Unit 1 College Life

Passage A So Much to Learn

It was the last day of final examinations in a large Eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering seniors huddled, discussing the exam due to begin in a few minutes. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam before they went on to commencement and jobs.

　　Some talked of jobs they already had; others of jobs they would get. With all this assurance of four years of college study, they felt ready and able to conquer the world.

　　The approaching exam, they knew, would be a snap. The professor had said they could bring any books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not talk to each other during the test.

　 Jubilantly, they filed into the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And their smiles broadened as the students noted there were only five essay-type questions.

　　Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. No one spoke as the professor faced the class with the papers in her hand.

　　 She surveyed the worried faces before her, then asked: “How many completed all five questions?”?

Not a hand was raised.

“How many answered four?”

Still no hands.

“Three? Two?”

The students shifted restlessly in their seats.

“One, then? Certainly somebody finished one.”

But the class remained silent. The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I expected,” she said.

　　 “I just want to impress upon you that, even though you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are relatively common in everyday practice.” Then, smiling, she added: “You will all pass this course, but remember that even though you are now college graduates, your education has just begun .”

　　 The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson she taught.

A篇 学无止境

　　 故事发生在一所东部大学里。那是终考的最后一天。一幢教学楼的台阶上围着一群大四的工科生，都在谈论即刻就要开始的考试。他们脸上都带着自信。这是毕业前的最后一场考试了，考完后，即是毕业典礼。然后他们将各奔前程。
　　 话题转到了工作上，有的谈起了找好的工作，有的则谈论着要找的工作。4年的大学学习给了他们自信，使他们觉得自己足以征服世界。
　　 眼前这场考试，不过是一碟小菜罢了。老师已经说过可以携带所需的任何书本或笔记，只要不在考试时交头接耳就行了。
　　 学生们兴高采烈地步入教室。试卷发下来了。看到只有5道论述题，他们一个个脸笑上开了花。
　　 3小时过去后，老师开始收卷。学生们先前的那份自信再也看不到了，而是满脸惊慌。老师握着试卷，面对全班，大家都沉默不语。
　　 她扫了一眼眼前这一张张不安的脸，问道："5道题全答完的有多少？" 没人举手。 "做完4道的有多少？" 还是没人举手。 "3道呢？两道呢？" 学生们再也坐不住了。 "那么一道呢？总有做完一道的吧。" 教室里依然鸦雀无声。老师搁下试卷，说道："这我早料到了。"
　　 "我只是想让你们牢牢记住，即使你们已经完成了4年工科学习，这个领域你们还有很多东西要学。其实，她笑了笑，接着说，"这门课你们都能通过，但要记住，你们虽然已经大学毕业，但学习才刚刚开始。"
　　 多年后，我已忘了这位老师的姓名，但牢牢记住了她的教诲。

Passage B Wish for the Freshman Year

After four years, the time has come. In less than two weeks, I will have graduated. I look back now and I can't believe how fast it all went. I can still remember the first day of classes, looking on the map on the back of the Schedule of Classes and asking where the classroom building was. Now I'm a senior, looking at freshmen with envy. Every day I wish I could freeze time and make the next two weeks go more slowly. I know a lot of people who can't wait to graduate, but for me it's the opposite. I want to turn back time instead and cherish every day of my college experience once again.

　　 For me, college has been a great learning experience, and most of the learning process has taken place outside of the classroom. My sophomore year of college was perhaps the most remarkable year of my life. This was the year that I finally convinced my mom that I was going to be OK living on campus, and she finally let me go. This was the year that I made some lifelong friends, and through many triumphs and failures I came to know more about myself. My sophomore year involved experimenting with new things, such as camping in mountains, attempting to present some lousy poems to newspapers and drawing cartoons of my teachers in class.

　　As I walk down the familiar routes on campus, I find myself doing a lot of soul-searching and reminiscing. I find myself wanting to start all over again and recapture the fun and excitement of my college days. I have been panicking at the idea of graduating. I have been going to school for as long as I can remember, and I feel like there is so much more that I want to learn, but instead I have to graduate. The world is enormous and the possibilities are endless. For the past four years I have been surrounded with a safety net. The student status has been a somewhat comforting feeling, giving me an escape from the realities of the world outside.

　　 With less than two weeks left of school, I'm getting a queasy feeling deep down every time I think about the fact that I'm going to be graduating. For as long as I can remember, I have been a student. I feel like I'm living in denial about graduating. Every time I get asked about what I'm going to do after college I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs. I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life. It's too difficult to even contemplate the idea that soon I will be waking up in the mornings and not have a class to which I should be going.

　　 On a recent interview, I was asked, "Is this the profession you want for the rest of your life?" I was amused and almost laughed at the question, but I gave an honest answer. I don't know what the future holds. During the last four years I have changed my mind so many times, the idea of a lifetime commitment to a certain job seems like torture.

　　 Walking on campus in the middle of the night I realize how much I will miss my college days. Every little thing seems so much more beautiful. And every little thing makes me realize how wonderful and special my college experience has been. I will cherish these days forever as I reluctantly close the doors on my college life.

B篇 回眸大学

　　4年的时光已经过去，这一刻终于来临了。不到两周，我就要毕业了。此刻回想起来，我仍不敢相信时光飞逝如斯。我依然记得第一天去上课时的情景，我一边望着课表背面的地图，一边打听教学楼在哪儿。现在我已是大四的学生，常会以羡慕的眼光看着一年级的新生。每天我都祈愿时间会凝滞，接下来的两周过得更慢一些。许多我认识的人都迫不及待地想要毕业，我却恰恰相反。我宁愿时光倒流，再度重温大学生活的每一天。
　　大学生活使我学到了许许多多，而且大都是在课外学到的。大二的生活也许是我生命中最值得留念的一段。正是这一年，我终于让妈妈相信我住校没有问题，她终于让我去了。正是这一年，我结交了一些终身好友，历经多次的成功与失败使我对自己有了更多的了解。大二生活还有着种种新的尝试，到山地去野营，把信手涂鸦的诗投到报社，还在课堂上给老师画漫画。
　　走在校园熟悉的路上，不知不觉中就陷入了深深的反思和对往昔的回忆中。发觉自己好想从头来过，再次体味大学生活的欢娱和激动。一想到毕业心里就一阵阵恐慌。从记事起我就一直在读书。我觉得还有很多东西想学，可是却不得不毕业了。世界如此之大，可能发生的事情太多太多。过去4年中，我一直被一张安全的网包围着。学生这个身份总能让人感到欣慰，使我可以躲开外面世界的无情现实。
　　不到两周就要离校了，每每想到就要毕业，我就打心眼儿里感到不安。因为我从记事起就一直是名学生。我觉得自己是在回避毕业。每当别人问起我大学毕业后打算做什么，我就想大声尖叫，我不知道以后想做些什么。甚至不敢想像早上醒来没有课上会是什么样的情形。
　　不久前，一次面试时，有人问我，"这是不是你想干一辈子的工作？"我觉得这个问题很可笑，还差点儿笑出声来，不过我还是说了实话。以后的事情，我说不好--谁知道将来会是什么样子？过去的4年中，我已多次改变了想法，一辈子就干一行的想法简直就是一种折磨。
　　午夜漫步于校园，我意识到自己将会多么怀念大学生活。每一个小小的事物都显得分外美丽，每一个小小的事物都让我意识到大学生活是多么精彩，多么独特。当依依不舍地关上我的大学生活之门时，我将永远珍藏这些日子。

感恩和爱是亲姐妹。有感恩的地方就有爱，有爱的地方就有感恩。一方在哪里，另一方迟早会出现。你做一切都是为自己做，为存在而感恩。

“人要经历一个不幸的抑郁症的或自我崩溃阶段。在本质上，这是一个昏暗的收缩点。每一个文化创造者都要经历这个转折点，他要通过这一个关卡，才能到达安全的境地，从而相信自己，确信一个更内在、更高贵的生活。”

——黑格尔