[by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Only 60 percent of students seeking a bachelor's degree at an American college [00:07.16]or university finish their study program within six years. [00:13.36]That information comes from the United States Department of Education. [00:19.76]It was part of a report released in May. [00:24.64]The report talks about full-time students who attended a four-year college [00:31.44]or university for the first time in 2008. [00:36.48]It states that 60 percent of them completed their degree program by 2014. [00:45.24]Experts say there are many reasons why this number is so low. [00:52.84]But many schools are looking for ways to increase the graduation rate. [01:00.16]For example, every American college or university [01:04.84]requires students to identify the main subject, or "major," of their studies. [01:12.68]After all their requirements have been met, [01:15.88]students receive their degree in that major. [01:19.76]Some universities require individuals to declare a major at the beginning of their studies. [01:28.12]Other schools let students wait until their second year. [01:33.44]Changing majors is also acceptable. [01:37.12]But some experts argue against changing majors. [01:41.68]They note it may cause students to take more time to complete their degree program. [01:49.88]However, a new study suggests that students [01:53.92]who change their majors may be more likely to graduate. [01:59.20]The Education Advisory Board (EAB) released the report on the study last month. [02:05.92]The board studies higher education [02:09.40]and tries to help American colleges and universities make improvements. [02:15.36]The study was based on information gathered from over 78,000 college students. [02:23.52]It looked at the graduation rate of students [02:27.40]who changed majors within the first four years of study. [02:32.44]On average, their graduation rate was between about [02:37.28]four to six percent higher than students who never changed majors. [02:43.84]The report also suggests that changing majors within the first three years of study [02:50.76]has little to no effect on the average time it takes students to complete their degree. [02:58.00]The EAB's senior director Ed Venit wrote the report. [03:04.16]He would not comment on whether or not college students should change majors. [03:10.56]But he said that about 80 percent of students do change at some point. [03:17.44]Venit also said it is not completely clear why changing majors might help students. [03:25.72]But he thinks some people become more invested in their studies [03:31.20]once they have had time to decide what they truly want to do. [03:37.00]"Students who chose a major early on: [03:39.96]maybe they didn't have full information about what they wanted to do. [03:43.40]Maybe they just picked something that felt familiar ... [03:46.44]or their parents pushed them to something, whatever it might be. [03:49.72]But maybe they didn't make a full choice early on. ... [03:52.20]Those students were only, perhaps ... [03:55.16]just kind of attached to their major, [03:58.40]versus students who either wait and explore a little bit longer [04:03.00]or have declared something, explored further and found something else that they like even better." [04:08.16]Venit added that the Department of Education's graduation rate information is not completely correct. [04:16.64]It only includes the rates for students studying for the first time [04:22.96]-- not for those who have changed schools. [04:26.40]These students represent about 40 percent of the university population across the United States. [04:35.80]The real six-year graduation rate is only between 53 and 55 percent, Venit said. [04:44.36]He said that it is difficult to understand why the rate is so low. [04:51.08]Some students leave school because of poor academic performance. [04:57.28]Others leave because they lack the money to pay for their schooling. [05:02.40]And others leave because they feel they are not getting enough [05:07.08]in return for the high cost of higher education. [05:13.00]No matter the reason, Venit said, [05:15.76]this is the biggest and most complex problem facing higher education. [05:21.56]I'm Pete Musto. [05:23.48]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM