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How Second-Year Students Spend Their First Year on Campus

时间:2021-11-09 02:18:47

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Jheannelle Johnson, a second-year student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was nervous about taking tests known as "midterms." The tests cover the first part of her school year.

Speaking from the school's bookstore, she told VOA that she planned to spend the rest of the day in late October studying for them.

"It's definitely been a transition1 because I haven't sat in a real classroom in almost two years. So, it was kind of a rough adjustment at first. I took my first in-person test and I had major test anxiety. It was almost like having to re-learn how to walk."

For first-year students, also known as freshmen2, midterms can cause concern, because they are the first big test of their college years. Students in their second year of college, like Johnson, are known as sophomores3. However, this year, some people are calling them "the other freshman4 class."

Johnson completed her first year at Howard by taking classes over video from home in Florida. She said professors understand that students from her class are still getting adjusted to life at college and life in Washington.

Mallika Gore5 is another member of "the other freshman class" at Syracuse University in central New York. Before coming to Syracuse, Gore lived with her parents in Mumbai, India. She also spent time as a child in Europe, Singapore and the American state of Ohio.

Gore arrived at Syracuse in January 2021. The snow and ice in Syracuse were a big change from the hot weather in India. She said it was hard to feel like a part of the college community because she took most classes by video and met very few students.

This school year, however, has been different. She said she feels more connected to the university with in-person classes and activities on and off school grounds. Even the weather was better!

"You're in-person with the teacher, so you can just ask questions, you can ask for tutors, you can go for their office hours and they can actually sit down and explain it to you and there's a lot more group discussion."

Syracuse officials said there were about 550 international students who started as undergraduates in 2020. The students were from 43 countries, including 300 from China. But only about 100 of them had come to New York to study by January 2021. Nearly all of them had arrived by August of this year.

Rob Hradsky is Vice6 President for the Student Experience at Syracuse. He said the university made a special effort this year to connect with second-year students.

There were trips to shop and eat in downtown Syracuse, pick apples at local farms and attend music performances. He said the students enjoyed all activities, including games, movies, ice skating and even Halloween.

Hradsky said he wanted to make sure international students, who took classes from home last year, learned about the school spirit.

"How do we introduce folks who are understanding of the academic experience, but not really understanding all that the campus can offer?"

Gore said she is trying to do as many non-academic activities as possible this year. She said she learned what "orange spirit" was when she went to her first football game.

"There was a band playing, there was Otto the Orange going around. There were cheerleaders and the stadium was huge and packed."

At Howard University, Johnson said she was excited to feel the school spirit, too. Johnson went to a gathering7 called a "pep rally8" during the recent homecoming weekend. Homecoming is a tradition in which graduates come back to celebrate their university.

But in October, Johnson also saw something she was not able to experience last year from home: a student protest. The students say the college is too costly9 and its housing is not in good shape. They want a stronger voice and set up camp inside and outside an administration building.

"We feel like it's almost a responsibility to speak up, so that way, not only our class can benefit but other classes after ours can."

After two months in Washington, D.C., Johnson said she is happy to be living the college life on campus instead of taking classes from home.

"There's so much more to do here than there was at home," she said. "So, anytime I go outside, I know there's something that I could be doing."

Words in This Story

midterm – n. an examination given at the middle of a school term

transition – n. a change from one state or condition to another

adjustment – n. a change that makes it possible for a person to do better or work better in a new situation

anxiety – n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

tutor – n. a teacher who works with one student

undergraduate – n. a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree

folks – n. informal for people or a group

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.

stadium – n. a very large usually roofless building that has a large open area surrounded by many rows of seats and that is used for sports events, concerts, etc.

packed – adj. full of people : filled with as many people as possible

pep rally – n. an event before a school sports event that is meant to get students and fans excited and to encourage the team to win

graduate – n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

benefit – n. a good or helpful result or effect


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1 transition 7nOwT     
n.转变,变迁,过渡
参考例句:
  • Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.青春期是童年与成年之间的过渡时期。
  • They all support a peaceful transition.他们全部都支持和平过渡。
2 freshmen bcdb5f5d859647798b83af425baa69ee     
n.(中学或大学的)一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生,他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • University freshmen get lots of razzing, but they like the initiation. 大一新生受各种嘲弄,但是他们对这种入门经验甘之如饴。 来自辞典例句
3 sophomores c294e4c3991ed4b33fb6555e4af50996     
n.(中等、专科学校或大学的)二年级学生( sophomore的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生,他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Over half the students in the course are sophomores. 听这门课的一大半是二年级学生。 来自辞典例句
4 freshman 1siz9r     
n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)
参考例句:
  • Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
  • He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。
5 gore gevzd     
n.凝血,血污;v.(动物)用角撞伤,用牙刺破;缝以补裆;顶
参考例句:
  • The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
  • Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。
6 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
7 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
8 rally ZTnxh     
n.集会,公路汽车赛;v.集合,恢复,振作
参考例句:
  • The grand mass rally was held on the square.广场上举行了盛大的群众集会。
  • The team captain vainly tried to rally his troops.队长试图振作部队的士气,但没有成功。
9 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。

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