A college freshman chats and chuckles on his cell phone. Behind him are his proud parents, loaded down with his luggage. "Helicopter parents" are seen every year in newspapers and on television on college enrollment day.

一名大学新生边讲电话边咯咯笑着。在他后面，喜气洋洋的父母帮他拿着沉重的行李。每年到了大学新生报到的时节，"直升机父母"的身影就就会出现在电视和报纸上。

This year, however, more freshmen are choosing to prove their *self-reliance as grown-ups from their very first day as college students. They travel far away to their new schools, and are determined to settle in on their own.

但今年，越来越多的大一新生选择从步入大学的第一天起，努力证明自己作为成年人的独立能力。他们千里迢迢来到新学校，决心靠自己独立安顿下来。

21st Century reporter Xu Jingxi and campus correspondents Chen Yang and Yang Jiayi interviewed three college freshmen about their experiences.

这里，《21世纪英文报》的记者许靖烯协同校园通讯员陈阳、杨嘉沂采访了三名大学新生，让我们来听听他们的入学经历。

Tian Chuan, 19, electronic information engineering student, Harbin Engineering University

田川（音译），19岁，就读于哈尔滨工程大学电子信息工程专业

This freshman had always done what his parents wanted him to do before he went to college. He took the extracurricular lessons his parents chose. He applied to the secondary school they recommended.

这名大一新生在升入大学前，总是会遵从父母的意愿，父母要他做什么他就做什么。他参加父母为他选的课外班，努力考到他们期望的中学。

But now he is eager to escape from his parents' protection. Tian's mother asked him to go to a local university in their hometown of Fujian province. But Tian has chosen one in Harbin, Heilongjiang.http://www.24en.com 爱思英语网

但现在他想要逃离父母的怀抱。田川的母亲想让他在家乡福建读大学。但田川却选择了黑龙江省哈尔滨市的一所大学。

He is determined to manage everything on his own. "I would look as if I were still a little child if my parents accompanied me to the university and sorted everything out for me," he explained. "As a grown-up man, I would feel ashamed."

他决定独自来安排一切。"如果爸妈陪我来学校报到，帮我把一切整顿妥当，那我看起来还是一个还没长大的小屁孩儿。"他说，"作为一个成年人，我会感到很羞愧。"


On enrolling day, Tian dragged two big suitcases of luggage. He sweated in long lines and stressed about what he would need to buy on his first shopping trip.

在报道注册当天，田川拖着两大箱行李。他夹在长长的队伍中汗流浃背，并因为第一次去商场需要购买哪些东西犯了难

However, Tian is grateful that he started to be self-reliant from the first day of college.http://www.24en.com 爱思英语网

即便如此，田川仍就感到很欣慰，因为他从上大学第一天起就宣告独立了。

"I will have to handle college studies and job-hunting by myself in the future," he said, "and I'm more confident now."

田川说："接下来，我必须独自应对学业和将来的求职，我现在更加自信了。"

Yang Peihong, 22, medical student, Yangtze University

杨佩红（音译），22岁，就读于长江大学医学专业

The whistle blew to announce the train's departure. "I'm on the way to school. Sorry that I didn't tell you," Yang phoned her mother. Yang's mother was *dumbfounded.

汽笛声宣告了火车已经开车。杨佩红打电话给妈妈说："我正在去学校的路上。对不起，我没告诉您。"她妈妈惊讶得说不出话来。

From her hometown in Shanxi to the university in Jinzhou, Hubei, Yang needed to transfer between three different trains. When she trudged through the crowds at the stations, she could hardly hold back her tears and longed to go home.

从山西老家到位于湖北荆州的学校，杨佩红需要中转两次火车。当挤在火车站拥挤的人群中时，她再也忍不住自己的泪水，很想回家。

Yang was actually envious when she saw other freshmen enjoying their parents' company. She too wanted her parents to be there for the proud moment when she became a college student.

当看到其他新生们都有家长陪伴时，杨佩红真的很羡慕他们。其实她非常希望自己的父母能够在场，一起分享她成为大学生的自豪时刻。

But Yang was worried that the long journey would be tough on her aged parents.

但杨佩红担心，长途旅行可能会令上了年纪的父母吃不消。

Yang plans to work part-time during her college years. She hopes to be able to pay for her parents to go on a comfortable tour around Wuhan once she finds her feet.

她打算在大学期间做些兼职。一旦熟悉了新环境，她希望能够自己出钱为爸妈安排一次舒适的武汉之行。

Yang believes that her parents are proud of their brave daughter. "I might be the only one in my class who has traveled to university alone," she said.

杨佩红坚信，父母会为她这个勇敢的女儿而感到骄傲。她说："我可能是班里唯一一个独自来大学报到的学生。"

Fang Yingfu, 20, business management student, South China Normal University

方英甫（音译），就读于华南师范大学工商管理专业

This freshman from Huilai, Guangdong, was traveling alone for the first time. She took a midnight bus and arrived in Guangzhou five hours later.

这位来自广东惠来县的大学新生还是第一次独自上路。她搭乘了一班夜班客车，5个小时的车程后，她来到了广州。

On her arrival, Fang saw the shuttle bus which was going to take her to the university. The students from the upper classes gave Fang a warm welcome and helped her to carry her luggage.http://www.24en.com 爱思英语网

一到那里，方英甫就乘坐专线班车抵达学校。高年级的学长们热情地迎接她的到来，并帮她拿行李。

While many college freshmen attended enrollment day with large groups of families, the adventurous Fang preferred to explore her first day at school by herself. As it turned out, it was not as difficult as she had expected.

尽管很多大学新生都携庞大亲友团前来报道，但大胆的方英甫还是更喜欢独自一人迎接校园生活的第一天。事实证明，这并非像她想象的那样困难。

Students of higher grades acted as guides for the freshmen. They helped Fang to go through the procedures, showed her around campus and shared stories of college life.

高年级的同学们俨然成为新生们的向导。他们帮助方英甫办理入学手续，带她在校园参观、并与她分享校园生活的经历。

Going to school on her own helped the freshman quickly blend in with her new schoolmates.

独自去上学可以帮助大一新生们在短时间内同新同学打成一片。

"I would have clung to my parents if they had accompanied me to school," Fang explained. "But this way, I had more chances to meet students in upper classes and other freshmen and make many new friends."http://www.24en.com 爱思英语网

"如果父母陪我来报道，我一定会依赖他们，"方英甫解释说。"但这回，我可以有过多机会去认识同年级以及高年级的同学，结交一些新朋友。"