相對于他們的美國同學(xué)而言，留學(xué)生常因語言和文化障礙而面臨更多的挑戰(zhàn)。當你在某們課上陷入低谷期時別苦惱——只要想想，既然學(xué)校當初錄取了你，就說明你有足夠的睿智來應(yīng)付這些課程。很可能其他人也同樣在苦苦掙扎。留學(xué)生可以借鑒一下幾個步驟或是避免這種情況的發(fā)生、或是提高他們的學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)驗和分數(shù)。

1. ?Pick classes wisely: Take your English proficiency and cultural experience into account when choosing courses. If you are a freshman who started learning English a year ago, taking a high-level reading- and writing-based humanities class, such as History of Philosophy, might not be a good idea. Most colleges have course prerequisites and many have a ranking system to help students understand the difficulty level of each course. As an international student, you should pay attention to this information, as well as the level of English proficiency that is required for each class. Save classes that require a strong vocabulary for later years. When you start college, it is best to take entry-level classes that fulfill the general interdisciplinary requirements. For example, your first class could be calculus, which would satisfy a mathematics requirement and doesn't require the level of English proficiency a political science course would.

2. 明智選課：選課時應(yīng)考慮到自己英語的流利程度和文化體驗。如果你是名一年前才開始學(xué)英語的新生，卻選了一門需要高級閱讀能力、以寫作為基準的人文課，比如說“哲學(xué)史”，這可能不是個好兆頭。絕大多數(shù)的學(xué)校都會給出選這門課程的先決條件，很多學(xué)校也有等級系統(tǒng)來幫助學(xué)生理解每門課程難度和等級。座位一名留學(xué)生，你應(yīng)該注重這些信息和每門課程所需的對應(yīng)的英語熟練程度。把那些需要更多詞匯量的課程留到高年級。大學(xué)伊始，最好的方式是選擇那些滿足跨學(xué)科通識要求的入門級課程。例如，你的第一門課程可以是微積分，這門課既可以滿足數(shù)學(xué)要求又不像需要政治學(xué)需要那么高的英語流利程度。

　　Don't let this stop you from pursuing your interests. If you want to major in Comparative Literature, you should definitely take classes in the English department. However, it might be best to start with a class on short stories your freshman year and wait until you're a senior to take literary theory or dive into a course that requires you to read "War and Peace." Throughout your time at school, your English will naturally progress. Trying to take classes that require a sophisticated understanding of the English language too early might not only make it harder for you to earn good grades, but could suppress your interest in a certain subject.

　　別讓這些條條框框阻止你追逐你的興趣。如果你想要以比較文學(xué)為專業(yè)，你毫無疑問應(yīng)該選些英語學(xué)院的課程。然而，作為新生，最好的方式可能是以短篇小說的課程為開始，等到高年級的時候再選修文學(xué)理論或是鉆研一門需要你閱讀《戰(zhàn)爭與和平》的課程。隨著你上學(xué)年頭的增加，你的英語水平會自然而然的增長。過早的嘗試修讀一門需要對英語有復(fù)雜理解可能不僅會使你很難拿到好成績，而且更可能打擊你對某個學(xué)科的興趣。

　　2. Get help if you're struggling: Most college professors are very understanding about the challenges that international students face in the classroom, and will try to help you as much as possible if they are aware of your problems. When I took American history in college, I had a very difficult time because I didn't have the high school history knowledge that my American classmates did. When I expressed concern to my professor, he gave me a few books that had a lot of background information and found me a tutor within the department. Many colleges also have a writing center whose staff will help you edit your papers. These centers frequently have reference books and sample essays, and are excellent resources for international students.

　　2. 遇困能，求幫助：大多數(shù)學(xué)校的教授都非常理解留學(xué)生在課堂上面對的挑戰(zhàn)，并且當他們意識到你有困難時都會試著盡可能的幫助你。當我上大學(xué)修讀美國歷史時，一度很吃力，因為不同于我的美國同班同學(xué)們，我不了解高中歷史課程的知識。當我向教授表示了我的擔(dān)憂后，他給了我?guī)妆景罅勘尘靶畔⒌臅⑶規(guī)臀以趯W(xué)院內(nèi)找了位家教。很多學(xué)校都有一個寫作中心，那里的員工會幫助你修改文章。這些中心通常都有文獻書目和范文，對于留學(xué)生來講，這些可都是很棒的資源。

　　3. Take English as a Second Language classes: Many colleges offer supplementary ESL courses, which I think are a great way to improve your English and lower the language barrier. A friend of mine took an ESL course throughout her freshman year, and by her sophomore year, was ready to sign up for high-level humanities courses. Many college ESL teachers make it their goal to improve your class participation and extend your vocabulary. Spending a small portion of your week taking those classes can be very beneficial for your college career.

　　3. 將英語作為第二語言課程修讀：許多學(xué)校提供輔助的ESL(ESL - English as a Second Language，母語非英語)課程，我認為這是個提高英語水平很好的方式，從而也減少了語言障礙。我的一個朋友就在大一的時候修讀了一門ESL課程，當她大二的時候，已經(jīng)有能力報名修讀高級人文課程了。許多學(xué)校的ESL教師都把提高你的課程參與性和增加詞匯量作為他們的目標。用你一周中占很小一部分的時間修讀這些課程可能會使你的大學(xué)時光受益匪淺。

　　4. Study hard and be patient: A challenging class can be a great source of stress and frustration, but remember that hard work pays off. You may have to spend more time studying than other students because there are words that you don't know, or because you can't read as quickly in English, but it could also mean that you will remember information longer than your classmates will. Also, when you find class difficult, other students probably do as well. Be patient and kind to yourself and your efforts will be recognized.

　　4、? 努力學(xué)習(xí)、要有耐心：一門具有挑戰(zhàn)性的課程是壓力和挫敗的源泉，但是記住功夫不負有心人。你也許因為不認識的單詞、或是閱讀英文時沒那么快，而不得不比其他學(xué)生花更多的時間，但是這也可能意味著你將比你的同學(xué)更好的記住這些信息。另外，當你身陷困境，其他同學(xué)可能也是一樣的。要有耐心，善待自己，功到自然成。