VOA慢速英語：許多美國人對于當初大學(xué)以及專業(yè)的選擇存在遺憾

[page]中英[/page]

Many Americans Regret Their College Choices

許多美國人對于當初大學(xué)以及專業(yè)的選擇存在遺憾

A majority of Americans say they would change their choice of college, degree or field of study, if they could do it over again.

 

大多數(shù)美國人說，如果他們可以再次選擇的話，他們會改變他們的大學(xué)，學(xué)位或?qū)W習(xí)領(lǐng)域的選擇。

Gallup, an American research-based company, and the Strada Education Networkreported in June that 51 percent of Americans regret one of their college education choices.

美國研究型公司蓋洛普，6月份斯特拉達教育網(wǎng)絡(luò)報道，51%的美國人對其大學(xué)教育選擇表示留有遺憾。

The study also found that 36 percent of Americans said they would change their major if they could. Twenty-eight percent of Americans said they would choose a different college or university. And 12 percent said they would choose a different degree program.

該研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)，36%的美國人表示如果會改變他們的專業(yè)。 百分之二十八的美國人說他們會選擇不同的大學(xué)或?qū)W院。 12%的人表示會選擇不同的學(xué)位課程。

Precious A. Smith is the Deputy Director for the Center for Academic Excellence at Howard University. Smith does not want people to think that 51 percent of American college graduates are unhappy with what they are currently doing.

A.史密斯是霍華德大學(xué)學(xué)術(shù)卓越中心的副主任。 史密斯不想讓人們認為51%的美國大學(xué)畢業(yè)生對他們目前的工作感到不滿。

She says the students “might have just made different choices if they had different information at the time they were picking a major or picking an institution to graduate from.”

她說，如果學(xué)生在選拔專業(yè)或選拔機構(gòu)畢業(yè)時獲得不同的信息，那么他們可能會做出不同的選擇。“

Students often end up choosing between a career that will make them happy and a career that will make a lot of money, she says. Many students therefore end up picking a major that they are not very satisfied with.

她說，學(xué)生通常最終會選擇一種讓自己幸福的事業(yè)，并創(chuàng)造一筆可以賺到很多錢的職業(yè)生涯。 因此，許多學(xué)生最終選擇了一個不太滿意的專業(yè)。

Beth Davis is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She says, “I went to college because everybody else was going to college.”

Beth Davis畢業(yè)于馬里蘭大學(xué)。 她說：“我上大學(xué)，因為別人都要上大學(xué)了。

Davis says her degree in history and English has nothing to do with her current job. She never took a business class in college but she now runs a successful construction business. She believes that on the job training may be a better option for many people.

戴維斯說她的歷史學(xué)位和英語與她目前的工作無關(guān)。 她從來沒有在大學(xué)畢業(yè)，但她現(xiàn)在正在建設(shè)業(yè)務(wù)。 她認為，就職培訓(xùn)可能對許多人來說是一個更好的選擇。

“The things that I am interested in, I always would have learned about anyway. I didn’t need a college degree to do that,” she says.

“我感興趣的事情，我總是可以學(xué)到。 我不需要大學(xué)學(xué)位去做這些事，“她說。

STEM and technical students have fewer regrets

科學(xué)技術(shù)，工程類的學(xué)生則很少感到后悔。

The poll found that there were two groups of students that were more satisfied with their educational decisions. One included students who completed trade, technical or work-related study programs. And the other included students who specialized in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, an area known in American education as STEM.

調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，有兩組學(xué)生對他們的教育決定更加滿意。 一個包括完成貿(mào)易，技術(shù)或工作相關(guān)學(xué)習(xí)計劃的學(xué)生。 另外包括專門從事科學(xué)，技術(shù)，工程或數(shù)學(xué)的學(xué)生，美國教育領(lǐng)域被稱為STEM。

The poll also found that individuals with higher student loan debt are more likely to say they would change at least one educational decision.

調(diào)查還發(fā)現(xiàn)，學(xué)生貸款債務(wù)較高的個人更有可能表示將至少改變一項教育決定。

Smith of Howard University says that some former students “probably didn’t realize how much that loan debt was going to affect their current lifestyle.”

霍華德大學(xué)的史密斯說，一些前學(xué)生“可能沒有意識到貸款債務(wù)會影響他們目前的生活方式。”

She advises students to be flexible with their career goals. She says students need to understand that “your career goal at the end of high school and your career goal at the end of college are going to look a little bit different.”

她建議學(xué)生靈活運用他們的職業(yè)目標。 她說學(xué)生需要明白，“高中畢業(yè)的職業(yè)目標和大學(xué)畢業(yè)生的職業(yè)目標將會有所不同。”

Ashley Riley is a developmental specialist at Early Intervention, a service that works with children who have developmental delays.

Ashley Riley是“早期干預(yù)”的發(fā)展專家，這項服務(wù)與發(fā)育遲緩的兒童合作。

Riley wishes that she had more information about other majors and career options when she attended college.

萊利希望她上大學(xué)時有更多關(guān)于其他專業(yè)和職業(yè)選擇的信息。

Riley said it was her current job at Early Intervention that, in her words, “opened my eyes up to all of these other majors that I have never really been exposed to in my college career.”

萊利說，她現(xiàn)在在“早期干預(yù)”中的工作，就是用她的話來說，“把我的眼睛從我在大學(xué)生涯中從未真正暴露的所有其他專業(yè)的眼光看出來。”

If she could go back to college again, Riley said she would have majored in occupational therapy or speech therapy instead of education and psychology.

如果她能再次上大學(xué)，萊利說她會主修職業(yè)治療或言語治療，而不是教育和心理學(xué)。

The poll also showed that a person’s desire to change their educational decisions is related to the kind of college or university they attended.

民意調(diào)查也顯示，一個人改變教育決策的愿望與他們所參加的大學(xué)或大學(xué)的類型有關(guān)。

About half of students at public or state universities, which receive government money, would change at least one of their educational decisions. The number is higher for private and for-profit schools.

大約一半的公立或州立大學(xué)獲得政府資金的學(xué)生將至少改變其教育決定之一。 私立和營利學(xué)校的人數(shù)較多。

The research was part of a three-year study to help colleges and students complete education with a purpose.

這項研究是為期三年的研究的一部分，旨在幫助大學(xué)生和學(xué)生完成教育目標。

The researchers collected information from June 29, 2016 through March 26, 2017. They spoke by telephone with over 89,000 people throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia.

研究人員從2017年6月29日至2017年3月26日收集了信息。他們通過電話與遍及美國各地的89,000多人(包括哥倫比亞特區(qū))進行了交談。

I’m Mario Ritter.

馬里奧·里特報道。

 

[page]英文[/page]

A majority of Americans say they would change their choice of college, degree or field of study, if they could do it over again.

Gallup, an American research-based company, and the Strada Education Networkreported in June that 51 percent of Americans regret one of their college education choices.

The study also found that 36 percent of Americans said they would change their major if they could. Twenty-eight percent of Americans said they would choose a different college or university. And 12 percent said they would choose a different degree program.

Precious A. Smith is the Deputy Director for the Center for Academic Excellence at Howard University. Smith does not want people to think that 51 percent of American college graduates are unhappy with what they are currently doing.

She says the students “might have just made different choices if they had different information at the time they were picking a major or picking an institution to graduate from.”

Students often end up choosing between a career that will make them happy and a career that will make a lot of money, she says. Many students therefore end up picking a major that they are not very satisfied with.

Beth Davis is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She says, “I went to college because everybody else was going to college.”

Davis says her degree in history and English has nothing to do with her current job. She never took a business class in college but she now runs a successful construction business. She believes that on the job training may be a better option for many people.

“The things that I am interested in, I always would have learned about anyway. I didn’t need a college degree to do that,” she says.

STEM and technical students have fewer regrets

The poll found that there were two groups of students that were more satisfied with their educational decisions. One included students who completed trade, technical or work-related study programs. And the other included students who specialized in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, an area known in American education as STEM.

The poll also found that individuals with higher student loan debt are more likely to say they would change at least one educational decision.

Smith of Howard University says that some former students “probably didn’t realize how much that loan debt was going to affect their current lifestyle.”

She advises students to be flexible with their career goals. She says students need to understand that “your career goal at the end of high school and your career goal at the end of college are going to look a little bit different.”

Ashley Riley is a developmental specialist at Early Intervention, a service that works with children who have developmental delays.

Riley wishes that she had more information about other majors and career options when she attended college.

Riley said it was her current job at Early Intervention that, in her words, “opened my eyes up to all of these other majors that I have never really been exposed to in my college career.”

If she could go back to college again, Riley said she would have majored in occupational therapy or speech therapy instead of education and psychology.

The poll also showed that a person’s desire to change their educational decisions is related to the kind of college or university they attended.

About half of students at public or state universities, which receive government money, would change at least one of their educational decisions. The number is higher for private and for-profit schools.

The research was part of a three-year study to help colleges and students complete education with a purpose.

The researchers collected information from June 29, 2016 through March 26, 2017. They spoke by telephone with over 89,000 people throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia.

I’m Mario Ritter.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

major – n. a subject chosen as a field of specialization

degree – n. an honor given to a student after his or her completion of a study program

technical – adj. related to a job specific skill

flexible – adj. willing or able to change

occupational therapy – n. a type of treatment for those recovering from illness