對于許多年輕人來說，離開家開始大學生活是個激動人心的時刻，但同時多少也具有很多挑戰。一項調查顯示，倫敦帝國理工學院的大批學生都經歷過高度精神緊張或心理健康狀況。本期《隨身英語》談論的話題就是這一轉變過程中所要面對的心理壓力。

課文內容

詞匯: University 大學

University - the best days of my life! I made lots of friends in my student dorm, went to great parties, joined the debating society… and, well, I did some work too - but I must confess my lecturers were very patient with my tardiness.

It's easy to look back at our university days through rose-tinted spectacles but the truth is that when we first arrived on campus, most of us were out of our comfort zone.

In fact, a survey of students at Imperial College London has revealed that 3 out of 4 students experience high levels of stress, or a mental health condition, during their time at college. The survey, completed by over a thousand students, also found that 70% of those that experience stress do so at least once a week, and 9% of students feel stressed constantly.

Kirsty, a student at Exeter University, didn't enjoy her first days in college. She says: "When I first got to university I don't think I'd realized that I'd forgotten how to make friends. I'd been with the same school friends for seven years, and so I was trying to balance social success with academic success whilst learning how to look after myself at quite a young age."?

Dr Ruth Caleb of the counselling service at Brunel University in London has some tips that should make life easier for students before they set off for university. She says: "Certain things that I think it would be very helpful for students to have put in place are an ability to do the practical things of life – to do the washing, to do the cleaning and so on – being able to cook. Budgeting is extremely important in university life." And Caleb adds: "You should learn how to spend time on your own comfortably."

I?graduated and learnt how to take care of myself the hard way. I hope that new students these days remember to acquire some life skills before they make the big jump.

詞匯表

student dorm??? 學生宿舍
debating society??? 辯論社團
lecturer??? 講師
tardiness????拖拉，延遲
through rose-tinted spectacles??? 透過玫瑰色的眼鏡看某物（只看到事物美好的一面）
campus??? （大專院校的）校園
out of one's comfort zone??? 走出舒適區
college??? 大學
to balance??? 使保持憑衡
academic success?????學術成就
to look after oneself???? 照顧自己
counselling service?? 咨詢、輔導服務
budgeting??? 預算
to graduate??? 畢業
life skills?? 生活技能

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What did the author do that made her professors angry?
2. True or false? Three out of four students look back at university days through rose-tinted spectacles.
3. What did Kirsty have the most difficulty with?
4. What skill does Dr Ruth Caleb consider to be very, very important for university students to have?
5. What does the author mean by the expression 'the hard way'?

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. The party was great but now I need to sleep for a few hours before class. I'm going to __________.

the student dorm???????? college????????? the debating society??????? the comfort zone

2. At university it's not all about study, you know. You need to __________ studying and partying.

look after??????? balance??????? graduate??????? acquire??????????????????

3. When at university it would be good for you to learn how to __________ comfortably.

be lonely???????????? be alone?????????? suffer from loneliness???????????? be single

4. I'm not good at sports. If you want to play tennis with me you have to __________ when I make mistakes.

leave your comfort zone??? wear rose-tinted spectacles??? be patient?????? feel stressed

5. My daughter graduated with honours. She's achieved __________ and I'm proud of her.

academic success???????? social success??????? the counselling service?????????? life skills

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。 

1. What did the author do that made her professors angry?
She used to arrive late for their lectures.

2. True or false? Three out of four students look back at university days through rose-tinted spectacles.
False. According to the Imperial College London survey, three out of four students experienced high levels of stress or a mental health condition.

3. What did Kirsty have the most difficulty with?
She didn't know how to make friends and was trying to balance social success with academic success while learning how to look after herself.

4. What skill does Dr Ruth Caleb consider to be very, very important for university students to have?
Dr Ruth Caleb says budgeting is extremely important in university life.

5. What does the author mean by the expression 'the hard way'?
She means 'with difficulty'. She probably didn't know how to take care of herself and do her own washing and cleaning.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. The party was great but now I need to sleep for a few hours before class. I'm going to the student dorm.

2. At university it's not all about study, you know. You need to balance studying and partying.

3. When at university it would be good for you to learn how to be alone comfortably.

4. I'm not good at sports. If you want to play tennis with me you have to be patient when I make mistakes.

5. My daughter graduated with honours. She's achieved academic success and I'm proud of her.