1 When I first entered college as a freshman, I was afraid that I was not able to do well in my studies. I was afraid of being off by myself, away from my family for the first time. Here I was surrounded by people I did not know and who did not know me. I would have to make friends with them and perhaps also compete with them for grades in courses I would take. Were they smarter than I was? Could I keep up with them? Would they accept me?

2 I soon learned that my life was now up to me. I had to set a study program if I wanted to succeed in my courses. I had to regulate the time I spent  studying and the time I spent socializing. I had to decide when to go to bed, when and what to eat, when and what to drink, and with whom to be friendly. These questions I had to answer for myself. 

3 At first, life was a bit difficult. I made mistakes in how I used my time. I spent too much time making friends. I also made some mistakes in how I chose my first friends in college. 

4 Shortly, however, I had my life under control. I managed to go to class on time, do my first assignments and hand them in, and pass my first exams with fairly good grades. In addition, I made a few friends with whom I felt comfortable and with whom I could share my fears. I set up a routine that was really my own — a routine that met my needs. 

5 As a result, I began to look upon myself from a different perspective. I began to see myself as a person responsible for myself and responsible for my friends and family. It felt good to make my own decisions and see those decisions turn out to be wise ones. I guess that this is all part of what people call “growing up.” 

6 What did life have in store for me? At that stage in my life, I really was not certain where I would ultimately go in life and what I would do with the years ahead of me. But I knew that I would be able to handle what was ahead because I had successfully jumped this important hurdle in my life: I had made the transition from a person dependent on my family for emotional support to a person who was responsible for myself. 

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1. I was afraid of being off by myself, away from my family for the first time. 

我害怕独自一人在外，因为我是第一次远离家人。off意为away(离开)。 

2.  Here I was surrounded by people I did not know and who did not know me. 

在这里，周围都是我不认识的人，而他们也不认识我。people后有两个定语从句：(whom) I did not know和who did not know me。

3.  I had to decide when to go to bed, when…：

本课文使用了较多连接副词和连接代词。这类副词和代词可以用于动词、介词或一些固定的短语之后。除本句中的副词 when及代词what和whom外，类似的实例还有第三段中的副词how，第四段中的代词whom，第五段中的代词what，第六段中的副词where和代词what。 

4. These questions I had to answer for myself. 

这些问题我都得自己回答。本倒装句中的These questions是动词answer的宾语，置于句首是为了与上文衔接更紧密。 

5. I set up a routine that was really my own — a routine that met my needs. 

我建立了一种真正属于我自己的常规—— 一种满足了我的需要的常规。破折号后的 a routine that met my needs系同位语，强调和补充说明上文的a routine。 

6.  I began to see myself as a person responsible for myself and responsible for my friends and family.

我开始把自己看作是一个对自己负责也对朋友和家人负责的人。...… a person responsible for myself…...：短语作定语时，一般置于其所修饰的名词之后。相同的例子还有第六段中的a person dependent on my family…..。

7. It felt good to make my own decisions and see those decisions turn out to be wise ones. 

凡事由我自己作决定并看到这些决定最终证明是明智的决定，这种感觉很棒。本句中It是形式主语，真正的主语是后面的to make...… and see…...这两个不定式短语。动词see, hear, feel等后面用作宾语补语的不定式通常不带to。felt 是系动词， 意为“给人某种感觉”。又如：How does it feel to be a college student? 当大学生的感觉怎么样？ 

8. At that stage in my life, I really was not certain where I would ultimately go in life and what I would do with the years ahead of me. 

在人生的这一阶段，我真的不能确定我的人生之路最终将会走向何方，我真的不知道在以后的几年中我会做什么。 was not certain后跟了分别由where和what引导的从句。 

9. But I knew that I would be able to handle what was ahead because I had successfully jumped this important hurdle in my life: I had made the transition from a person dependent on my family for emotional support to a person who was responsible for myself. 

但我知道，我能应对未来，因为我已经成功地跃过了我生命中的这一重要难关：我已经完成了从一个依赖家人给予感情支持的人向一个对自己负责的人的过渡。