Reason 3: Status

原因三：地位

"I think that's the most valid reason to go to college," Mr. Stephens allowed. "If you can go to a top school, by all means, go. It doesn't mean that you need to finish." A semester or two may be all you need, he said, to gain the advantages associated with the school's name brand.

“我認(rèn)為這是最站得住腳的原因，”斯蒂芬說：“如果你被一家好學(xué)校錄取了，那么不管怎么著，你都應(yīng)該去上?！辈贿^他說，即使這樣也只需要讀一兩個學(xué)期，只要能讓自己的名字和學(xué)校熠熠生輝的招牌聯(lián)系在一起就足矣。

Reason 4: Self-discovery

原因四：發(fā)現(xiàn)自我

Many college graduates believe that they discovered themselves in their years on campus. But Mr. Stephens said the typical student's lack of real responsibility, coupled with an emphasis on rote memorization and test taking, hampers true personal growth.

不少大學(xué)畢業(yè)生認(rèn)為，正是在大學(xué)時光讓他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了自我。但斯蒂芬斯認(rèn)為，大學(xué)生現(xiàn)在普遍缺乏真正的責(zé)任感，加之大學(xué)教育強(qiáng)調(diào)的是記憶能力和考試技巧，這嚴(yán)重阻礙了個人成長。

"College is a sandbox that gives you a false sense of reality," he said. "It's much more beneficial to learn what it means to direct your own life." Learners are better off spending early adulthood developing self-reliance, he said.

“大學(xué)是一個沙盒模型，它讓你對現(xiàn)實產(chǎn)生了幻覺，”他說：“如果能了解怎樣才能主宰自己的生活，這會更加有用。”他認(rèn)為，人們最好能在剛邁入成年時，就開始學(xué)習(xí)自力更生。

Self-discovery might best be achieved doing something constructive, he argued, like creating a start-up.

他還認(rèn)為，想要發(fā)現(xiàn)自我，更有用的辦法是做些創(chuàng)造性的工作，比如建立一個初創(chuàng)公司。

The idea of taking a gap year off from school to explore the world and find yourself raised his hackles. "Why does it have to be a year off? Why can't it be a year on? Why should you have to take time out of the system to engage?" he asked.

他特別反感有人要在讀大學(xué)期間進(jìn)行為期一年的“空檔年”(gap year)，用來探索世界?！案陕锓堑没ㄒ荒陼r間做這件事？一年以后為什么就停下來了？為什么只有跳出大學(xué)這個框架，才能真正了解社會？”他問。

Reason 5: Attaining a marketable degree and developing earning potential

原因五：獲得拿得出手的學(xué)位，取得高薪潛力

Statistics show that college graduation correlates positively with economic factors like lower rates of unemployment and higher earnings.

數(shù)據(jù)顯示，大學(xué)學(xué)歷對低失業(yè)率和高收入這類經(jīng)濟(jì)因素有正面作用。

The key factor may be not the degree itself but the degree earner, Mr. Stephens contended. "It's not that college creates success," he said. "It's that smart and motivated people in our society tend to go to college. I bet if you took those smart and motivated people and put them out into the work force, they would earn more than other people."

不過斯蒂芬斯認(rèn)為，最關(guān)鍵的因素也許不是學(xué)歷本身，而在于獲得學(xué)歷的人。他說：“并不是大學(xué)為人們帶來了成功，而是在我們這個社會里，聰明而上進(jìn)的人通常會去讀大學(xué)。我敢打賭，如果你讓這些聰明上進(jìn)的人別去念書，直接進(jìn)入職場，他們掙的錢也比其他人要多?！?/div>

He believes that typical college coursework is largely divorced from reality: "Taking a psychology course doesn't mean you know what it's like to work as a psychologist." Better to observe, shadow and perhaps intern with professionals, he said, noting that coursework or a degree may be required to enter a profession or gain licensing.

他還認(rèn)為，大學(xué)的課程普遍與現(xiàn)實脫鉤：“學(xué)習(xí)心理學(xué)課程并不代表你知道心理醫(yī)生如何工作?！彼X得更好的方式是觀察、效仿或者在從業(yè)人員的手下實習(xí)，不過在從事專業(yè)工作或獲得執(zhí)業(yè)資格前，需要完成課業(yè)或取得學(xué)位。

He also took issue with some of the data, noting, "The lower unemployment rates are only for college graduates over 25." (Indeed, as The Times reported last spring, only slightly more than 55 percent of young college graduates are working in jobs that require a college degree.) He thought one reason might be that young graduates simply aren't developing useful skills in college.

他對一些數(shù)據(jù)提出了意見，指出“失業(yè)率較低，僅僅指的是25歲以上的大學(xué)畢業(yè)生。”（確實如此，據(jù)《紐約時報》去年春季的報道，只有55%多一點的年輕大學(xué)畢業(yè)生在從事需要大學(xué)文憑的工作。）他認(rèn)為年輕大學(xué)畢業(yè)生就業(yè)不理想，其中一個原因可能在于讀大學(xué)時并未獲取有用的工作技能。

Rising levels of college debt, he said, further complicate the financial picture for college graduates. Young people might look at the time and money they would invest in a college education and determine a better way to use those resources.

他說，大學(xué)生所負(fù)債務(wù)越來越高，這也使得大學(xué)畢業(yè)生的經(jīng)濟(jì)前景更為復(fù)雜。年輕人在考慮到為了獲得大學(xué)文憑需要投入的時間和金錢后，有可能決定尋找更好的方法來運用這些資源。

In the end, perhaps the point that Mr. Stephens most wanted to make is that even those who opt for college should reflect on their goals and make good, clear-eyed decisions. "Understand why you're going so you can make the most of your experience. Be honest about it," he said.

說到底，斯蒂芬斯想明確表達(dá)這樣一個觀點，那就是即使是決定上大學(xué)的年輕人也需要審慎地考慮自己的目標(biāo)，并做出有洞察力的正確決定?！澳愕孟朊靼鬃约簽槭裁匆洗髮W(xué)，這樣就能最大程度地利用好這段經(jīng)歷。你需要對自己誠實點，”他說。

翻譯：諾伊

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