By George Forsythe1) 譯 / 朱甄雯

親愛的大一新生們，告別了令人窒息的高三，跨入了夢寐以求的大學，從此學習和生活都由自己做主，想必你一定感到如釋重負又興奮不已。但且慢，進了大學并不等于給未來上了保險。對于每一個正青春的你而言，要想不辜負自己，不枉費青春，不放過人生最寶貴的四年所能提供的所有機會和可能性，你必須從現(xiàn)在就開始思考：我要怎么從大一開始充實地度過這四年？也許，下面這位校長寫給自己剛上大一的兒子的一封信能為你提供些許答案。

Dear Gavin （and all incoming freshmen），

Congratulations on the start of your college career！ I know how excited you must be about your achievements to date2）， as well as this chance to begin the next phase of your life. As a college president， I want to pass along a few words of wisdom as you begin your college careers.

I want to begin by dispelling a few misconceptions about college. I know you just graduated from a challenging high school with a strong college prep program. You are certainly well-prepared. That said， you cant expect to coast3） on your high school work ethic and succeed in college. Higher education requires more diligence and focus than high school. Here are some tips：

★ Dont be fooled by the schedule. Two or three classes a day would appear to leave free time to do your own thing. Actually， your professors will expect you to use that open time to study vigorously. Meetings， study groups， and assignments will dominate this “free time.” Be prepared.

★ Dont expect to get all your homework done in a few hours each night. College work requires you to spend more time on task than you did in high school. However， the hours at the library or study lounge will pay off in success.

★ Avoid the misconception that class attendance is optional and all that matters is the final grade. You may find that professors dont take attendance. You might be inclined to think they wont notice if youre not present. Trust me—your attendance will have a direct impact on your learning. Go to class， sit in front， take good notes， and participate in class discussions. Its your education， so make the most of it.

★ Finally， many new college students think that an education is simply about acquiring as much knowledge as possible， and its the professors job to provide the answers. Not true. An education is based on learning how to think critically about a wide range of topics， and then putting those ideas into action.

Now that Ive addressed some misconceptions， lets focus on the learning opportunities：

Own Your Education

An education is about making your life more meaningful， and its your job to “make the meaning.” Learning is an active endeavor. Your professors are there to help you， and they actually care about what you think and do. Respect your professors and yourself through active learning and participation.

Professors will expect you to learn the material before you come to class. Your time in class will be devoted to in-depth exploration. You will critique， test， and apply ideas. It takes a while to get used to this switch， but this is how you learn to become a self-directed， lifelong learner. You are extremely bright， but in college， you cant get by on natural talents alone. You have to do the work， seek additional help from professors and learning specialists4）， and schedule your time wisely. If you do， youll still have time for co-curricular activities and leisure time.

You have to be disciplined. Dont expect an academic counselor or professor to monitor your progress， like in high school.

Beyond the Classroom

You are going to meet people from diverse backgrounds. You might meet people who wont agree with your views on politics or religion， and I encourage you to suspend judgment and be open to new and different ideas. Dont be afraid to respectfully ask questions about other students backgrounds. You will find that getting to know a person unlike yourself not only helps you strengthen your own values， it also allows you to appreciate and enjoy that very difference.

While you and your roommate will probably get along just fine， roommate conflicts are a natural part of going to college. Try to work them out on your own. If you cant， get help from your resident hall advisors. Challenges with roommates or classmates actually provide excellent practice in conflict resolution， a vital lifelong skill. Above all， be kind and practice the Golden Rule5）.

Family and Independence

It will be an emotional time when you say goodbye to your family. These emotions are good. They demonstrate the bonds of love that you have for one another. Part of that love includes your parents letting you take flight. I encourage you to become engaged in campus life. Make the campus your new community. This is your chance to write the next chapter of your life as a young adult.

Try to keep your family informed. Dont be afraid to share your successes and struggles； both are natural. You are an independent young person， so you wont need to rely on your parents when you encounter difficulties. We all have the confidence you can handle the challenges， but were also here for advice if （and when） you need it.

Remember： you are ready for this next step in your lifes journey. Go make the most of it.

With all my love，

Pop

親愛的加文（以及所有的準大一新生們），

祝賀你即將開始大學生涯！我知道你一定對自己迄今為止所取得的成績感到很激動，對能得到這樣的機會步入人生新的階段感到很興奮。在你開始大學生涯之際，作為一名大學校長，我有一些道理想要告訴你。

我首先想要消除人們對大學的一些誤解。我知道你剛從充滿挑戰(zhàn)的中學畢業(yè)，也讀完了出色的大學預科課程。你肯定對上大學做好了充分準備。但即便如此，你也不要以為靠著讀中學的學習態(tài)度就能不費吹灰之力地在大學里取得好成績。與讀中學相比，大學需要你更勤奮、更專注。以下是我的一些建議：

★不要被課表忽悠了。每天只有兩三節(jié)課，這看似給你留出了自由的時間可以去做自己的事情。而實際上，你的教授們是希望你能利用好這些空余時間去積極地學習。會議、學習小組、各門作業(yè)——這些將占據(jù)你的“空余”時間。對此你要做好準備。

★不要指望每晚花幾個小時就能完成你所有的作業(yè)。大學作業(yè)需要你投入比高中時更多的時間去完成。不過，你花在圖書館或自習室里的時間都會給你帶來成功的回報。

★避免以下認識誤區(qū)：上課是否出勤是可以選擇的，唯一重要的是期末成績?；蛟S你發(fā)現(xiàn)教授們并不點名，你也許傾向于認為如果你不出勤，教授們也不會察覺。但請相信我，你的出勤率將直接影響到你的學業(yè)。去上課，坐在前排，做好筆記，參與課堂討論——這是你的教育，所以要最大限度地利用好它。

★最后，很多大學新生認為，接受教育只是意味著獲得盡可能多的知識，而教授的職責就是為學生提供答案。這個想法是不對的。教育所基于的理念首先是學習如何對范圍廣泛的話題進行批判性思考，然后再將那些想法付諸實踐。

既然我已經(jīng)指出了一些誤解，接著我們來著重談談學習機會。

主宰自己的教育

教育的目的是讓你的人生變得更有意義，而創(chuàng)造意義的任務需要由你來完成。學習是一種積極主動的努力。教授們只是在那里幫助你，他們實際上關心的是你的想法和行為。主動學習，積極參與——這既是對教授們的尊重，也是對你自己的尊重。

教授們希望你在上課之前了解學習資料。你在課堂上的時間將用于深入的探究。你將評判、檢驗和運用各類觀點。你需要一段時間去適應這種學習方式的轉變，不過這會讓你學會如何成為一名自主的終身學習者。你非常聰明，但在大學里光靠天分是行不通的。你必須完成作業(yè)，從教授和學習輔導員那里尋求額外的幫助，合理規(guī)劃自己的時間。如果你照做的話，你還會有時間去參加課外活動和享受娛樂休閑。

你必須懂得自律。不要指望像中學那樣會有輔導員或老師來監(jiān)督你的進步。

把握課堂之外

你將遇到各種各樣不同背景的人。你可能會遇到政治或宗教觀點與你相左的人，對此我鼓勵你先不要急于作出判斷，而是對不同的新觀點保持開放的態(tài)度。要勇于恭敬地詢問其他同學的背景情況。你會發(fā)現(xiàn)，去了解一個和你不同的人不僅會幫助你堅定你的價值觀，也會讓你理解和欣賞你們之間的差異。

也許你和室友會相處得不錯，但室友之間的摩擦是大學生活里很正常的一部分。試著靠自己去解決矛盾。如果實在無法解決，你可以向宿舍管理員求助。事實上，與室友或同學之間的沖突為你提供了一個絕佳的實踐機會，讓你學會如何解決分歧——這可是終生受用的一個重要技能。不過，最重要的是對人友善，學會運用與人相處的黃金法則。

平衡親情與獨立的關系

與家人告別時，你難免會有情緒波動。有這些情緒是好事，它們體現(xiàn)著你與家人之間愛的紐帶。父母放手讓你展翅高飛也是這種愛的一種體現(xiàn)。我鼓勵你積極融入到大學生活中，讓大學成為你生活的一個新圈子。這是你作為年紀尚輕的成年人書寫人生新篇章的機會。

有事要盡量告知家人。不要害怕與家人分享自己的成功與艱辛，這些都是再正常不過的事情。你已經(jīng)是一位獨立的年輕人，所以當你遇到困難時，你不需要依賴父母幫你解決。我們都相信你有能力去應對各種挑戰(zhàn)，但如果（或當）你需要幫助時，我們也隨時準備著給你建議。

記?。耗阋褱蕚浜瞄_始你人生的下一段旅程。去好好享受它吧！

深愛你的爸爸