范文欣賞(一)

　　1. My First Day on the Campus

　　I still remember the day when I first came to the college. Being a boy of 17, I was longing for a new life as a college student; but, at the same time, I had no idea what college life would be like.

　　That morning when the bus carried me to the gate of the college. I was so excited that my heart was beating very fast as if it would leap out of my mouth. From now on, I would be a student of this college. After registration, we were led by an instructor to the dormitory, where, for the first time, we were going to live without parents but roommates. I was so clumsy that I did not know how to make the bed and fix the mosquito net.

　　In the afternoon, I took a walk around the campus together with my roommates. To think of studying in such a beautiful place made me feel quite proud of myself. As we were walking along, talking and laughing, a voice came into our ears, “Oh, look at these freshmen!” It was our middle-school-students’ looking that gave us away. We continued our tour of the college, inspecting every building and every garden until the sun began to set.

　　In the evening, we sat together, talking about the past and the future. We were so excited that no one wanted to go to bed.

　　2. Studying Abroad

　　Attending schools abroad has many advantages. In the first place, by looking at our own country from outside, we can best see the strong points and weak points of our nation and therefore widen our vision and broaden our minds. Second, while studying in a foreign country, we can travel widely, visiting famous scenic spots and making friends with the local people. Thirdly we can use the foreign language in our daily life so that our ability in the second language may be improved quickly. But the most important thing in attending a foreign university is to get acquainted with the latest knowledge in science and technology and make use of the first-rate facilities available. For all these advantages, it is really worthwhile to go abroad for education.

　　However, as everything has two sides, there are also some disadvantages in attending a foreign university. The most serious problem is the language barrier. Most of the students who are ready to go abroad do not adequate knowledge of the language spoken there. As a result, on arriving there, they will find it difficult to understand what the instructors are saying. Besides, for lack of knowledge of the customs and way of life of the local people, they may run into trouble in dealing with various situations. Therefore, misunderstandings often arise. Furthermore, the cost of living is much higher than that in our country, so most students have to find part-tine jobs in order to help support themselves. Faced with these difficulties, many students find themselves unable to pay full attention to their studies and some students may even fail in their courses and learn little.

　　Therefore, given an opportunity to attend a school abroad, one must consider both sides of the factors carefully before making up his mind. On the whole, it is a good thing to go and study abroad particularly when the subject is very weak or not available in our country. But on the other hand, one must not lose sight of the disadvantages.

　　3. Is the Expansion of Enrollment a Good Thing?

　　Many colleges and universities have expanded their enrollment since 1998. The reasons for the expansion are as follows. Firstly, they want to keep up with the need of the job market to produce more qualified people to take up the jobs. Secondly, the expansion has entitled many high school graduates to the right of receiving higher education. Last but not least, it can raise the intellectual standards of our nation.