Vocabulary:
first-class =top-notch ；attainable；soar
2:2（英国本科毕业）二级乙等学士学位
Russell Group罗素大学集团；Royal Academy of Music英国皇家音乐学院
hard graft；prospectus简介；valid
Our parents always tell us that if we work hard, we will do well. If you're studying at university this ultimately means passing your exams and achieving a first-class degree. Easier said than done! So if you're struggling to complete that final assignment or feel your revision is going nowhere, how will you believe that getting a top-notch qualification is a real possibility?
I can't claim to be an expert in this as the grade I achieved in my degree was a little lower than a first! But today, in the UK at least, there are encouraging signs that getting one is a bit more attainable. That's because the number of first-class degrees being awarded by UK universities is soaring, with firsts now more common than a 2:2. More than a quarter of students received a first in 2015 and 2016 at the UK's top universities, known as the Russell Group. Among specialist institutions, such as in the creative arts, proportions of firsts are thought to be even higher – such as 64% of students getting firsts at the Royal Academy of Music.
Of course, not everyone thinks this is because of the hard graft that students are putting in. Critics say that universities are handing out higher grades to boost applications and having a first-class degree gives an advantage for future job opportunities – this all looks good on a university prospectus. But there have also been arguments that rising degree grades reflect the improved A-level grades of those entering university and a more focused attention to studying.
But whatever the reason, we mustn't deny first-class graduates their hard-earned achievement and success. Many have made sacrifices along the way, such as 22 year old Khadijah Lewis, who got a first in history and sociology at Warwick University. She told the BBC's Newsbeat programme that her course was "tough" but says "Knowing that getting a first is more common than a 2:2 does make me feel like my first isn't as valid," she explains, "but also I know that I worked very hard for it, so regardless of how easy or how hard people think it is, I still did it."
Another student, Sam Gibbins, who got a first in software engineering at Cardiff Metropolitan University said he spent "a lot of nights in the library". But even though he did well, he says going to university is not just about the grades, he says "You develop so much going to university, and meet so many people, you're able to understand yourself much better." Some wise words; it sounds as though he studied at the university of life!
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