你是剛入學的大一新生嗎？有沒有做好準備迎接這件人生大事？除了需要獨立自主，加強基本的生活技能以外，你還會迎來哪些轉變？本期 “隨身英語” 聊一聊為何許多新生對未來的生活所知甚少，以及怎樣才能為寶貴的大學時光做好準備。

詞匯：student life 學生生活

You’ve studied hard, you’ve got the grades and now you’re off to university! This is the journey that many students are taking, but how prepared are they to leave home, stand on their own two feet and be self-sufficient? One study, carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Unite Students in 2017, suggested that as well as being excited and nervous, many students are deeply ill-informed about what to expect.

Of course, flying the nest to go to university is the opportunity of a lifetime, but to make the most of it needs some preparation before you arrive. This means learning life skills such as cooking and cleaning. You’ll no longer be able to rely on Mum and Dad to feed you or clear up after you, so try to learn how to make some staple dishes that are quick and easy to prepare. Graduate Peter Rogers told the BBC: “I didn’t really have anything other than rudimentary cookery skills before I went to university and found learning to cook was reasonably enjoyable.” Other things to do while at home is to practise some of those household chores, like operating the washing machine or ironing your clothes!

These domestic skills will come in useful because students will probably be living with others such as in a flat share or shared campus-based accommodation. This will also require taking responsibility for managing their finances because, apart from tuition fees, accommodation is likely to be the biggest cost for students living away from home. However, the Higher Education Policy Institute and Unite Students study found only about half of the would-be students surveyed identified rent as the biggest expense and concluded that this suggests more should be done to help in the transition between school and university.

New students are going to have to be sociable as well – not just relying on old friends at home. Going to university requires meeting new people and making new friends. This often begins in Freshers’ Week although journalism student Emmeke Megannety warns that: “People starting uni need to remember that the people you meet in your first week will not necessarily be your friends for life.” But whatever your expectations, it’s good to be prepared for the time of your life.

詞匯表

stand on one’s own two feet 獨立自主
self-sufficient 自立的，自給自足的
ill-informed 了解有限
fly the nest “離巢”（指離開父母，獨立生活）
opportunity of a lifetime 難得的機會
preparation 準備
life skills 生活技能
staple 主要的
rudimentary 基本的
household chores 家務活
flat share 合租公寓
campus （大學）校園，校內
accommodation 住宿
take responsibility 承擔責任
finances 財務
tuition fees 學費
rent 租金，房租
transition 過渡
sociable 善于社交的
Freshers’ Week 新生周
time of your life 非常美好的時光

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. In this article, what kind of skills are learning cooking and cleaning described as?

2. How did graduate Peter Rogers find learning to cook for himself?

3. Where might a new student live when they go to university?

4. True or false? Accommodation is the only big cost for students living away from home.

5. What will you have to make when you go away to university?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Our manager seemed _______ about the project and wasn’t able to give us much help.

ill-formed                      ill-informed                   ill-inform                       ill-unformed

2. My parents were a little worried about me _______ to start university at first. I had never lived on my own before.

transition                      financing                       flying the nest              self-sufficient

3. According to his postcard, my brother is having the _______ on his holiday in Australia.

time of his life               time of his lives             times of his life            time of life

4. My girlfriend is very _______ and is always making new friends.

self-sufficient                rudimentary                   transitional                  sociable

5. For my first year at university, I’ll be living on _______.

Freshers’ Week            finances                         campus                       flat share

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. In this article, what kind of skills are learning cooking and cleaning described as?
Learning these skills are often referred to as life skills.

2. How did graduate Peter Rogers find learning to cook for himself?
He said he found “learning to cook was reasonably enjoyable.”

3. Where might a new student live when they go to university?
They might live in a flat share or shared campus-based accommodation.

4. True or false? Accommodation is the only big cost for students living away from home.
False. Tuition fees are also considered the biggest costs for students.

5. What will you have to make when you go away to university?
Going to university requires making new friends.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Our manager seemed ill-informed about the project and wasn’t able to give us much help.

2. My parents were a little worried about me flying the nest to start university at first. I had never lived on my own before.

3. According to his postcard, my brother is having the time of his life on his holiday in Australia.

4. My girlfriend is very sociable and is always making new friends.

5. For my first year at university, I’ll be living on campus.