book1 unit4 after-class reading 2 : College —— a New Beginning

"When I was talking on the phone with a colleague earlier this morning, he told me I shouldn't try to come to my office today because freshmen are arriving and everything is a mess on campus. My colleague was right. It certainly is a mess. There are hundreds of cars packed with hot, sweaty students, their families, and their many belongings. Mothers and fathers argue about when, where, and whether to park. Campus police do what they can to direct traffic, but they know they will have to let some rules be broken today. It is the messiest day of the year, no doubt about it. It is also my favorite day."


In this way Charlotte J. Patterson recently began her welcoming speech to arriving freshman. A psychology professor at the University of Virginia, Patterson has a great deal of understanding for new students ---- for their hopes, dreams, and fears. What does it mean to be a freshman on the first day of the semester? Professor Patterson views it as a new beginning. She continued:


"It makes me think of those early spring days when the snow is melting. One cannot step down anywhere without splashing. Even when I am cold and wet, I cannot hate those days; they tell me spring is coming. Freshman arrival is also a mess, but I cannot hate it either. Freshmen appear in town like young green shoots sprouting up everywhere, looking for light. Their faces hang out of the windows of dorms like fresh new buds on an old, old tree. Someone else may worry about the sun and the soil and the possibility of frost, but both young plants and freshmen it is enough to be alive and here.


"Yes, today is the beginning of a new life. One day you're Mama's child, living at home; the next day, you're a freshman and on your own. FRESHMAN! I like the word. The very name itself suggests a problem. Should it be pronounced with stress on the FRESH or on the MAN? It could be either. It doesn't matter whether you think of adulthood as a journey or as an arrival; today is clearly a step on the path of your life. Freshman excitement and freshman fears can be seen on every young face around me.


"College is an exciting time, perhaps the most exciting time of your life. But it is also a time of many major adjustments and some disappointments. Most fields of study have become quite competitive. You will need to study hard and prepare yourself well in order to enter them. Also the information explosion has brought greater demands on people who want to absorb all that information. As a result, there is a growing need for a more structured introduction to college. And courses that are intended for freshmen have become popular on campuses. As new students, you should take some of these courses that will help you to prepare for the more difficult courses you will take later. Make sure you learn to read, write, and speak well, and don't be afraid of courses that make you think. Thinking can be exciting and also rewarding. Also take time to enjoy yourselves ---- relax a bit, eat well, and laugh a lot. Make college the wonderful and rewarding experience that you have hoped it would be. Good luck to all of you!"


Adapted by Don Huffman


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Charlotte / 'ʃa:lət / J. Patterson / 'pætəsən /
University of Virginia / və:'dʒinjə / 


absorb
adjustment
adulthood
belongings
bud
colleague
competitive
disappointment
excitement
explosion
frost
intend
melt
mess
messy
possibility
psychology
recently
semester
splash
sprout
stress
structure
sweaty


as a result
on one's own
think of somebody / something as