西方大學的三學期制 適合我們嗎
You may have already heard about the trimester system in Western universities.
你或許聽說過西方大學的三學期學制。
For example, in the UK, an academic year is usually divided into three semesters, each made up of 10 weeks – the autumn semester (October to December), the spring semester (January to March) and the summer semester (April to June).
以英國爲例，一學年通常被分爲三個學期，每學期時長爲10周——分別是秋季學期（10月-12月）、春季學期（1月-3月）以及夏季學期（4月-6月）。
This system is believed to bring more flexibility when scheduling classes, internships and personal projects.
這一學制被普遍認爲增加了安排課程、實習和個人項目上的靈活性。
Now China is introducing the system to its own students.
現在，中國也在逐步引進這種學制。
In fact, nearly half of the country’s Project 985 universities have already added the third semester into their academic timetables.
事實上，將近半數的985高校已經在校歷上增加了第三學期。
But our trimester system is a little bit different from that in the West.
但我們的三學期制和西方略有不同。
Take China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) as an example, which has started to implement the new schedule from this month.
以中國政法大學爲例，從本月起，中國政法大學開始實施新學制。
Its academic year will now be divided into the autumn semester (September to January), the spring semester (February to July) and the summer semester (July).
一學年將會被分爲秋季學期（9月至次年1月），春季學期（次年2月至7月）以及夏季學期（次年7月）。
Lu Chunlong, director of the dean’s office at CUPL, told The Beijing News that during summer terms students would be able to take classes in other subjects. They are also encouraged to join courses in the form of social practice and internships.
中國政法大學教務處處長盧春龍在接受《新京報》採訪時表示，在夏季學期中，學生可以選修其他專業的課程，同時也鼓勵同學們參加社會實踐以及實習形式的相關學習活動。
It’s hoped that this new method will expose students to a broader and more diverse academic environment and help them to get their career plans on track.
希望這種新方法能令學生們接觸到更廣闊、更多元的學術環境，幫助他們的職業規劃走上正軌。
However, some students worry that summer term courses are too condensed, pointing out that they would have to attend classes every day without having time to digest what they’ve learned.
然而，一些學生卻擔心，夏季學期排課過於密集。他們需要每天上課，卻沒有時間來消化學過的知識。
This is why Lu suggests that students don’t overdo it during summer.
這也是盧春龍並不建議學生們在夏季學期選過多課程的原因。
One course is the best, two tops, she advises.
一門課最好了，頂多兩門， 她建議道。
But no matter the changes in academic schedules, it’s how you plan your studies that really matters.
但不論學制如何變化，如何規劃好自身的學習纔是最重要的事。
Xiong Bingqi, vice-president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said in an interview with Beijing News, What’s important is not how the academic year is divided, but how the studying contents are distributed among each term.
21世紀教育研究院副院長熊丙奇在《新京報》的一次採訪中談道，學年如何劃分並不重要，真正重要的是如何分配好每學期的學習內容。
