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A Major Decision
Jasmine： Hey， you made it！
Aladdin： Yeah. It was tough finding my way around campus， but once I tracked down the right parking lot it was smooth sailing from there.
Jasmine： So， college， huh？ It feels 1）weird being on our own， doesn’t it？
Aladdin： I know， but I can still hear my parents’ words 2）echoing in the back of my head. ①They’re saying：“Don’t slack off， don’t be lazy. And for God’s sake， choose a real Major already.”
Jasmine： A real Major？ What do you mean？
Aladdin： Well， for the moment， my Major is Liberal Arts.
Jasmine： What does that mean exactly？ Isn’t it like a 3）hodgepodge of different subjects？
Aladdin： It’s like a more a general area of study， for those who aren’t ready to commit a single course of study yet.
Jasmine： You mean you still don’t know what you wanna do for a living？
Aladdin： I’m weighing my options.
Jasmine： But without a specific Major， you’re not gonna have any options in a 4）cutthroat job market.
Aladdin： That’s one way of thinking about it. Another way to see it is that tons of students choose a focused Major to start out their college careers， only to realize that they want to do something completely different with their lives.②So they end up having to change their Majors and start all over again， with years of tuition wasted on courses they never really wanted or needed in the first place.
Jasmine： Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.
Aladdin： My mom changed her Major twice and got a job before graduation， so she didn’t even get a diploma at first. Then 20 years later， she quits her 5）cushy advertising 6）gig and goes back to school again to get a degree in psychology. The fact is， at age 50， she still was not sure what she wanted to do in life. So how come 99% of university students seem so convinced that they’re on the right path， when the decision-making part of our brains is not even fully formed yet？
Jasmine： ③It’s all about getting a head start on life.
Aladdin： But there’s no deadline as far as choosing a path in life. ④As much as our parents and teachers try to pressure us into making this life-changing decision， I rather hold off for now and see how the chips fall.
Jasmine： But what do you hope to accomplish by putting off your career choice？ Aladdin： Ideally， I hope a career chooses me.
贾丝明：嘿，你做到了。
阿拉丁：是呀，在大学校园里要找到路挺艰难的，但一旦我找到了那个对的停车场，就能顺顺当当地到达这里。
贾丝明：那么，大学了呢。独自一人，感觉很奇怪，不是么？
阿拉丁：我知道，但我依旧可以听到我父母的话在我脑海里回响。他们说：“不要懈怠，不要偷懒。看在上帝的份上，趁早选一个真正的专业。”
贾丝明：真正的专业？你是什么意思？
阿拉丁：目前我的专业是人文科学。
贾丝明：确切地说，那意味着什么呢？这不就像不同专业（混合而成）的大杂烩吗？
阿拉丁：这更像通才教育，是为那些还没准备好选定一门学科的人设置的。
贾丝明：你的意思是你依旧不知道你想做什么来谋生？
阿拉丁：我正在权衡我的选择。
贾丝明：但是如果没有一个确切的专业，在残酷的就业市场，你将不会有任何选择权。
阿拉丁：这是看待这件事的（其中）一种方式。另一种看待这件事的方式是很多学生在开始他们的大学生涯时选择了确切的专业，可是他们却发现（生活中）他们想要做（与他们专业）完全不同的工作。所以他们最终不得不换专业，从头再来。他们浪费了几年的学费去学习自己一开始就不想要或不需要的课程。
贾丝明：这听起来好像是你的经验之谈。
阿拉丁：我的妈妈换了两次专业，在毕业之前她就找到一份工作，所以她一开始甚至连毕业证都没拿到。20年之后，她辞去了轻松的广告工作，重新回到学校读书，（最终）获得心理学学位。事实上，她在50岁的时候依然不确定自己这辈子想要干什么工作。那么为什么99%的大学生看起来会如此确信自己走的路是对的？而我们（这些大学生）脑子里负责决策的那部分甚至都还没完全成形呢！
贾丝明：这都是关于抢得先机的问题。
阿拉丁：但就选择生活的道路而言是没有截止期限的。我们的父母和老师试图给我们施加压力让我们作出改变（我们）人生的抉择，我宁愿暂时拖延，看看结果怎样。
贾丝明：但是拖延你的职业选择，你想要取得什么成就呢？
阿拉丁：理想地说，我希望职业选择我。
Smart Sentences
① They’re saying： “Don’t slack off， don’t be lazy. And for God’s sake， choose a real Major already.”
他们说：“不要懈怠，不要偷懒。看在上帝的份上，趁早选一个真正的专业。”
slack off： become lazy or less intense（放松，懈怠）。例如：
With the Thanksgiving shopping wave almost over， everyone is slacking off.
随着感恩节购物潮接近尾声，大家都松懈了。
② So they end up having to change their Majors and start all over again， with years of tuition wasted on courses they never really wanted or needed in the first place.
所以他们最终不得不换专业，从头再来。他们浪费了几年的学费去学习自己一开始就不想要或不需要的课程。
in the first place： at the beginning of a situation（首先，一开始）。例如：
I didn’t think we should take on the project in the first place.
我觉得我们一开始就不应该接受这个项目。
③ It’s all about getting a head start on life.
这都是关于抢得先机的问题。
head start： an early start that confers an advantage（领先，有利的开
端）。例如：
Most parents believe that their kids will get a head start in life if they can get in to a good kindergarten.
大多数父母相信，如果他们的孩子能进入一家好的幼儿园，就等于孩子们有了一个好的开端。
④ As much as our parents and teachers try to pressure us into making this life-changing decision， I rather hold off for now and see how the chips fall.
我们的父母和老师试图给我们施加压力让我们作出改变（我们）人生的抉择，我宁愿暂时拖延，看看结果怎样。
hold off： delay doing sth.（推迟，拖延）。例如：
Margie was asked to hold off her retirement until the end of the stadium construction project next June.
他们希望玛吉能推迟退休，直到明年六月完成体育场建设项目。
Jasmine： Hey， you made it！
Aladdin： Yeah. It was tough finding my way around campus， but once I tracked down the right parking lot it was smooth sailing from there.
Jasmine： So， college， huh？ It feels 1）weird being on our own， doesn’t it？
Aladdin： I know， but I can still hear my parents’ words 2）echoing in the back of my head. ①They’re saying：“Don’t slack off， don’t be lazy. And for God’s sake， choose a real Major already.”
Jasmine： A real Major？ What do you mean？
Aladdin： Well， for the moment， my Major is Liberal Arts.
Jasmine： What does that mean exactly？ Isn’t it like a 3）hodgepodge of different subjects？
Aladdin： It’s like a more a general area of study， for those who aren’t ready to commit a single course of study yet.
Jasmine： You mean you still don’t know what you wanna do for a living？
Aladdin： I’m weighing my options.
Jasmine： But without a specific Major， you’re not gonna have any options in a 4）cutthroat job market.
Aladdin： That’s one way of thinking about it. Another way to see it is that tons of students choose a focused Major to start out their college careers， only to realize that they want to do something completely different with their lives.②So they end up having to change their Majors and start all over again， with years of tuition wasted on courses they never really wanted or needed in the first place.
Jasmine： Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.
Aladdin： My mom changed her Major twice and got a job before graduation， so she didn’t even get a diploma at first. Then 20 years later， she quits her 5）cushy advertising 6）gig and goes back to school again to get a degree in psychology. The fact is， at age 50， she still was not sure what she wanted to do in life. So how come 99% of university students seem so convinced that they’re on the right path， when the decision-making part of our brains is not even fully formed yet？
Jasmine： ③It’s all about getting a head start on life.
Aladdin： But there’s no deadline as far as choosing a path in life. ④As much as our parents and teachers try to pressure us into making this life-changing decision， I rather hold off for now and see how the chips fall.
Jasmine： But what do you hope to accomplish by putting off your career choice？ Aladdin： Ideally， I hope a career chooses me.
贾丝明：嘿，你做到了。
阿拉丁：是呀，在大学校园里要找到路挺艰难的，但一旦我找到了那个对的停车场，就能顺顺当当地到达这里。
贾丝明：那么，大学了呢。独自一人，感觉很奇怪，不是么？
阿拉丁：我知道，但我依旧可以听到我父母的话在我脑海里回响。他们说：“不要懈怠，不要偷懒。看在上帝的份上，趁早选一个真正的专业。”
贾丝明：真正的专业？你是什么意思？
阿拉丁：目前我的专业是人文科学。
贾丝明：确切地说，那意味着什么呢？这不就像不同专业（混合而成）的大杂烩吗？
阿拉丁：这更像通才教育，是为那些还没准备好选定一门学科的人设置的。
贾丝明：你的意思是你依旧不知道你想做什么来谋生？
阿拉丁：我正在权衡我的选择。
贾丝明：但是如果没有一个确切的专业，在残酷的就业市场，你将不会有任何选择权。
阿拉丁：这是看待这件事的（其中）一种方式。另一种看待这件事的方式是很多学生在开始他们的大学生涯时选择了确切的专业，可是他们却发现（生活中）他们想要做（与他们专业）完全不同的工作。所以他们最终不得不换专业，从头再来。他们浪费了几年的学费去学习自己一开始就不想要或不需要的课程。
贾丝明：这听起来好像是你的经验之谈。
阿拉丁：我的妈妈换了两次专业，在毕业之前她就找到一份工作，所以她一开始甚至连毕业证都没拿到。20年之后，她辞去了轻松的广告工作，重新回到学校读书，（最终）获得心理学学位。事实上，她在50岁的时候依然不确定自己这辈子想要干什么工作。那么为什么99%的大学生看起来会如此确信自己走的路是对的？而我们（这些大学生）脑子里负责决策的那部分甚至都还没完全成形呢！
贾丝明：这都是关于抢得先机的问题。
阿拉丁：但就选择生活的道路而言是没有截止期限的。我们的父母和老师试图给我们施加压力让我们作出改变（我们）人生的抉择，我宁愿暂时拖延，看看结果怎样。
贾丝明：但是拖延你的职业选择，你想要取得什么成就呢？
阿拉丁：理想地说，我希望职业选择我。
Smart Sentences
① They’re saying： “Don’t slack off， don’t be lazy. And for God’s sake， choose a real Major already.”
他们说：“不要懈怠，不要偷懒。看在上帝的份上，趁早选一个真正的专业。”
slack off： become lazy or less intense（放松，懈怠）。例如：
With the Thanksgiving shopping wave almost over， everyone is slacking off.
随着感恩节购物潮接近尾声，大家都松懈了。
② So they end up having to change their Majors and start all over again， with years of tuition wasted on courses they never really wanted or needed in the first place.
所以他们最终不得不换专业，从头再来。他们浪费了几年的学费去学习自己一开始就不想要或不需要的课程。
in the first place： at the beginning of a situation（首先，一开始）。例如：
I didn’t think we should take on the project in the first place.
我觉得我们一开始就不应该接受这个项目。
③ It’s all about getting a head start on life.
这都是关于抢得先机的问题。
head start： an early start that confers an advantage（领先，有利的开
端）。例如：
Most parents believe that their kids will get a head start in life if they can get in to a good kindergarten.
大多数父母相信，如果他们的孩子能进入一家好的幼儿园，就等于孩子们有了一个好的开端。
④ As much as our parents and teachers try to pressure us into making this life-changing decision， I rather hold off for now and see how the chips fall.
我们的父母和老师试图给我们施加压力让我们作出改变（我们）人生的抉择，我宁愿暂时拖延，看看结果怎样。
hold off： delay doing sth.（推迟，拖延）。例如：
Margie was asked to hold off her retirement until the end of the stadium construction project next June.
他们希望玛吉能推迟退休，直到明年六月完成体育场建设项目。