Some say college is wasted on the young. So many of us look back at our own college years and realize what we could have done differently to make the most of them. While we can’t go back, we certainly can offer our sons and daughters our best advice to help them make the right choices in college. Hopefully, they will have fewer regrets than we do. Following are five guidelines parents can share with their college-bound kids to put the whole experience in perspective.
有些人說大學(xué)時(shí)光浪費(fèi)了青春年華。我們中很多人在回顧自己的大學(xué)生活時(shí)，才意識到自己可以用另外一種方式更好地來度過大學(xué)時(shí)光。雖然時(shí)光不會倒流，但我們可以為自己的兒子或女兒提供最好的建議，讓他們在大學(xué)中能做出正確的決定。希望他們以后的遺憾會比我們的少。父母可以和上大學(xué)的孩子們進(jìn)行分享下面的這五條建議，讓他們知道這些經(jīng)驗(yàn)。

Education is your first priority
教育是你最該優(yōu)先考慮的事情

As soon as you arrive on campus, there will be competing interests. Feel free to check them out but always remember that you are there first and foremost for your education. Go to class prepared and on time. Be engaged during class. Make sure your professor knows you and realizes that you care.
只要你進(jìn)入了校園，就會有各種各樣的利益競爭。你可以隨意去進(jìn)行這些活動，但是要記住，你來大學(xué)的首要目的是為了接受教育。上課前先做好準(zhǔn)備并按時(shí)到達(dá)課堂。參與到課堂的活動中，確保教授們認(rèn)識你并知道你在乎這些課程。

Be responsible
要有責(zé)任感

There are many layers of responsibility. Do what you say you will do and, if you can’t, own up to it early and communicate clearly. But being responsible isn’t just about meeting your commitments; it is also about taking care of you, your body, and your friends. For example, more than 1800 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries. Look out for yourself and other people. Make moderate, sensible decisions so you aren’t reeling from the consequences later.
責(zé)任感有很多層面。如果你承諾了做某件事，就要做。如果你做不到，早點(diǎn)兒坦白承認(rèn)并和他人有效地溝通。但是有責(zé)任感并不只是實(shí)現(xiàn)承諾；有責(zé)任感也包括照顧好自己、自己的身體和朋友。例如，每年有1800多名大學(xué)生死于和酒精相關(guān)的傷害，這就是不負(fù)責(zé)任。要照顧好自己和他人。做出溫和而理性的決策，這樣以后就不會去擔(dān)心后果。

Take the opportunity
抓住機(jī)遇

Incredible opportunities will present themselves: studying abroad, interning at a unique place, trying new things. Don’t let fear prevent you from taking advantage of them. There may never be so much time or as many resources devoted to your betterment again in your life. Say yes to opportunities that will help you grow.
你將會遇到很多讓你無法相信的機(jī)遇：出國留學(xué)、在特別的地方實(shí)習(xí)、嘗試新的事物等。不要因害怕而放棄這些機(jī)遇。以后你的生活中可能再也沒有這么多的時(shí)光或這么多的資源能讓你變得更優(yōu)秀了。接受那些能幫助你成長的機(jī)遇吧。

Find and be a mentor
找到并成為別人的良師益友

Some of the best lessons available to us can come outside of the classroom in the form of a mentor. One of the most powerful growth opportunities is being a mentor. Early on, find someone on campus who you feel can help you grow and develop a relationship with him or her. Also find someone for you to mentor. You will reinforce and enrich your own learning experience by teaching someone else.
一些對我們而言最重要的課程，并不是在教室中學(xué)到的，而是來自那些良師益友。而對個(gè)人而言，最有利的成長機(jī)遇之一是成為別人的良師益友。剛開始時(shí)，在校園里找一個(gè)你覺得能幫助自己成長的人，和他或她建立起良好的關(guān)系。也找一個(gè)你能幫助的人。通過教導(dǎo)別人，你會加強(qiáng)并豐富自己的學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)歷。

Get the job done
完成學(xué)業(yè)，拿到學(xué)位

It is natural to occasionally feel you want to quit, when it makes more sense to you to go find a full-time job. Resist that urge. As Jocelyn Negron-Rios, a mother of two, who is currently completing her degree, advises, “No matter how difficult it seems, keep at it because however insurmountable it feels now multiply that by 10,000 and that is how it feels when you are in your thirties with a full-time job and a family and are trying to pursue a degree.”
偶爾有想退出的感覺這很自然，當(dāng)你想去找一份全職工作時(shí)這種感覺就更強(qiáng)了。要拒絕這種沖動。喬斯·林古龍里奧斯是兩個(gè)孩子的母親，目前她正在攻讀學(xué)位。她建議，“無論看起來有多難，一定要堅(jiān)持下來。因?yàn)殡m然現(xiàn)在看起來這些困難無法克服，但是當(dāng)你30歲的時(shí)候，有著一份全職的工作，有著一個(gè)家庭需要供養(yǎng)，那時(shí)再去努力攻讀學(xué)位，那種感覺會是你現(xiàn)在感覺的一萬倍?！?/div>