09年12月15日，美国大学联盟奖学金项目学校之一的密苏里大学堪萨斯分校的化学系教授Dr. Van Horn来到苏教国际，与苏教国际美国组的老师和学生进行了深入的交流。对于学生和咨询老师们关心的美国大学选课安排，毕业要求等问题，Dr. Van Horn进行了详尽的解说，并于回国之后特意写信将讨论的问题归纳整理。在此，我们感谢Dr. Van Horn对苏教国际学生们的关心，也将信件原文和翻译与大家分享如下：

1. Regarding program study and class selection, etc.
1. 关于专业学习和选课
Again, a student in America usually needs to play a part in 'charting' out their course of study, and most degree programs are not completely rigid over the entire time. Thus, it is important to actively participate in the planning and completing a degree, and finding additional opportunity or savings in time or money. Some ideas:
在美国学习的学生通常需要学会规划所学的课程。大多数学位课程并没有完全死板的要求。因此，重要的是积极参与规划和完成学位，并寻找更多机会，节省时间和开支。在此，我跟大家分享我的一些观点：
A. Chart out for self entire program.
A．明确自己所学专业整个阶段的学习计划
B. Save a copy of the catalogue for the year entered in the program. (If program requirements change, then a student can usually complete their program under the original requirements. I don't know if you have encountered this before with your students.)
B．复制一份进入课程那一年的“目录表”。（如果课程要求有变化，你通常可以根据原来的要求去完成）
C. Get good class advising at least once a year.
C．每年至少一次和导师探讨，寻求指导和建议。
D. Prepare for advising by reviewing pertinent program requirements. and having a transcript of complete work.
D．在向导师寻求指导前先回顾自己所学课程的相关要求，并且准备一份已经完成课程的成绩单。
E. If not satisfied with advising, try to get a second and better advice/plan.
E．如果你对导师的指导不满意，不要放弃，尝试去寻找更好的建议。
F. If things are not clear, keep asking questions
F．如果有不明白的地方或是疑问，要一直问下去，直到彻底搞清楚。
2. Completing program faster or cheaper, but still well.
2.用最短最节约但是高质量的方式修完课程拿到学位。
There are a number of ways to finish early or take more classes within the program.
在此，我向大家介绍几种方式可以用较短的时间修完课程或者在规定的时间修更多课。
A. Summer or off-term classes. (If you can take some classes in summer, you might reduce the program time, or have opportunity to take additional classes [maybe to finish a minor or double major.])
A. 利用暑假或学期以外的时间修一些课程可以缩短时间，并有机会修更多的课程（例如可以辅修其他专业或者修双学位）
B. College Level Examination Program (CLEP). If there is a subject/topic you are great at, you can take an exam, and get college credit. (Personal story: The worst professor I ever had was for World History 1. Rather than suffering through Part 2, I took the CLEP test and skipped that BORING guy! :)
B．参加“大学水平测试”。 如果某一个科目你很擅长，基础很好,可以考虑通过这个考试获得学分，就不需要花整个学期上课了。
C. Review financial aid YEARLY, at least. ASK for money.
C．每年关注学校的资金援助计划，在适当的时候申请奖学金或其他方式的资助。
D. Be careful of "overloading" your classes in one term. Especially, ESPECIALLY if you are taking a lot of hard classes! Some students leave all the hard ones to the end and then have a miserable time trying to pull together passing grades and graduation. [Again, here, some good advising and planning helps this].
D．注意一个学期不要超负荷修课，尤其是修很多难度大的课程。一些学生把很多难的课程统统放到学期末再修，结果令他们痛苦的是一方面需要通过这么多门课程的考试，又要准备毕业,造成了很多困扰。
E. If a student plans an overloaded term, try to do these in the second or third year, and make the extra classes be the easy ones, or ones that could be dropped if a student gets into study trouble. Again, it might be more important to gain some experience doing things outside of class rather than just study all the time.
E．如果你打算超负荷修课，把这个计划放到本科的二、三年级。尽量选择简单的或者当你感到困难时可以随时终止的额外课程。同样的，在课外多参加活动，获得充足的经验比仅仅在课堂上学习更重要。
3. General ideas, and so on...
一切概括性的建议
A. Look for jobs on campus, and be persistent, but wise in trying to get a position.
A．在校内找工作，要有持之以恒的态度，但是要获得好的职位需要通过一些明智地方式
B. Keep eyes and ears open for opportunity.
B．放亮眼睛，竖起耳朵随时随地找寻机会。
C. It is okay to ask Why? and How? and What? questions. You might even phrase it in terms of a cultural difference question.
C．在美国大学问“为什么？”“怎么做？”和“是什么？”诸如此类的问题没有关系。你也许会在与文化差异相关的问题上用这样的方式提问。
D. Many classes score depends on the progress and work along the whole term, rather than on a single final exam. Some classes will require a student to really start early to work hard, and have projects due before the end of term. Try to avoid the last minute on these, at least sketch out the project and do some research soon after getting the requirements, to have something to work from in the last frantic times.
D．许多课程的分数取决于你这整个学期的学习进展和取得的成果，而非一次期末考试的结果。有些课程要求学生尽早开始着手，并且在学期结束前就完成布置的课题。做作业要有提前量，尽量避免卡在最后截止日期时提交。至少要为自己的研究课题先列一个提纲，并在获知要求后开展研究。
E. Continuing on this, many classes have exams through out the term; it is important to do well from the beginning on these for the best result at the end, where the score might be composite.
E．许多课在整个学期有很多场考试，由于每门课的分数是根据几场考试累加而得的，因此一开始就要努力取得好成绩并且一直保持到最后。
Finally, I think generally teachers and workers in America, as well as family, and your staff, are all wanting the best success for students. If there are any difficulties, students can get help from friends, teachers and staff, and so on; even confidentially if needed. The worst thing is to feel isolated, and then become isolated, which can result in a poor school term or other problems for a student. I'm just thinking of my own cultural adjustments to China, and other places in my life! :)
最后我认为，美国的老师，职工和家长一样都希望学生获得成功。如果你遇到了困难，可以向朋友，老师或者学校的教职人员等等寻求帮助，即是是一些私人的请求。最糟糕的是感到孤独，进而被孤立，从而导致学习状态差，并出现其他问题。因此，不要觉得身处异乡内，文化差异而感到孤独，不与人交往。学会敞开心扉，学校的任何一个人都会成为你的良师益友。