每年到了十二月，很多大学的图书馆都会变得座位难找，因为考研的日子快到了。
Every year when December arrives, seats become hard to find in many university libraries, because the day of the grad school entrance exam is approaching.
据统计，现在每年有几百万大学生报名参加研究生考试，人数一年比一年多。
According to statistics, several million college students now register for the graduate entrance exam every year, and the number keeps rising year after year.
一部分学生是真的对学术感兴趣，希望通过读研继续深入研究。
Some students are genuinely interested in academics and hope to continue in-depth research through graduate study.
然而，也有不少人是因为找工作太难，才把考研当成了“暂时的出路”。
However, quite a few others are only treating the grad exam as a "temporary way out" because finding a job is too hard.
既然本科学历已经不够用了，很多人觉得只有读研才能让自己更有竞争力。
Since an undergraduate degree is no longer enough, many people feel that only by pursuing graduate study can they become more competitive.
可是，考研并不容易，需要每天花十几个小时背书、做题，压力非常大。
But the grad exam is not at all easy — it requires spending more than ten hours a day memorizing texts and doing practice questions, which brings huge stress.
有人甚至因为压力太大而放弃了原来的兴趣，这让人不禁思考：读研到底是为了什么？
Some people have even given up their original interests because of too much stress, which makes people wonder: what is graduate study really for?
我觉得，无论是为了理想还是为了找工作，重要的是清楚自己真正想要什么。
I think, whether for an ideal or for finding a job, what matters is being clear about what you truly want.
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Key words 生词
考研kǎoyánto take the grad school entrance exam
学历xuélìeducational qualification
竞争力jìngzhēnglìcompetitiveness
压力yālìpressure
兴趣xìngqùinterest
出路chūlùway out
Grammar note 语法点
只有……才……
"Only if A, then B" states a necessary condition for a result: 只有读研才能让自己更有竞争力。
只有努力学习，才能取得好成绩。— Only by studying hard can you achieve good grades.
既然……
"Since (a fact already holds)..." draws a conclusion from an accepted premise: 既然本科学历已经不够用了，很多人觉得只有读研才能让自己更有竞争力。
既然你已经来了，就留下来吃饭吧。— Since you're already here, stay for dinner.
Check yourself 小测验
1. Why do libraries at many universities become crowded around December, according to the text?
2. Besides genuine academic interest, what other reason does the text give for students taking the grad exam?
3. What does the author believe matters most in the end?
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