The Value of Campus Life 校園生活的價值

亞當·溫伯格

The impact of higher education increases dramatically when students are enrolled in a college where they live on campus and are constantly interacting with a range of people and ideas.

The Gallup organization1 has done extensive longitudinal research on the connection between college and success in life. They find participation in an activity outside the classroom （what I will call a co-curricular activity2） to be one of the most significant predictors for success. Students who were highly engaged in a co-curricular activity are 1.4 times more likely to report thriving in all aspects of their lives and 1.8 times more likely to be thriving in their careers.

While in college， students have the opportunity to develop skills， values and habits they will need as adults. In a recent book， Making Decisions in College， a group of faculty from Wellesley College3 and Bowdoin College4 argue that， just as in life， the college experience is shaped by the decisions we make and don’t make on a daily basis. They write：

Colleges create spaces （both physical and metaphysical） in which students must make these decisions， often in the face of new and ambiguous situations. Some of these decisions are formal and happen only once or twice during college： what to major in， whether or not to study abroad， who to choose as an advisor， where and with whom to live next year. Others occur once or twice a semester： which classes to take， organizations to participate in， or lectures to attend. And still others arise every day： whether to invest time， with whom to hang out， whether to meet with professors outside of class.

Integrative learning

The deepest learning happens when classroom learning is followed by opportunities to practice what is being taught.

The learning happens everywhere in formal and informal ways. For example， for many students， residential halls may be the first place they have lived in a racially and ethnically diverse community. Hence， daily life becomes core to learning as they develop relationships with roommates and hallmates. Students learn to voice views， hear others， and understand how to work together to create the communities they want to live in.

The same can be said for student organizations. College campuses are filled with student-run organizations. Students who take on a leadership role in a campus organization face all the usual management challenges in the workplace and in civic life5—endeavors that include aligning and focusing groups of people who have different talents， personalities and levels of commitment.

Co-curricular learning

Students need to develop a broad array of soft and hard skills. No single curriculum can do it all. There is too much to learn and too few classes and courses to teach it all. Campus life is crucial to closing the gaps between what we teach in the curriculum and what students need to succeed.

For example， students have access to a range of on-campus leadership development programs that help them develop good management skills， and there are instructional modules designed to help them become more effective learners.

Mentorship6

From the professional and student staff members who cultivate community in residence halls， to campus safety officers， deans， health and counseling professionals， student development staff spend lots of time connecting and catalyzing students. The staff push students to get outside their comfort zones， to listen and hear other students， to reflect on their own world views and choices， and to learn.

Very often， this mentorship happens because a student has stumbled or is in crisis. This means two things. First， students get support in those key moments， making it possible for them to persist in college and move forward. And， second， those moments of struggle and crisis become learning moments.

Life skills

College is a place where students will develop life habits ranging from simple daily choices around nutrition， exercise and sleep， to larger habits around the kinds of relationships they will create and the ways they will deal with challenge and failure. There is a network of support staff who work to provide a safe and structured environment that fosters students’ psychological， physical and social development. Student can seek counselling services for health-related concerns， adjustment issues as well as interpersonal and relationship difficulties. Counseling helps students learn new coping skills， set goals， make decisions， manage stress， and explore various aspects of their emerging adult lives—independence， values， personal goals， intimacy and friendship.

Conflict

College campuses are filled with conflicts. Roommates sometimes do not get along. Campus organizations have competing interests. An event blows up into a major campus controversy. These are normal. Conflict is a crucial component of living democratically. Campus life programs help students learn to see conflict as normal and positive and how to turn conflict into those proactive and positive moments that lead to forward momentum. Therefore， the learning is magnified7 in ways that not only improve the student experience but also the lives they will lead.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?■

大學生如果在校內(nèi)住宿且常常接觸各種各樣的人和觀點，高等教育對他們的影響會大大增強。

蓋洛普咨詢公司對大學教育與人生成功之間的關(guān)系展開了廣泛的縱向研究。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，大學期間參加課外活動（我稱之為課程輔助活動）是預示學生未來取得成功的重要因素之一。據(jù)統(tǒng)計，大學期間積極參加課程輔助活動的學生在生活各方面取得成功的概率是未參加者的1.4倍、事業(yè)有成的概率是未參加者的1.8倍。

在大學期間，學生有機會培養(yǎng)日后所需的技能、價值觀和習慣。韋爾斯利大學和鮑登學院的一些教師在最近共同出版的《在大學里做決定》一書中指出，大學經(jīng)歷與人生經(jīng)歷一樣，也是由我們每天所做的決定和沒做的決定塑造的。書中寫道：

大學提供了學生面臨這些決定的物理環(huán)境和認識空間。學生們必須做這些決定，而且常常是在從未遇到過的、模棱兩可的情況下抉擇。其中一些決定比較鄭重，在大學期間只發(fā)生一兩次，例如學什么專業(yè)，是否出國留學，選誰做導師，下一學年住在哪里、與誰合住;有些決定一學期就要做一兩次：選哪些課，加入哪些社團，參加哪些講座;還有一些決定每天都要做：是否投入時間，跟誰一起消磨時光，課后是否約老師見面。

整合式學習

課堂學習與課后實踐相結(jié)合時，學習最為深入。

學習無處不在，有的正式，有的非正式。例如，對于許多學生而言，宿舍樓可能是他們第一次在多種族和多民族氛圍中生活的地方。因此，隨著他們與室友以及宿舍樓里其他同學的關(guān)系逐漸發(fā)展，日常生活就成了學習的核心內(nèi)容。學生們在此學習表達自己的意見和聽取別人的觀點，并懂得如何齊心協(xié)力創(chuàng)造他們想要的集體環(huán)境。

學生社團同樣也能提供學習的機會。大學里到處都有學生社團，在其中擔任領(lǐng)導職務的學生會面對職場和生活中形形色色、常常出現(xiàn)的管理問題。例如，他們需要努力協(xié)調(diào)和凝聚才干、性格及投入度各不相同的人。

課程輔助學習

學生需要學習各種各樣的軟硬技能，但沒有任何一種課程安排能夠滿足他們的全部需求。要學的東西太多，而課時和課程太少，難以一應俱全。校園生活對彌補學校課程與學生日后成功所需技能之間的差距至關(guān)重要。

例如，學生可以參加校內(nèi)一系列培養(yǎng)良好管理技能的領(lǐng)導力發(fā)展項目，還可以利用為了幫助他們成為高效學習者而設(shè)計的教學模塊。

指導關(guān)系

從負責營造宿舍集體氛圍的專職員工和學生干部，到校園安全主管、系主任、健康專家及心理咨詢師，這些助推學生發(fā)展的工作人員付出了大量時間建立學生之間的聯(lián)系，促進他們成長。他們敦促學生們走出舒適區(qū)，去傾聽其他同學的聲音，去反思自己的世界觀和所做的選擇，去學習。

這種指導關(guān)系往往發(fā)生在學生遇到困難或危機的時候，因而存在兩個方面的意義：首先，學生在這些關(guān)鍵時刻獲得支持，就有可能堅持上完大學并繼續(xù)向前發(fā)展;其次，這些困難和危機變成了學習的大好時機。

生活技能

大學是學生養(yǎng)成各方面生活習慣的地方，小到飲食營養(yǎng)、鍛煉和睡眠的日常選擇，大到未來構(gòu)建何種人際關(guān)系、如何應對挑戰(zhàn)與失敗。大學設(shè)有為學生提供支持的團隊，他們努力營造一個安全有序的環(huán)境，促進學生身心和社交能力的發(fā)展。學生遇到健康顧慮、適應問題以及人際關(guān)系和戀愛困擾時都可以尋求心理輔導。心理咨詢師協(xié)助學生學習新的應對技能、樹立目標、做出決定、管理壓力、探索步入成年的方方面面的議題——獨立、價值觀、個人目標、親密關(guān)系和友誼。

沖突

大學校園充滿沖突：室友之間有時相處不融洽，校園社團之間利益沖突，小事件釀成重大校園爭議。這些沖突都很正常。沖突是民主式生活的重要環(huán)節(jié)。各種校園生活項目幫助學生學會將沖突視為正常、正向的事情，并將之轉(zhuǎn)化為積極行動的機會，進而形成前進的動力。學生的學習因此得到拓展和深化，這不僅豐富了他們的大學經(jīng)歷，而且對他們未來的生活也具有積極的意義。? ? □

（譯者單位：北京第二外國語學院）