Part 1
How people from foreign countries can attend a college or university in the United States?
Experts say you must plan early if you want to study in the United States. They say to begin at least two years before you want to start your studies.
The first step is to visit an American educational advising center. There are more than four-hundred such offices around the world. You can find the one closest to your home by using a computer. Or ask the Public Affairs1 Office at the United States Embassy2 in your country to tell you where the nearest American educational advising center is. Educational advising centers have information about American colleges. They have computers so you can do a search to find the best school for you.
Colleges and universities in the United States offer different kinds of degrees that require one or more years of study. For example, some schools offer certificate3 programs. These programs offer one year of training in subjects like office work, computer programming4 or car repair.
You may also choose a two-year junior college or community college. Such programs lead to an associate degree5. For example, some two-year programs prepare students for skilled jobs in electronics. Studying at a community college costs much less than at a four-year college. Many colleges and universities accept community college work as the first two years toward a four-year bachelor's degree. To get a bachelor's degree, you study general subjects like English, history, mathematics, and science during the first two years. During the last two years you take classes in your major area of study.
If you already have a college degree, you may want to get an advanced degree at an American graduate school6. A master's degree usually takes two or three more years of full-time study in one subject. You must attend graduate school if you want to be a college professor, medical doctor or lawyer. These special degree programs require between three and six years of additional study.
第一部分
外国人怎样才能在美国的学院或大学就读？
专家建议，如果你打算去美国学习的话，必须早作计划，至少在你留学前的两年就要着手准备。
第一步是去拜访一个美国教育咨询中心，世界各地有400多家这类中心。你可以通过电脑找到离你家最近的一处，或是向所在国家的美国大使馆公共事务处咨询，让他们告诉你最近的美国教育咨询中心在何处。教育咨询中心掌握着有关美国大学的信息，你可以通过他们那里的电脑，来搜索查找最适合你的学校。
美国的学院和大学提供各类学位，学习年限为一年或更长的时间。比如，有些学校设有证书课程，这些课程提供为期一年的有关科目的培训，如办公室工作、电脑编程或汽车修理。
你也可以选择一个两年制的专科学校（初级学院）或社区学院，通过学习这些课程可以获得副学士学位。例如，有些两年制课程可以使学生毕业后能在电子领域熟练工作。上社区学院的费用比上四年制大学要少得多。许多学院和大学接受社区学院的学习成绩，认可这个阶段为四年制学士学位的前两年。要取得学士学位，你在前两年须学习一般性课程，如英语、历史、数学和自然科学，而后两年则学习主修专业的课程。
如果你已有一个学士学位，你也许想到美国大学的研究生院攻读更高级学位。要获得一个硕士学位，通常要求两到三年的某专业全日制学习。假如你想成为大学教授、医生或律师的话，则必须上研究生院。攻读这些专门的学位要求另外三到六年的学习时间。
1. public affairs 公共事务
2． embassy n． 大使馆
3． certificate n． 证书，文凭
4． programming n． 程序设计，编程
5． associate degree 美国两年制专科学校或社区学院提供的副学士学位
6． graduate school 研究所，研究生院