德克萨斯大学：如何明智地选择理工学院
男生一般都对理工学院比较感兴趣吧，像加州理工学院和麻省理工学院都是大家第一个想到的，也是非常好的选择。但是除了学校的知名度，我们还要考虑哪些因素呢?怎样在不同情况下做出对自己而言更明智的选择呢?
It’s easy for prospective international students to focus on high-ranking or well-known schools like the California Institute of Technology or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But while many engineering professors say prestige matters, there are other factors students should consider – because the big-name school might not be the right fit.
说到工程学，国际学生一般都只会很关注一些著名的顶级院校，比如加州理工学院或者麻省理工学院。然而许多工程学专家指出，虽然学校的名气是重要的，但申请者也应该考虑其他因素，因为著名的学校不一定是最适合他们的。
If a student doesn’t get into a so-called big name school, he or she should look for location. "If they go to a university near Silicon Valley, that will benefit them even if the university doesn’t have as good a reputation. They also should look for programs where professors have good industry connections," he says.
如果某个学生没有被著名大学的理工学院录取，那么他就应该好好参考一下地理位置。如果去一个距离硅谷很近的大学，那么即使他所就读的大学名气没有那么大，对他也是很有用处的。同时，他也应该在一些能帮助自己的教授手下学习，如果那些教授和工业领域联系紧密的话，就会对他帮助很大。
In the same way, those interested in working in Mexico or near the Mexican border can take advantage of programs like those at the University of Texas—Pan American, where the university is partnering with maquiladoras, factories from the U.S. and other countries that operate in Mexican border cities in order to profit from inexpensive labor costs in Mexico.
同样，如果你有兴趣在墨西哥或墨西哥边界工作，你就可以选择美国德克萨斯大学的一些工程学项目，该大学与美国及其他一些国家在加工出口方面有合作，利用墨西哥边境城市廉价的劳动力来获取更大的利润。
Miguel Gonzalez, dean of the college of engineering and computer science at the university, says students can benefit from the strong alumni network of his university, both in the U.S. and internationally. He says the school has relationships with prestigious technical universities in Mexico and is forging ties in China and other countries.
德克萨斯大学工程与计算机科学学院院长Miguel Gonzalez指出，国内外的学生都可以从德克萨斯大学强大的校友网络中获益。他说德克萨斯大学与 墨西哥的顶级理工大学都有合作，现在也正与中国及其他国家的理工大学缔结合作关系。
Peter Schroeder, a professor of computer science and applied and computational mathematics at Caltech, says the school has an alumni network that feeds into the rich mix of industry in the Los Angeles area. But he points out that state universities also often have strong alumni networks and job placement programs, as they are supported by taxpayer dollars and aim to make students marketable.
Students should also look into class offerings and facilities before making a choice, Schroeder says.
"A lot depends on how focused you are," he says. "If you know exactly what you want to do, a small place like Caltech can be a great. But if you haven’t narrowed your interests, UC—Berkeley might be better. They have a great breadth of classes."
加州理工学院教授Peter Schroeder指出，学生应该在做出选择之前好好研究课程的内容及设备，如果你很清楚自己想做什么，那么加州理工学院会是很好的选择;而如果你的兴趣还没集中，那么伯克利大学会更好，因为那里的课程范围很广泛。
"We need someone with a sharp and inquisitive mind who is good at learning new skills and can quickly absorb a new set of facts and solve problems," says Robert Anderson, an electrical engineer at Silicon Labs in Austin, Texas, which makes a variety of computer parts. "We assume they are more screened at the bigger schools, but really, at engineering schools, they don’t teach them the things we find useful."
硅谷一个电子工程学家说：“我们需要的人才是思维敏捷、好学好问、学习能力强、并且处理数据及解决问题能力都很强的人。我们本来认为著名大学的学生就一定更能干，但他们所学的东西也未必对我们有用。”
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