When I received my admission decision for Middlebury, my mouth dropped open in genuine (真的) shock. 【小题1】 Feeling unprepared, I was considering taking a gap year.

However, in processing this, I could only think about the negative points of taking a break between high school and college. I would fall behind my peers. I would forget everything I learned in high school with seven months of no learning. 【小题2】

Upon arriving at Middlebury for the admitted student days, I was amazed at the beauty of the town and the campus. While speaking with Midd kids (as students are called), they all appeared happy and generally stress-free.

【小题3】 In August, a few Midd kids I had met and befriended during the admitted student days suggested going to Newburyport, MA for a week. For the first time, I went on a road trip with someone I had only known for a few months. Yet, this trip showed me the freedom of being an independent adult in a way I had not felt at home.

【小题4】 My gap semester was the best beginning to adulthood because it helped me become mature in an unexpected and enriching manner, 【小题5】

To students reflecting on a gap year, be brave and do things that are outside your comfort zone. Talk to people: the world has so much to teach.

We know that choosing a college major can be very hard. But don’t worry! Your choice of major will not lock you into a specific career for the rest of your life. 【小题1】

What is a major?

【小题2】Beyond general college requirements, you'll also take a group of courses in a subject of your choosing such as chemistry, literature, or political science .

How important is my major?

The major you choose will neither predict nor guarantee your future. Many graduates find jobs that have nothing to do with what they have studied in college. If you intend to earn a professional degree after college, you will probably need certain courses. But many future doctors major in non-science related fields.

When do I declare a major?

This varies widely according to schools and programs.【小题3】 Others require that you declare a major by the time you set foot in your first class.

【小题4】

Definitely. One of the most exciting aspects of college life is that it introduces you to new subjects and arouses new passions. However, keep this in mind : Every major has necessary coursework. If you change your major late in the game, it may take more than the traditional four years to earn a degree.

What are minors and double majors?

If one field of study doesn't satisfy your intellectual appetite, consider a minor. A minor is similar to a major, which is an area of academic concentration.【小题5】Double majors provide you with an understanding of two academic fields. It allows you to become familiar with two sets of values and views while it also requires you to fulfill two sets of requirements.

In many adults, learning and thinking begin to decline (衰退) as early as age 30 and become worse in their mid-60s, which is shown in tests of cognitive(认知的) abilities.

These changes are often considered as the result of normal aging. But they may instead show something more like the “summer slide” that some schoolchildren experience in study process during summer break. After formal education and job training end, many adults experience years of reduced chances of learning.

However, a three-month study Rachel Wu and her partners designed suggests that this decline can be addressed. In this study, they provided an encouraging learning environment for 24 older adults between 58 and 86 years of age. Before and after, they tested the cognitive abilities. The older adults signed up for at least three classes that met weekly to learn new skills, such as drawing, iPad using and Spanish-language learning. During this period, the adults’ cognitive scores for memory improved greatly, and their cognitive abilities after one year were similar to those of adults 50 years younger.

The team is still investigating why their cognitive scores continued to climb after the program’s end, but one possibility is that the experience encouraged these adults to continue learning and practice new skills. To be clear, the researchers do not think that formal education is the only or most important way to support learning. Their idea is to instead create encouraging environments for older adults, so they can increase both real-world skills and cognitive abilities over the long term.

“Use it or lose it,” the saying goes. Let’s change the conversation about adults from avoiding loss and decline, or keeping what people have, to learning and growing.