大学的每一分钟都是你未来无形的财富

Luyanda Mdanda is someone who likes to be busy.

Luyanda Mdanda是一个喜欢忙碌的人。

The 19 year-old South African led a very active life long before becoming an international student in the United States. Born in Johannesburg, he enjoys outdoor activities, such as playing a game of golf and surfing.

这位19岁的南非人在成为美国的国际学生之前，过着非常积极的生活。他出生在约翰内斯堡，喜欢户外活动，比如打高尔夫球和冲浪。

But Mdanda says he never thought his life could be as busy as it has been since coming to the University of California San Diego in 2016.

但Mdanda说，他从来没有想过自己的生活会像2016年来到加州大学圣地亚哥那样忙碌。

The University of California San Diego, or UCSD for short, was established in 1960. It is about a two-hour drive south of Los Angeles on the California coast. The school is a public research university, and currently serves over 36,000 students.

加利福尼亚大学圣地亚哥分校，简称UCSD，成立于1960年。在加州海岸，从洛杉矶往南开车大约需要两个小时。这所学校是一所公立研究型大学，目前有超过36000名学生就读。

UCSD is well known for its research programs. Several researchers, professors and former students have been recognized for their work. They have won major awards, including the National Medal of Science, the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize. And that is why Mdanda wanted to earn his undergraduate degree at UCSD. He learned of the school through a State Department program called EducationUSA.

UCSD以其研究项目而闻名。一些研究人员、教授和以前的学生因他们的工作而受到表彰。他们获得了重大奖项，包括国家科学奖章、菲尔兹奖和诺贝尔奖。这就是为什么Mdanda想在UCSD获得本科学位。他通过一个名为Education USA的国务院项目了解了这所学校。

Mdanda chose to study cognitive science, which combines different subjects, such as computer science, psychology and social science. He knows that, by choosing this study program, he is required to learn many different skills. But he feels it is the best way of solving the world’s biggest problems.

Mdanda选择了认知科学，它结合了不同的学科，如计算机科学、心理学和社会科学。他知道，通过选择这个学习项目，他需要学习许多不同的技能。但他认为这是解决世界上最大问题的最佳方式。

“I really believe through the power of programming, through the power of understanding how the mind works, through the power of understanding how social sciences works, we’re able to create solutions … for underrepresented communities in the world, and provide them with the resources they need.”

“我真的相信，通过编程的力量，通过理解大脑如何工作的力量，通过理解社会科学如何工作的力量，我们能够为世界上缺乏代表性的社区创造解决方案，并为他们提供所需的资源。”

However, getting the chance to work on these sorts of problems was not easy, Mdanda recalls. UCSD does not provide him with financial aid. So he has asked several South African companies to donate money to help pay for his college education. It also means he has had to work very hard on his own.

然而，Mdanda回忆说，获得解决这类问题的机会并不容易。加州大学圣地亚哥分校没有为他提供经济援助。因此，他请求南非的几家公司捐款，帮助他支付大学学费。这也意味着他必须自己努力工作。

“That’s really pushed me to seeking internship opportunities, seeking campus jobs, seeking other opportunities to find people who are willing to support me. And I think if it wasn’t for that challenge I wouldn’t have to necessarily push myself as hard as I have in the past.”

“这真的促使我去寻找实习机会，寻找校园工作，寻找其他机会去寻找那些愿意支持我的人。我认为，如果没有这个挑战，我就不必像过去那样努力了。”

Mdanda has worked three jobs since starting classes at UCSD. But luckily for him, these jobs have involved work he finds interesting.

自从在UCSD开始上课以来，Mdanda做过三份工作。但对他来说幸运的是，这些工作涉及到他感兴趣的工作。

The school is home to the San Diego Supercomputer Center, which houses very large, very powerful processors. And Mdanda was able to get a position in the center as an undergraduate researcher.

这所学校是圣地亚哥超级计算机中心的所在地，它拥有非常强大的处理器。Mdanda在该中心获得了本科研究员的职位。

Many of the world’s top technology companies operate their own supercomputers. Last summer, Mdanda put what he learned in his research position to use by getting a paid internship at the Microsoft Corporation. And he will be returning to the company for another internship this summer.

许多世界顶尖的科技公司都有自己的超级计算机。去年夏天，Mdanda把他在研究岗位上学到的东西用在了微软公司的有偿实习上。今年夏天，他还将回到公司实习。

But it is at yet another job that Mdanda truly seems to shine. In 2017, he became a resident assistant, or RA for short. At most U.S. colleges and universities, many students live on-campus in school-operated student housing. In exchange for a free place to stay, students chosen as RAs act as a representative of the school in the student housing. They make sure students follow rules and have a safe and welcoming environment to live in.

但是，似乎正是在另一份工作上，Mdanda才真正闪耀着光芒。2017年，他成为常驻助理，简称RA。在大多数美国高校，许多学生住在学校经营的学生宿舍里。作为交换，学生们选择在学生宿舍里担任学校的代表。他们确保学生遵守规则，并有一个安全、友好的生活环境。

RAs also can act as a guide to other students, something which Mdanda says he loves doing. He personally is involved in several student organizations, including a group that helps students develop business ideas. And so he loves helping others, telling them all about campus life and the groups in which they can be involved. That way they can get the most out of their time at UCSD, he adds.

RAs还可以作为其他学生的指南，这正是Mdanda说他喜欢做的事情。他个人参与了几个学生组织，包括一个帮助学生发展商业理念的团体。所以他喜欢帮助别人，告诉他们所有的校园生活和他们可以参与的团体。这样他们就能充分利用在UCSD的时间，他补充道。