為什么很多夏校不能幫你真正留美

加州大學(xué)伯克利分校

所謂ABC，American Born Chinese，意思是在美國出生的中國人。

我就是一個生活在美國加州的ABC。我會在這里發(fā)表原創(chuàng)觀點，由我華麗的獨家翻譯官翻譯，文章將以中英文交替的方式提供。

我的母校 - 加州大學(xué)伯克利分校

作為一名ABC，參觀大學(xué)并準(zhǔn)備申請程序是一件很自然的事情。我們有老師、輔導(dǎo)員和我們的高中幫助我們做大學(xué)研究、寫個人陳述和制作簡歷。

As an ABC, touring colleges and preparing for the application process was a natural thing. We had teachers, counselors, and our high school helping us research, write personal statements, and build resumes.

在假期中，我們會規(guī)劃一條旅行路線，專門參觀我們感興趣的大學(xué)。因為我來自美國西海岸，所以我不需要走多遠(yuǎn)就能參觀世界上最好的大學(xué)。

During long breaks, we would plot a route to visit colleges we were interested in. Since I was from the west coast, I didn’t need to go far to visit some of the best colleges in the world.

但對于希望出國留學(xué)的中國學(xué)生來說，情況并非如此。正如我在前一篇文章《誰說出國留學(xué)是富家小孩的救生船》中提到的，出國留學(xué)的準(zhǔn)備是一個極其復(fù)雜的過程，中國學(xué)生將有很多地方需要提高。

But this isn’t the case for Chinese students looking to study abroad. As I mentioned in a previous article “Why studying abroad isn’t the easy way out of GaoKao,” preparing to study abroad is an extremely involved process where Chinese students will have a lot of ground to make up.

趕上別人最好的方法之一就是參加大學(xué)行。在你決定未來四年去一個將對你的余生產(chǎn)生重大影響的地方之前，你必須親眼看看那是什么樣子。

One of the best ways to catch up is to go on college tours. You must see for yourself what it is like before committing the next four years to a place that will strongly influence the rest of your life.

你還必須了解生活方式的細(xì)微差別，這樣你才能在一個新的環(huán)境中茁壯成長，而不是被文化沖擊壓垮。由于大多數(shù)的大學(xué)之旅只是向你展示你所參觀的大學(xué)的膚淺外表，所以當(dāng)你提交大學(xué)申請時，你并沒有得到任何益處。

You must also understand the lifestyle nuances so that you can thrive in a new environment instead of crumbling from cultural shock. Since most college tours do not go beyond showing you the surface and shallow facade of the colleges you visit, you really don’t get any advantages when it comes time to submit your college applications.

到另一個國家旅游最好的經(jīng)歷之一就是完全沉浸在他們的文化和生活方式中。你大老遠(yuǎn)跑到美國，一直說中文，和其他中國人一起交流和吃飯，這是沒有任何意義的。

One of the best experiences of visiting another country is to be fully immersed in their culture and lifestyle. It doesn’t make any sense for you to travel all the way to America just to speak Chinese the entire time and eat Chinese food with other Chinese people.

如果你想這樣做，你大可為自己省下一大筆錢，只需要在網(wǎng)上“訪問”大學(xué)即可。大學(xué)旅行是你應(yīng)該積極利用的重要機會。它應(yīng)該為你創(chuàng)造環(huán)境來練習(xí)英語口語，與當(dāng)?shù)貙W(xué)生互動，體驗作為一個美國學(xué)生的生活。

If you wanted to do that, you could’ve saved yourself a lot of money and just “visit” colleges online. The college tour is something you should be able to actively use to your advantage. It should give you the opportunity to practice your spoken English, interact with local students, and experience life as an American student.

應(yīng)該把目標(biāo)集中在使用英語多于漢語的大學(xué)旅游項目;?盡可能多地練習(xí)使用英語。此外，一定要檢查他們提供什么樣的活動和餐飲。

Look for college tours that emphasize the use of English over Chinese; practice as much as possible. Also, be sure to check what kind of activities and meals they are providing.

有太多的項目為了省錢，迫不及待地糊弄游客，給他們提供最便宜的食物。理想情況下，項目應(yīng)該向你介紹美國大學(xué)生通常吃什么，這樣你就可以開始了解和習(xí)慣美國大學(xué)的生活。

There are too many that are too ready to feed their tours a cheap meal in order to save money. Ideally, the tour will also introduce you to what students typically eat so that they can start getting used to that as well.

我看到很多大學(xué)之旅都是由導(dǎo)游帶領(lǐng)的，他們只是把從旅游指南上的東西背下來講給你聽。這些導(dǎo)游都不了解任何一所大學(xué)的當(dāng)前文化、申請趨勢和生活方式。

I’ve seen so many college tours led by tour guides that are simply regurgitating what they memorized from a guidebook. None of these people understand the current culture, trends, and lifestyle of any specific college.

例如，他們不會告訴你這所大學(xué)是否有強大的經(jīng)濟系，或者校園里是否有活躍的希臘生活。他們不會知道最受歡迎的課外活動或俱樂部。他們也不會告訴你一門課程的平均工作量，或者哪些公司參與了校園招聘(On Campus Recruiting)。他們不能給你任何應(yīng)該怎么利用時間。他們也無法告訴你某所大學(xué)喜歡從申請者身上看到什么。在考察大學(xué)旅游時，一定要確保旅游是由在校學(xué)生帶領(lǐng)的;?如果有很多機會與更多的學(xué)生互動，那就更好了。

For example, they cannot tell you whether the college has a strong economics department or if the campus has an active Greek life. They won't know about the most popular extracurriculars or clubs. Neither can they tell you about a class’s typical workload or which companies participate in on-campus recruiting(OCR). They cannot give any advice on how you should spend your time. They cannot tell you what a particular college likes to see in their applicants. When looking at college tours, be sure to make sure tours are led by current students; even better if there are multiple opportunities to interact with more of the student body.

只展示大學(xué)校園的大學(xué)之旅其實可以說是一種浪費。就好像他們給了你一張沒有圖例或標(biāo)記的地圖。他們不會教你任何關(guān)于申請過程的知識，你需要達(dá)到的考試分?jǐn)?shù)，如何撰寫你的個人陳述，或者如何制作你的簡歷來吸引特定的大學(xué)。

College tours that only show the college campuses are doing you a great disservice. It is as if they gave you a map with no key or markers. They don’t teach you anything about the application process, what test scores you need to aim for, how to craft your personal statement, or how to build your resume to appeal to specific colleges.

如果你被錄取了，他們也不會教你如何在大學(xué)取得成功。你應(yīng)該帶著一定要被錄取的信念去參觀大學(xué)。因為那樣的話，你就需要考慮其他可能影響或決定你上哪所大學(xué)的因素。一個綜合性的大學(xué)旅游項目應(yīng)該包括教你如何在申請過程和大學(xué)生涯中獲得成功。

They also do not teach you how to succeed in college should you be admitted. You should tour colleges with the assumption that you will be admitted. Because that way, you will need to consider other factors that may affect your decision of which college to attend. A comprehensive college tour program should include teaching you how to find success in your application and college career.

你應(yīng)該知道基本的禮儀規(guī)范，以及在大學(xué)環(huán)境中如何社交。你還應(yīng)該知道如何在學(xué)業(yè)上競爭，但也要充分體驗大學(xué)生活所提供的一切。這正是很多應(yīng)試教育下的中國學(xué)生所缺乏的，然而，為了適應(yīng)社會競爭，這卻是一個人最重要和最關(guān)鍵的能力之一。了解這一切將使你成為一個更有競爭力的申請人，并將有助于你為人生的下一個篇章做好準(zhǔn)備。

You should know basic etiquette and how to socialize/networking a college environment. You should also know how to compete academically but also fully experience everything college life has to offer. Knowing all this will make you a more competitive applicant and will help prepare you for your next chapter.

每個人都知道哈佛、斯坦福和加州大學(xué)伯克利分校，但可能不知道加州大學(xué)戴維斯分校或舊金山大學(xué)。雖然你應(yīng)該瞄準(zhǔn)最好的大學(xué)，但你必須明白為什么它們是最好的。同樣重要的是，也要看看那些知名度較低的大學(xué)是否真的落后那么遠(yuǎn)。

Everyone knows about Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, but probably not UC Davis or University of San Francisco. While you should aim for the best colleges, it is imperative that you understand why they are the best. It is also just as important to see for yourself if the lesser known colleges are really that far behind.

參觀不同的大學(xué)會讓你有不同的視角;?這將是你申請大學(xué)的關(guān)鍵。如果你沒有同時訪問過南加州大學(xué)和圣克拉拉大學(xué)，你怎么能說南加州大學(xué)比圣克拉拉大學(xué)更適合你呢??還有，聲譽不是你申請大學(xué)時應(yīng)該考慮的唯一因素。你需要考慮你對哪個項目感興趣，哪個學(xué)院在那個系最優(yōu)秀。

Visiting a range of universities will give you perspective; perspective that will be key in your college application process. How can you say that University of Southern California (USC) is a better fit for you than Santa Clara University if you haven’t visited both? In other cases, reputation isn’t the only factor you should consider when applying to colleges. You need to consider which programs you’re interested in and which college excels in that department.

例如，加州大學(xué)戴維斯分校(UCDavis)的生物工程課程排名高于康奈爾大學(xué)(CornellUniversity)。加州大學(xué)圣地亞哥分校的生物醫(yī)學(xué)項目排名高于加州大學(xué)伯克利分校和賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)的項目。

For example, UC Davis has a superior ranked biological engineering program than Cornell University. UC San Diego’s biomedical program is ranked higher than both UC Berkeley’s and University of Pennsylvania’s programs.

如果你是一名準(zhǔn)大學(xué)生，那么你應(yīng)該知道圣克拉拉大學(xué)(Santa Clara University)和加州州立理工大學(xué)(Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)在美西大學(xué)中都是排名前十的高等學(xué)府。

If you’re a prospective undergraduate, then you should know Santa Clara University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are ranked 6th and 7th respectively among regional universities in the west.

只參觀著名大學(xué)的大學(xué)旅游只會縮小你的視野，與你的目的是背道而馳的。為了你自己的利益，一定要選擇一個包含一系列大學(xué)的行程。

College tours that only visit the well-known colleges will only narrow your vision instead of expanding it. Be sure to select a tour that includes a range of colleges for your own benefit.

即使是最好的大學(xué)之旅，你和他們相處的時間也不會超過兩個星期。你回家后，又得全靠自己了。這是對本來可以更有建設(shè)性的關(guān)系的嚴(yán)重浪費。

Even the best college tours do not go further than the week or two that you are with them. After you return home, you’re on your own again. This is a terrible waste of a relationship that could be much more constructive.

在旅途中投入了這么多金錢和時間之后，這筆投資理應(yīng)繼續(xù)帶來回報。大學(xué)之旅只是萬里長征的第一步。一個完善的教育項目將會在旅行的基礎(chǔ)上繼續(xù)為您提供后續(xù)幫助，并帶您走過留學(xué)生涯中的每一步。為了使大學(xué)行程更有效，您，作為一個學(xué)生，最終目的是在您學(xué)業(yè)的終點取得成功。

After investing so much money and time on the trip, it should be something that continues to pay dividends. The college tour is only one step of a long and complicated process. A good program will continue to build upon the tour and walk you through every step of the way. For the college tour to be effective, you, as the student, must ultimately succeed.

開始大學(xué)之旅不僅是一次旅行，也是一種投資。去參觀大學(xué)校園，看看風(fēng)景是很棒的，但它應(yīng)該不止于此。這是一個認(rèn)真為你的未來負(fù)責(zé)的時機。當(dāng)你在尋找合適的大學(xué)之旅時，一定要做些調(diào)查，看看哪一個對你有實際價值。我在這里為你推薦筑梁學(xué)社 Campus Unlimited的浸入式訓(xùn)練營(www.campusunlimite.org)。這個項目是由加州大學(xué)伯克利分校與美國未來的商業(yè)領(lǐng)袖-Phi Beta Lambda共同主辦的。

Embarking on a college tour is not only a trip but also an investment. It is great to go around to visit college campuses and see the sights, but it should be so much more. It is a time to get serious about taking responsibility for your future. While you are looking for the right college tour, be sure to do your research and see which one offers actual value to you. I recommend you take a close look at Campus Unlimited’s Immersion Boot Camp (www.campusunlimited.org). This program is hosted at UC Berkeley in conjunction with the Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda.

筑梁學(xué)社的重點是讓學(xué)生為申請過程做全面的準(zhǔn)備。這是一個全英文的浸入式美國大學(xué)教學(xué)項目，在加州大學(xué)伯克利分校舉行的系統(tǒng)課程將會貫穿在整個行程中，教你如何在申請競爭中脫穎而出，以及如何在美國大學(xué)中取得成功。

This program focuses on preparing the student for the application process in a comprehensive manner. It is an all English instruction program with valuable workshops that teach you how to be a competitive applicant and what it takes to succeed in college.

他們的系統(tǒng)課程由賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)和加州大學(xué)伯克利分校(UCBerkeley)的校友共同開發(fā)，也延伸到家庭成員和家長，以確保他們也擁有適當(dāng)?shù)闹R來支持學(xué)生。除了系統(tǒng)課程，學(xué)生還將參加由加州大學(xué)伯克利分校教授講授的大學(xué)講座。

Their workshops series, developed by University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley alumni, also extend to family members and parents, making sure that they also have the knowledge they need to properly support their student. In addition to workshops, students will attend real lectures taught by actual UC Berkeley professors.

筑梁學(xué)社的項目將在加州北部和南部的眾多大學(xué)進行導(dǎo)覽。在參觀過程中，你會遇到來自各地大學(xué)的學(xué)生，以及成功的行業(yè)精英。此外，筑梁學(xué)社是唯一一個在申請過程和入學(xué)后續(xù)個人發(fā)展提供指導(dǎo)的教學(xué)項目，他們的目的是確保學(xué)生能順利地適應(yīng)新的校園生活。筑梁學(xué)社的西行學(xué)社將于2019年9月30日開始，現(xiàn)已開放報名，感興趣的學(xué)生或家庭可提前續(xù)訂席位。