot of problems first-year students face can be traced back to an illness that kept them away from classes for an extended period of time that led to a downward spiraling effect. Get enough sleep, take your vitamins, and eat right. If you haven't heard the jokes about college food, you soon will. And without mom or dad there to serve you a balanced meal, you may be tempted to go for those extra fries or cookies. Stay healthy and avoid the dreaded extra "Freshman 15" pounds by sticking to a balanced diet.

　　译文：保持健康的生活，吃得健康。有些学生在大学第一年里面对的问题是生病以至于不能正常地去上课，甚至能发展得更严重，对之后的生活都会造成影响。保持充足的睡眠、多吃点含维生素的食物、吃得健康一点。如果你没听过关于大学里食物的笑话，那么马上就能有所耳闻了。父母不在身边，没有人给你提供有规律的饮食，你估计会被那些额外的炸薯条和饼干所诱惑。保持健康的生活，避免“新生长肉15磅”的规律。

　　原文：Learn to cope with homesickness. It's only natural that there will be times when you miss your family, even if you were one of those kids who couldn't wait to get away. Find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home.

　　译文：学会应对思想情绪。在有些时候会突然想家是正常的，即便你以前可能是巴不得能早点离开家生活的那种小孩。自己想办法克服这些情绪，比如可以打电话、发邮件给家里。

　　原文：Stay on campus as much as possible. Whether it's homesickness, a job, or a boyfriend or girlfriend from home, try not to leave campus too soon or too often. The more time you spend on getting to know the campus and your new friends, the more you'll feel at home at school. And why not take advantage of all the cultural and social events that happen on campus?

　　译文：尽可能多的待在校园里。无论是因为想家还是因为工作，或者男朋友女朋友的问题，尽量都不要太早或者经常性地离开学校，你花越多的时间在校园和你的新朋友上，你会更加熟悉自己的学校，就跟在家一样。多多利用一下学校举行的各种活动与赛事上也不错啊。

　　原文：Seek professional help when you need it. Most colleges have health and counseling centers. If you're sick or feeling isolated or depressed, please take advantage of the many services these offices provide students. You don't have to face these issues by yourself.

　　译文：需要的时候要寻求专业的帮助。大部分大学都有健康和咨询中心，如果你生病了，或者感觉到孤立或沮丧了，多多找一下这些为学生设立的资讯机构，不用自己一个人去面对这些痛苦。

　　原文：Keep track of your money. If you've never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so. Find ways to stretch your money - and as best you can, avoid all those credit card solicitations you'll soon be receiving. The average credit card debt of college grads is staggering.

　　译文：学会理财。如果你之前从没有做过预算，那么现在开始做吧。找一个方法掌控好你的前，尽量避免收那些信用卡交费单。学生信用卡的债务是惊人的。

　　原文：Don't cut corners. College is all about learning. If you procrastinate and cram, you may still do well on tests, but you'll learn very little. Even worse, don't cheat on term papers or tests.

　　译文：不要妄想走捷径。大学是用来学些的。如果你老是犯拖延症或者填鸭式地学习，你可能在测试上能取得好成绩，但你学到的东西会很少。甚至更糟的情况，记住考试不要作弊。

　　原文：Be prepared to feel overwhelmed. There's a lot going in your life right now. Expect to have moments where it seems a bit too much. As one student says, be prepared to feel completely unprepared. The trick is knowing that you're not the only one feeling that way.

　　译文：做好准备会有点不知所措。进入大学你的生活有许多变化，要做的事情很多。你要预料到有些时候你会感觉要做的事情太多了。就像一个学生说的，做好准备自己会手足无措吧，你绝对不是唯一一个有这种感觉的人。