原文：Perhaps you were class president in high school. Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate program. Actually, it doesn't really matter what you did in high school as you make the transition to college. High school success (or lack of it) doesn't automatically apply to college.

　　译文：或许你高中的时候是学校的学生会主席，或许你还是某个社会荣誉团体的一名成员，或许你是从一所名列前茅的重点中学毕业的，又或许你还是毕业生代表，还有甚你参与了什么荣誉项目或参加了国际文凭课程。但是，进入大学，你高中曾做过什么就已经变得不重要了。你高中是否成功、表现突出并不能代表你大学的表现。

       原文：You start college with a clean academic slate, along with a lot of independence and a myriad of critical decisions as you begin the transition into adulthood. The decisions that you make and the actions you take during this first year of college will have a major impact on the rest of your college experience.

　　译文：你跟其他许多的个体一样，你们站在同一学术水平线上，向成年人迈进，而这一阶段你们做出的决定与决策关乎你们一生的转变。大学第一年里，你做的所有的决定和所做的一切都将会对你接下来的大学生活产生深刻的影响。

        原文：According to American College Testing (ACT), one in every four college students leaves before completing their sophomore year -- and nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before obtaining a degree or complete their college education elsewhere.

　　译文：根据美国大学入学测试的数据，每四个人中就有一个人没有读完大二，差不多有一半的大学新生要么就是没有拿到学位就退学了，要么就是转到其他地方完成大学教育。

        原文：But wait! This article is not meant to scare you or take away any of the joy, excitement, and anticipation you feel about going to college. Quite the opposite. This article is all about the things you need to do to not only survive your first year of college, but to thrive in college. And many of the tools, skills, and habits you develop through this article can not only be used to help you succeed in college, but in your future career as well.

　　译文：当然，这篇文章不是为了吓唬你们，打消你们刚进入大学的激动、热情与参与度的。相反，这篇文章会给大家列出一些新生需要做的事情，让大家不仅仅在大学“存活”下来，更能在大学里“茁壮成长”。这里提到一些你需要培养的工具、技能或习惯不仅能帮你成功度过大学时期，也能影响到你的未来。

       原文：The first few weeks on campus are extremely critical for all new students. It is during this time that you make critical decisions that will have an effect on the rest of your life. Some of these 25 tips are critical during your first weeks, while the others are meant for longer-term guidance and survival. Whatever you do, be sure to be yourself and try to enjoy your college experience as much as possible. Expect to feel some stress and homesickness, but don't let these issues wear you down.

　　译文：对所有的新生来说，大学刚开始的几周非常关键，就是在这几周你做的至关重要的决定将会影响你今后的生活。这5个建议里有一些是关于大学第一周的，而其他的一些则是一个对你大学生活长期的指导。无论你做什么，一定要认清自己，尽可能地享受你大学的所有经历。在感觉到了压力或者些许乡愁的时候，也不要让这些事情将自己击溃了。