As an undergraduate I thought a lot about this question. I studied international relations at UChicago and very much enjoyed my coursework but I knew that it would be challenging to find meaningful work in the subject after graduation. As a Freshman I discovered my interest in business and began preparing myself to eventually apply to B-School. Here’s how I prepared myself to change my major in grad school. I think it will work for you too!
作为一个本科生我常常会想这个问题。我在芝加哥大学读国际关系，我也很喜欢我的专业课程，但是我也知道在毕业之后想在这个方面找到一份有意义的工作会很有挑战性。作为一个大一新生我发现了我在商业方面的兴趣，也开始为将来申请商学院做准备。下面就是讲我是如何准备应考不同于我本科专业的研究生的。我认为这也会对你有帮助！
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1) Join (or start!) the campus clubin the academic field you’re interested in.Getting involvedin the physics, accounting, or economics society is a great chance to learn more about the subject while making new friends. This may strengthen your interest or demonstrate that the field isn’t quite right for you – either way, very helpful learning. Though I was an international relations student, I was interested in learning more about business and finance so I joined The Blue Chips, UChicago’s investment club. In TBC I learned about balance sheets, EBITDA, economic forecasting, equity investing, and portfolio management. It was a tremendous opportunity for professional growth and the place where I met many of my close friends in college. My first university mentors were Joshua Sommerfeld and Elsa Sze, senior club members, and they encouraged me to pursue my interest in business, a key turning point for me.
1） 加入一个（或者创办！）学术上你感兴趣的校园俱乐部。接触一些物理学，会计学，或者经济学社团是学习相关知识的绝好机会，同时也能结识到很多朋友。这样有助于强化你感兴趣的学科，也能让你意识到哪些学科真的不适合你，无论怎样，这样做都能学到很多。尽管我是一个学国际关系的学生，但是我真正所感兴趣的是商业和金融学，所以我加入了Blue Chips社团，这是一个芝加哥大学的投资社团。在这个社团内，我懂得了资产负债表，税前摊销利润，经济预期，权益投资还有证券管理这些专业概念。这可是我获取专业知识的绝佳机会，也是我在大学结识好友的地方。大学内我最先碰到的“导师”就是Joshua Sommerfeld 和 Elsa Sze，他们都是社团内的高级成员，也是他们激励我为了我对商学的兴趣去奋斗，这是我人生中的一个关键的转折点。
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2) Read books on your target subject. This will help you get up to speed quickly on your target field and provide a solid jumping-off point for further study. Few things demonstrate interest like reading and researching independently. A good place to start is by researching the professors in the department at your dream school. Select one of their recent books and read it carefully. Write down questions as you read so that you can send the professora smart question via emailbefore you apply. The professor will be flattered a student is independently reading her book and may just message you back to begin correspondence.
2）阅读你想转的专业的有关书籍。这将帮助你快速认识你想要转的专业，并且为将来的深造打下了坚实的基础。几乎没有事情能像阅读和独立研究一样能展现你对一门学科的兴趣。一个好的出发点可以是研究那些你梦想去进的学校的相关教授。选择一本他们最近写的书，仔细阅读。把你读的过程中产生的问题写下来，这样你就可以在申请前通过电子邮件把问题寄给他们。那位教授看到有人独立阅读他写的书肯定会喜笑颜开，他会和你回信，就这样，你们就开始有了往来。
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3) Ask your professor for advice. As you pursue your new academic path, it will pay big dividends to have a sounding board to ask questions. Many professors have navigated paths similar to the one you are aiming for. The best way to profit from their experience is to ask them for advice! “Professor, do you have any book recommendations?” “Professor, do you know of any research opportunities in the Biology Department?” “Professor, I am aiming to study abroad, do you have any advice?”Charles Lipson, my international relations professor, gave me tremendous advice about my business and academic goals. This was only possible because I asked!
3）向你的导师寻求意见。当你在追求一个新的学术方向时，去向别人征询意见是非常有用的。很多教授都确定了和你相似的兴趣方向。从他们的经验中获利的最好方法就是向他们征询意见。“教授，你有什么推荐的书吗？”“教授，生物学系有什么科研机会么？”“教授，我想出国留学，你有什么建议？”Charles Lipson, 我的国际关系学教授，给了我很多关于商学和学术方向的建议。之所以这样是因为我去问他了！
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4) Earn professional experienceto demonstrate your competence in a new field. A successful term as alaboratory technician, research assistant, or intern in your subject can alleviate concerns from the admissions committee. I bet my internship at Merrill Lynch helped convince theMPhil Admissions Committeeat Cambridge Business School to take a chance on me. Of course, thefirst professional experienceis the hardest to earn so spend extra timepolishing your CVand target accessible opportunities, the “low hanging fruit” that will propel your studies forward.
4）获取专业经验来展示你在新领域的竞争力。一个成功的头衔例如实验室操作员，研究助理，或者在学科内有过实习经验，都能让入学委员会对你舒一口气。我打赌我在Merrill Lynch那儿的实习经历说服了剑桥商学院的研究性硕士招生委员会给我一个机会。当然，最初的专业经验是最难获取的，所以要花上额外的时间好好润色你的简历，还有好好把握机会，那些轻易获取的机会能驱动你的研究的动力。
If you aim to change your major in grad school there is no time to waste. Begin preparing today by getting involved in the campus club, by reading books from your target field, asking your professor for advice, and seeking professional opportunities.
如果你下定决心读不同专业的研究生那现在就要行动了。通过参加校园社团，读相关书籍，咨询导师和寻找机会来开始准备。
Over the long-term, you can achieve anything you set your mind to… but only if you’re willing to work for it.
长期来说，你想得到，就做得到，但只当你下定决定去做的话。（摘自百度贴吧“留留学”吧） |
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