Talk · Passion | 準留美必看：美國大一新生的7x24小時

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留學生的第一個學期，
通常不是用來“拿榮譽”的：

要適應語言和學習節奏、鍛煉獨立生活能力，好多人只是在努力不掉隊。

但入學半年不到，

我們2025屆高中畢業生申昊正（Harry Shen）
卻收到了來自大學的雙重肯定——
GPA 3.829高分和入選Provost’s Honor Roll & Dean’s List（學校最高學術榮譽）。

對于剛剛入學半年的大一新生來說，這樣的成績，來之不易。

本期 Talk · Passion，Harry把他在大學的經驗講給我們聽：

嘉賓：申昊正

啟明星學校2025屆高中畢業生

美國邁阿密大學建筑學專業大一學生

大學本科5年全額獎學金獲得者

80%時間都在學習

我早上 9 點上課，

基本都是專業相關的課；

下午是一些通識課程，

到下午4 點左右結束。

真正開始做項目（作業），

是下午 4 點以后。

我會一直做到6、7點，然后小睡一會兒。

睡到8、9點起來，再繼續做項目，

一直做到晚上 12 點左右，然后睡覺。

幾乎每天都是這樣一個流程。

周末會稍微松一點，但也不是完全躺平。我會去超市采購，回宿舍自己做飯，比如煎牛排、做西紅柿雞蛋面，或者煮個小火鍋。

周末也會去健身，我們學校的健身房應該算是全美大學里很豪的那一檔。

我還買了車，也挺喜歡開車，有時候會和朋友自駕游，去邁阿密周邊的沼澤地、自然景觀看看。

我也參加了學校的中國學生會，幫他們做一些宣發和活動準備。

算下來，一周大概80%的時間都在學習，20%是自己的時間。

太難了，教授不會把所有細節都教給你，

他們更多給你一個方向、一個提示，

剩下的全部要你自己去摸索。

比如我們會用到很多軟件：

PS、InDesign、各種建模軟件、CAD……
教授可能只用 20 分鐘講一些非常基礎的東西，
教你怎么建文件，

然后就結束了。

剩下的，不管是上網自學、摸索，
還是不斷踩坑，
全都要靠你自己。

所以這個專業真的很磨人，
要求你在很短的時間內，
把該學的東西全都學會。

我最享受的部分是——

看著自己的項目從 0 到完成的全過程。

當你真的在一個項目里投入二三十個小時，
最后把它完整做出來，
而且自己是滿意的，
那種成就感真的很強！

Harry在大學做的項目（局部）

這半年我一共做了 9 個項目。

有的項目從立項到截止，

可能只有一周半時間。
當時幾乎每天到凌晨3、4點，
工作室里都還有人在工作。

沒有一個項目是我糊弄出來的，
都是一筆一劃，

或者用鼠標一點一點做出來的。

周圍同學都挺努力！

我有時候會覺得：我學得還挺快的。

結果抬頭一看，

別人也學會了，而且做得也很好。

慢慢我就意識到，
不是自己不夠努力，
而是所有人都在拼命把項目做好。

重要的能力：

時間管理+自我調節

時間管理很重要，

因為項目真的催得緊，

有時候半天時間，
就要求你完成一個體量很大的東西，
但同時你還有其他課程在并行。

另外，自我調節也很重要。

你不可能 24 小時一直緊繃著。

實在頂不住的時候，
我就去校園里走一走。
我們學校很漂亮，有水、有小動物，
逛一圈回去繼續做。

你一定要找到讓自己不那么緊繃的方法，
不然真的會出問題。

熱愛自己的專業非常重要

學建筑真的很累。

有時候項目做到凌晨3、4點，
只睡3個小時，
早上8點鬧鐘一響，
真的非常不想起床。

但正因為是真的喜歡，
我才會愿意逼著自己把項目做完、做好。

用好學校資源

第一，是教授和助教。

他們真的有可能在未來給你帶來實習獲者工作機會，不要怕去問，不要覺得麻煩。

第二，學校的輔導員。
他們都是有經驗的人，你可以在網上和他們預約時間，很快就能聊上。

選課、規劃未來方向，都可以和他們聊。

第三，利用是各個office。
不管是電腦壞了、軟件出問題，還是生活上的事，都可以直接 walk in。

還有 career fair（工作招聘會）。
哪怕你是一年級的，什么都不準備，
也能去聽、去看，

這樣你能提前知道各個行業都在發生什么。

中國學生要守住自己

建筑是一個非常依賴多文化素養的專業，

你不可能一直只按照一種風格來設計。

比如我們有一個項目是設計 courtyard house（庭院住宅）。
有同學做西班牙式的，
有做南美風格的，
我做的是四合院。

教授當時特別開心，
因為在一個組里，他能看到這么多不同文化的表達。

我覺得還要注意一點，

就是梁思成先生說的 “新而中”：

要接受新的事物，

去理解、擁抱不同的文化，
但同時不能忘記自己的根。

尤其是對留學生來說，
在一個全新的社會環境里，
保持開放，但不迷失自己，
非常重要。

申請大學之前，最好能訪校

大學排名高不是標準，適合自己才是。

我自己就訪過另外一個校園。
那里給我的感覺是非常經典的美式校園，
紅磚建筑風格很統一，
但天氣冷、學習壓力大，
學生整體狀態比較沉。

后來我來到邁阿密大學，
完全是另一種感覺：
陽光、棕櫚樹，
學生整體狀態很活躍，
健身房、校園空間里的人，
都在享受生活。

如果我選學校只是看排名、看網上的評論，
而不親自去學校，
我會覺得對不起自己未來的人生。

啟明星執行總校長Daniel Williams獲“福布斯中國卓越校長獎”

律師篇 | 做律師，門檻有多高？

For many international students,

the first semester of college is rarely about “winning honors.”

Most are focused on adapting to a new language and academic pace,

learning how to live independently,

and simply trying to keep up.

Yet during the recent winter break,

Our Class of 2025 graduateHarry Shen

received dual recognition from his university:

GPA 3.829 and Provost’s Honor Roll & Dean’s List (the university’s highest academic honors).

For a first-year student who has been in college for only half a year,

this achievement did not come easily.

In this issue of Talk · Passion,

Harry shares the highs and lows of his first semester of university life.

Guest Speaker: Harry Shen

Daystar Academy, Class of 2025

First-year Architecture major, University of Miami (USA)

Recipient of a full five-year undergraduate scholarship

80% of my time goes to studying.

My days are actually very structured.

I start classes at 9:00 a.m., mostly major-related courses.

In the afternoon, I have general education classes, which usually end around 4:00 p.m.

Real project work begins after 4:00.

I usually work until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., then take a short nap.

Around 8:00 or 9:00, I wake up and continue working, often until midnight before going to sleep.

Almost every day follows this routine.

Weekends are a bit more relaxed, but not completely free.

I go grocery shopping and cook for myself in the dorm — steak, tomato-and-egg noodles, or sometimes a small hot pot.

I also go to the gym; our campus gym is among the best in the U.S.

I bought a car and really enjoy driving.

Sometimes I go on road trips with friends,

exploring the wetlands and nearby natural landscapes around Miami.

Overall, about 80 percent of my time each week goes to studying, and 20 percent is personal time.

I’m also involved in the Chinese Students Association, helping with promotion and event organization.

The hardest part is professors don’t teach you every detail.

The hardest part is that professors don’t teach you every detail.

They give you direction and hints, and the rest you have to figure out on your own.

For example, we use many software tools—

Photoshop, InDesign, 3D modeling software, CAD, and more.

A professor might spend only 20 minutes explaining the basics,such as how to set up files, and then move on.

Everything else—self-study, trial and error, making mistakes and trying again—

it’s entirely up to you.

This major is really demanding.

It requires you to master a large amount of knowledge in a very short time.

The part I enjoyed

themost was —

Watching a project go from zero to completion.

When you truly put twenty or thirty hours into a project,
see it through to the very end,
and are genuinely satisfied with the result,
that sense of achievement is incredibly powerful.

Harry’s University Projects (Selected Works)

Over the past six months, I’ve completed nine projects.

For some of them, from initial proposal to final deadline,
we had only about a week and a half.
During those times, almost every night until 3 or 4 a.m.,
there were still people working in the studio.

Not a single project was done half-heartedly.
Every one was built stroke by stroke,
or click by click with a mouse.

Everyone works extremely hard.

Sometimes I feel like I’m learning farily quickly.

But when I look up, others have also mastered the material—and produced excellent work.

Over time, I realized that it’s not that I’m not working hard enough;

it’s that everyone is pushing themselves to do their best on each project.

The most important skill in college is time management, without question,

Because Projects deadlines are extremely tight.

Sometimes you’re given only half a day to complete something with a very large workload,

while other courses are running in parallel.

On top of managing time,

you also have to manage yourself.

You can’t stay tense 24 hours a day.

When I feel overwhelmed,

I take a walk around campus.

Our campus is beautiful; there’s water, wildlife, open space.

After a walk, I go back and continue working.

You must find ways to release pressure,

or you will burn out.

To study something you truly love is extremely important.

Architecture is exhausting.

Sometimes you’re working on projects until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.,

sleeping only three hours.

When the 8:00 a.m. alarm goes off,

you truly don’t want to get up.

But because I genuinely love this field,

I’m willing to push myself to finish projects—and finish them well.

You must be proactive about using university resources.

First, professors and teaching assistants.

They can lead to future internships or job opportunities.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or worry about bothering them.

Second, counselors.

They are experienced professionals.

You can book appointments online and talk with them easily

about course selection and future plans.

Third, make use of different campus offices.

Whether it’s a computer issue, software problems, or daily life concerns,

you can simply walk in and get help.

Also, attend career fairs.

Even as a first-year student,

you can go without preparation and just observe and listen. It helps you understand what’s happening across industries.

These resources exist for students — use them.

Before applying,

take the time to truly understand each university — and visit if possible.

High rankings is not everything;

fit matters most.

I visited another school.

It felt like a classic American campus —

beautiful red-brick buildings, very traditional.

But the weather was cold, the academic pressure was high,

and the overall student mood felt heavy.

When I visited the University of Miami, it was completely different:

sunshine, palm trees,

a lively student atmosphere,

people enjoying life in the gym and around campus.

If I had chosen a school based only on rankings or online reviews,

without visiting in person,

I would feel that I had let down my future life.

Selectives

Dr. Williams, Daystar Executive Head of Schools, Receives the Forbes China Outstanding School Principal Award

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