I admit it. Until recently, I have been woefully lax when it comes to blogging this year. But, I promise I have a good excuse. I call her Nugget (don’t worry that’s not on her birth certificate) and she’s my 5 month old daughter. I returned from leave (aka quality time with an adorable blob of smiles and the occasional ear-shattering wail) right in the thick of reading season.

我承认我今年博客更新不勤，但我保证理由很充分！我叫她Nugget（放心吧这不是大名），是我五个月大的女儿。在工作量最大的时候我回来啦（尽管这意味着牺牲和女儿相处的时间：那可爱的笑脸和偶尔的刺耳嚎哭啊）！

Now that we’re on the other side of reading and committee, I keep coming back to a theme I read in many applications.Applicants often bemoaned the stress and strain of being a college applicant.You feel like so much is out of your control. You feel judged. You feel pressure to succeed. And you are bombarded by information about this process:websites, guidebooks, newspapers, College Confidential and the like,and advice from EVERYONE. Seriously, everyone has an opinion on college admission these days. When someone finds out you’re a high school junior or senior, be it your doctor or the old lady next to you on the plane, they’ll ask where you’re applying and offer some well-meaning piece of advice. I get it. It’s overwhelming. It’s stressful. And it’s an exceedingly personal experience.

由于我们是在录取办公室里审阅申请材料的，我总是能在很多申请里看到这样的主题：申请者总是抱怨申请的压力。申请过程中，你时常感到无能为力，感到审判似的煎熬，感到成功的压力，并被各种各样的信息狂轰乱炸：网站，升学指南，报纸，College Confidential之类的论坛，还有来自身边每个人的建议。老实说这年头每个人对大学录取都能说上两句。当一个人发现你是高中二三年级，甭管他是你的医生还是飞机上邻座的老太太，都会问两句你申哪个学校啊再好心提一些建议。我懂，应接不暇，身心俱疲，这都是极其普遍的个人经历。

I can sort of relate.

我多少能体会这种感受。

While you might have been wondering if the movie Admission was anything like real life (it’s not), I was watching What to Expect When You’re Expecting wondering the same thing. I thought there were a lot of books on pregnancy. It’s nothing compared to zillions of tomes on all aspects of child development and child rearing. Oh and if you’re looking for a place to crowd source answers to incredibly personal questions about your new tiny human, a la College Confidential, we’ve got those too. Both my barista and my spinning instructor have shared (unsolicited, mind you) their thoughts on sleep training and babywearing and which children’s books are the best for babies(Goodnight Moon and just about anything by Dr. Seuss,in case you were wondering). Once, at the grocery store the woman behind me in line went on a six minute rant about how my daughter should have been listening to Mozart in the womb if she’s going to be successful and get into a good college (and we’ve come full circle!). I managed not to slap her.

当你看电影《录取》想着现实是不是和电影一样时（顺便说一句不是），我看《孕期完全指导》也在想同样的问题。我以为有关怀孕的书已经很多了，但和浩如烟海的育儿书比起来实在是九牛一毛。哦如果你想找个“超隐私新生儿抚养问题集锦”，那种和College Confidential一个性质的，也是没问题的。我的咖啡师和单车教练都“热心”（管你听不听）地跟你分享睡眠训练，婴儿装，还有儿童书的心得（《月亮，晚安》和Dr. Seuss的所有作品）。有一次，杂货店里一个排我后面结账的女人发表了一个六分钟的长篇大论，说如果我女儿想成功并进一所好大学（兜了一圈又回来啦！）那胎教就要听莫扎特什么的。我很努力才控制住不扇她一巴掌。

These folks are just trying to help. I know that. And the baby industry is a big one- just like college admissions. What has prevented me from losing my mind is actually a piece of advice I’ve given to high school juniors and seniors for my whole career in higher ed: sometimes you have to stop listening to others and trust your gut. It will all turn out well,you don’t know how now but it will. It’s simple, but it helps.

我知道这些人只是想帮忙，也知道婴幼儿产业和大学录取一样庞杂。之所以我没有被搞疯，是因为我一直信奉我从事高等教育以来，常给高中申请者的的一条建议：有时你必须摒弃他人的言论，相信自己。一切都会走上正轨，你不知道到底是怎样，但事情是一定会好起来的。就是这么简单却有用的道理。

So I will trust my gut and dabble in various parenting philosophies. I will read my daughter Stranger in a Strange Land or The History of Love. I will not worry that instead of listening to Mozart in utero Nugget went to the Boston Calling music festival to see The National. You too must trust your gut. So to the seniors choosing where to spend the next four years and the juniors just starting the process: do you research and trust your instincts. You’ll get there and when you do, it will be amazing. How? I don’t know. That’s the great mystery.

所以我会相信自己，接触各种各样的育儿方式；我会给我女儿读《异乡异客》或者《爱的历史》；我不会担心Nugget在肚子里“应该”听莫扎特的时候去了 Boston Calling music festival看The National。你也要相信你自己。所以这是对正要选择未来四年归属的高中毕业生和正开始申请的高二学生的忠告：好好自己研究，相信直觉。你会到达想要的地方，那时你会觉得棒极了。你要问我具体如何？我也不知道，这是个伟大的谜。

翻译：吴聆雪

原文链接：http://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/trust-your-gut-and-how-having-a-baby-sort-of-feels-like-applying-to-college/

【智梦简介】

智梦是一家专注美国本科留学的教育咨询机构。

我们的使命：

“智梦教育团队深知留学申请关系到学生及其家长的前途和未来，我们将竭尽所能帮助每一位智梦学员发掘其潜在的特质，以开放透明的申请方式，让他们能不留遗憾的争取到自己的理想学校。与此同时，培养他们成为诚实守信、独立思考、德才兼备的国际化人才。”

我们的愿景：

“智梦教育将成为一所发掘学术兴趣，培养学术能力，塑造具有公民意识的新时代留学生的学校。”