The document provides advice and encouragement for first year students at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies on how to take charge of their lives and be successful in university. It discusses the challenges of adjusting to university life and suggests that students get involved in extracurricular activities, challenge themselves, find role models, and make the most of their time in university. The presentation aims to help students prepare for their future and view their university experience in a positive light.

1. Welcome ! 欢 迎

2. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE A Presentation for the First Year EE Majors at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!

3. Take Charge of Your Life Dr. Ed Nicholson （甄开心） Faculty of English Language Education Guangdong University of Foreign Studies 2009 04 07 把 握未来

4. This presentation is about you…

5. You have entered a whole new world at GDUFS

7. However, for many students this new world can be a difficult adjustment.

9. Well, you are not alone! Welcome to University Life !

10. Studies show that nearly one out of every three students has great difficulty adjusting to university life and many leave without completing their degree.

11. Why does this happen?

12. DISAPPOINTMENT

13. Unexpected freedom

14. Lack of motivation

15. A New Living Env i ronmen t

16. So you must quickly make a choice as to how you will view your new life… As we say in English, will you look at life as…

17. The glass half empty? Too much pressure! School is boring. Canteen food is garbage. No time for friends & fun. There are no jobs for me. 悲观

18. 乐观

19. Exciting and happy?

20. Or doom and gloom! 倒霉！郁闷！ 

21. How you view your life is your decision.

22. But we are there to help when you need us!

23. Let us look at some of the ways you can take charge of your own existence and become less dependent on others TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU . 我们一起看看、谈谈如何把握你的生活，如何学会更多地自己做决定！

24. Think of it this way: you have four years at GDUFS （广外大） to improve your resume （简历） . What will you do to improve your C.V （简历） other than to plan on “getting good grades”? （好分数）

25. Will any of these activities be in your CV?

26. University life should be much more than endless studying to pass examinations!

27. Gain Experience!

28. UNLOCKING THE DOOR INTO THE FUTURE

29. TEN KEYS TO SUCCESS AT UNIVERSITY

30. Make new friends # 10 But keep the old . The first is silver… The second is gold!

33. Challenge yourself # 7 We learn our best lessons in life when we accept new challenges and test our own abilities in a unique manner.

34. To challenge yourself, you must have Confidence When learning English, the greatest problem in class for most students is their fear of making a mistake. Only by making mistakes can you truly learn .

35. Find good role models ( 榜样 ) # 6 Or, to express it another way… Find your own heroes.

36. Do not forget your "roots" from the past... 不要忘本，要饮水思源。

37. even as you soar into the future 甚至在你飞向未来的时候，你也要脚踏实地。

38. Look at things differently # 5 PROBLEMS CANNOT BE SOLVED BY THINKING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH THE PROBLEMS WERE CREATED. ( ALBERT EINSTEIN)

42. Is this you?

44. This does not mean that you should never stand alone.

46. Try to make a difference # 2

47. Enjoy the journey # 1

48. Life on the train Not long ago, back, I read a very interesting book that compared life to a train ride .

49. Life is like a train ride, it read. We get on. We ride. We get off. We get back on and ride some more. There are accidents and there are delays.

50. At certain stops there are surprises. Some of these will translate into great moments of joy, some will result in profound sorrow.

51. When we are born and we first board the train, we meet people whom we think will be with us for the entire journey. Those people are our parents!

52. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them. They, too, have journeys they must complete.

53. We live on with the memories of their love, affection, friendship, guidance and their forever presence in our hearts and minds.

54. There are others who board the train and who eventually become very important to us, in turn.

55. These people are our family, friends and acquaintances, whom we will learn to love, respect and cherish on our journey together.

56. Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour. They will just go merrily along .

57. Others, will encounter many upsets, tears, and losses on their journey. Others still, will linger on to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.

58. Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off…. Some will get on and get off the train so quickly, they will barely leave a sign that they ever travelled with you.

59. We will sometimes be upset that some passengers whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment and leave us to travel on our own.

60. Then again, there’s nothing that says we can’t seek them out ourselves if we need to see them.

61. Nevertheless, once sought out and found, we may not even be able to sit next to them because that seat will already be taken .

62. That’s okay …everyone’s journey will be filled with hopes, dreams, setbacks and goodbyes. We must try to make the best of it, no matter what...

63. We must constantly strive to understand our travel companions and look for the best in everyone.

64. Remember that at any moment during our journey, any one of our travel companions can have a weak moment and be in need of our help.

65. We too may pause or hesitate, even fall down… hopefully we can count on someone being there to be supportive and understanding…

66. The bigger mystery of our journey is that we don’t know when our last stop will come. Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop.

67. Not even those sitting in the seat next to us.

68. Personally, I know I’ll be sad to make my final stop. My separation from all those friends and acquaintances I made during the train ride will be painful.

69. But then again, I’m certain that one day I’ll get to the main station only to meet up with everyone else.

70. I’ll be glad to see them again. I’ll also be glad to have contributed to their lives, just as much as they will be happy to have contributed to and enriched my life.

71. We’re all on this train ride together. We should all try to make the ride as pleasant as we can, right up until we each make the final stop and leave the train for the last time.

72. All aboard! I wish you a safe journey!!

73. Where do you go from here?

74. To boldly( 勇敢 ) go where no man has gone before…

75. into a future bound only by the limits of our imagination ( 没有做不到 , 只有想不到 ).

76. Be proud of who you are

77. Be proud of who you are

78. Will you be ready to take part in this exciting drama?

80. Wen Jiabao ( 温家宝 ), 66, Chinese Prime Minister, boarded on a plane 30 m inutes after the earthquake, and arrived in disaster area in 2 hours

81. Zhang Jiwang ( 张吉万 ), 11, carrying his sister Zhang H an ( 张韩 ) 3, walked 12 hours straight to flee the disaster center.

82. When the earthquake struck, she rushed to carry her stunned students from classroom on the 3 rd floor to the ground. She managed to pull out most of her students, but the building collapsed when she was trying to pull out the last few. At the last moment of her life, she was trying to use her body to shield the students from falling concrete. Yuan Wentin ( 袁文婷 ), 26, Primary One teacher

83. But that does not mean that we cannot make a difference with our lives.

84. Sometimes, ordinary people end up doing extraordinary deeds.

85. China is ready to become a major star on the world stage...

86. Are you ready for the future?

87. TAKE CHARGE NOW!

88. Thank you for listening! You can contact me at: [email_address]