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对于许多年轻人来说，离开家开始大学生活是个激动人心的时刻，但同时多少也具有很多挑战。一项调查显示，伦敦帝国理工学院的大批学生都经历过高度精神紧张或心理健康状况。那么这一转变过程中要面对什么样的心理压力呢？

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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.

vocabulary

student dorm 学生宿舍
debating society 辩论社团
lecturer 讲师
tardiness 拖拉，延迟
through rose-tinted spectacles 透过玫瑰色的眼镜看某物（只看到事物美好的一面）
campus （大专院校的）校园
out of one's comfort zone 走出舒适区
college 大学
to balance 使保持凭衡
academic success 学术成就
to look after oneself 照顾自己 = take care of
counselling service 咨询、辅导服务
budgeting 预算
to graduate 毕业
life skills 生活技能
3 out of 4 三分之四的...

make sentences

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.

question

What did Kirsty have the most difficulty with?

answer

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.