未雨绸缪

The First Steps

一、   赴美读高中—一个领异标新的决定

　　一提到出国留学的学生，尤其是十多岁的小留学生，许多人的第一反应就是这些人在国内都是纨绔子弟，或者是学习成绩不佳，诚然，这些年来的新闻报道中确实存在小留学生在国外挥金如土，为所欲为的报道，但是个别的反面例子绝不足以代表整个小留学生群体。恰恰相反，绝大多数在海外求学的青少年，都认识到他们肩上的重任和家人寄予的期待。这个群体中的很多孩子在国内时都是学校里的优秀学生，有的甚至是数一数二的尖子生。

　 就拿我来说吧，我初中时就读于山西省一所重点中学的实验班。这是一个卧虎藏龙、精英荟萃的集体。当时，在年级600多人中，我的排名稳定在前10名，在初三的期末和模拟考试中，连续排名年级第一。在出国之前，我已经被母校的高中实验班录取，而且名列前茅。而每届的高中实验班, 主要任务就是向清华、北大这样的国内顶尖高等学府输送人才 。

我之所以选择出国，绝对不是在国内“混不下去”而给自己找的出路。美国的教育之发达是世人所公认的，过去只是因为去美国的签证率较低，尤其是高中生的签证率很低， 使留学生转向去了其它国家。但是2006年以来，美国签证形势好转，我的父母和我一致认为，在美国的教育体制下，我各方面的能力都能得到培养和发展。虽然在美国我们没有任何亲戚，但还是毅然决定让我独自闯荡，经风雨见世面，在美国这个充满了活力与机遇的环境中寻求新的突破。

在中国如果想要进入像清华、北大这样屈指可数的顶尖学府，必须经历中考和高考的洗礼，可谓是千军万马过独木桥，最终只有很少数的一部分学生能够脱颖而出。即使是成功地进入了重点学府，毕业后在社会上就业的压力也很重。而美国拥有很多在世界上名列前茅的高中和大学，集中了世界上70%的诺贝尔奖获奖者以及全球大约30%的科学和工程类论文，只要是有能力的学生，都有机会得到世界一流的教育，而且各种教育机构的范围之广、种类之多，学生会有更多机会选择到最适合自己的教育，将自己的能力和潜能发挥到最大值。

其次，出国留学的孩子，会直接“面向世界”。纵观古今中外，无数的事例向我们展示博采众长，对一个人、一个民族、甚至是一个国家都有极其深远的影响。17世纪末18世纪初时，俄罗斯的彼得大帝远赴西欧，将当时西欧发达的科技和文化带到了俄罗斯，把这个曾经落后的国家打造成了东欧霸主；而刚刚从黑暗的中世纪复苏的西欧，正是因为从我们东方学到了火药、指南针等科技，才一度成为世界上最强大的地区；我们国家的很多革命前辈，都曾远涉重洋，寻求“他山之石”。中国的学生，在学习好本国文化、打好基础的同时，绝不应把自己关在象牙塔中，两耳不闻窗外事，一心只读圣贤书。仅仅把自己的视野局限在国内是不够的，而是要面向世界，因为当今的社会无疑是一个信息和知识的社会，谁能拥有更多、更广的知识，谁就能掌握先机。而要想做到这一点，最好的办法就是出国留学了。

美国的教育体制与国内相比，更重视对学生能力的培养，对考试以及排名的侧重相对较轻。美国的教育将更多的精力投入到对学生能力的培养上，通过丰富的课外活动和实践机遇，让孩子们从小就接触社会，逐渐培养解决实际问题的能力。国内的学生屡屡在国际奥林匹克竞赛上获奖，甚至是孤独求败，但是在诺贝尔奖这个国际学术界的最高舞台上，却遍布了美国人的身影，屈指可数的华人获奖者，也无一不是有着国外留学的经历。智商高的学生可以在学科竞赛上摘金夺银，但是只有从小着重培养研究能力的人才，才会不断推陈出新，为科技、文化的发展作出贡献。这也许就是中、美两国教育最大的区别吧。较早地把孩子送出国门，可以给他们充足的时间，在思维模式尚未定型之前得到锻炼的机会，把自己塑造成为多元化，有能力的人才。经过留学的锤炼，他们阅历丰富、比同龄人更加成熟、干练，而这样的人才，正是当今社会所需要的。

另外，有很多人都选择在国内读完本科，然后再去国外深造。我当初之所以选择高中就出国，是因为这是学习语言、理解当地文化的黄金时期。年纪再小些，生活的阅历不够，孩子的自理能力亦不能令人放心。如果“小小留学生”无法照顾好自己的话，那么只会造成更多的问题。这样一来，家长的投资，反而会适得其反。另一方面，如果等到大学本科读完之后再出国，到时候即使在国内接受了良好的英语训练，仍然会有很多语言上的障碍，比如难以纠正的不标准发音，还有对国外文化的难以接受。

An unheard-of decision: studying abroad at an American high school

When people think of studying abroad, especially teenagers studying abroad, what first comes to their mind is that international students are either spoiled kids or lower-achievers in academics. Granted there have been reports on them leading an extravagant and indulging life. However, these few instances by no means suffice to represent the entire group of teen international students. In fact, the majority of this subculture realizes their responsibility. What’s more, many have strong academic performance; some of them are even the top students in their class. 

 I attended the junior high school of Shanxi Experimental Secondary School and had the privilege to be in the “experimental class”, as the top class was dubbed. I consistently ranked among the top 10 in the grade with some 600 students. During the final exams in my last year of junior high, I came in first place in the entire grade. Before I left China, I was already accepted by the “experimental class” of the senior high school of Shanxi Experimental Secondary School, which boasts students accepted at some of China’s finest universities.

      Obviously, I did not choose to study abroad as a getaway from unsatisfying academic standing. The United States has a state-of-the-art education system. In the past, the possibility of getting a US visa (the document to grant legal entrance and staying in the US) was formidably low, and this is largely the reason that Chinese students turn to other countries. In the year 2006, the visa situation experienced major improvements, and my parents and I were of the opinion that the American education system would give me well-rounded development. With no relatives or acquaintances in America, we decided that I go to school in the US on my own.

      The competition is astronomical for a student wanting to attend China’s best colleges and there is a nation-wide, once-in-a-lifetime entrance exam (like the SAT in the US, but much more important). The score on this tests solely determines what institution the student attends and only the very few of all the high school graduates can have this opportunity. Plus, the job opportunities after college are not too promising. On the other hand, the United States has many of the world’s top-notch colleges and universities. The ability, not the testing scores, of a student is the benchmark in the college admission process. People choose whatever education fits them the best and go on to discover their potentials to the maximum.

      Another advantage of studying abroad is the formation of a global perspective. An international and broad sight aids in the development of a person, a group, and even a civilization. Toward the end of 17^th century, Peter the Great of Russia travelled to Europe and brought back the advanced technology and culture, thus making Russia the greatest power in Eastern Europe; not long after the dark times of the Middle Ages, Western Europe was actively learning from the Middle East and the Orient and was on its way to becoming the conquerors of the world; it was only after absorbing the thinking of western philosophers did many of the pioneers contribute to the development of China. It is not hard to conclude that teenagers today should not confine themselves within their classrooms, but reach out to the bigger world. This is an era of information and studying abroad is a great opportunity to be informed and stand out.

      Compared with their counterparts in China, American schools care less about ranking and testing scores, but focus more on what the students are capable of doing as a person. The abundance and variety of extracurricular activities provide hands-on experiences and play an important role in the development of real-life-problem-solving skills. Chinese students often have dazzling performances on international academic Olympiads but innumerable Nobel Prize Laureates come from the United States. The few Nobel Prize winners of Chinese lineage all have received education in America. It can be seen that a high IQ weighs heavily in academic competitions, but only those who put an emphasis on research skills will eventually have their place in the scientific field. This is probably the biggest difference between American and Chinese schools. The shift from China to America at an earlier age certainly buys time for kids to adjust themselves to be well-rounded and creative, before their way of thinking is permanently molded.

      Many people choose to go overseas after undergraduate school, but I made my move before the beginning of high school, at the perfect age of language learning and cultural adjustments. Younger kids do not yet have enough life experiences and are not able to take care of themselves. But if one waited till after college, no matter how good of an English training he or she received, there would still be hosts of language difficulties, such as unfixable accent and culture shock.