To Ji Xiaoyu, taking the national graduate school entrance examination was a natural part of his college plan.
对于季晓宇（音译）而言，考研是他大学计划里顺理成章的一部分。
“Obtaining a master’s degree will give me a better chance at getting a decent job,” said the 22-year-old graduate of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He took the exam last year.
毕业于北京邮电大学、22岁的他表示：“研究生学历可以帮我找到一份好工作。”去年，他参加了研究生招生考试。
But now, it’s no longer such a “natural” choice for many students. With employment benefits fading, students are thinking carefully about whether they should take the exam.
而现在，对于很多学生来说，考研不再是顺理成章的事。随着研究生就业优势逐渐减弱，大学生们对待考研也是十分谨慎。
A total of 1.72 million students took this year’s national graduate school examination, according to the Ministry of Education. That’s 40,000 less than last year. For the first time in five years, the exam saw a drop in the number of applicants.
根据教育部发布的数据显示，今年全国共有172万学生参加研究生入学考试，较去年减少4万人，这也是五年以来考研人数首次下降。
Wang Wei, senior lecturer of Kuakao Education, a training agency, thinks that a major reason for the decline is the dim career prospects for postgraduates.
跨考教育高级讲师王伟（音译）认为，考研人数的下降主要源自于研究生就业前景的暗淡。
“Many students are now taking master’s degree courses as a shortcut to a better job,” said Wang. “But recent employment data may disappoint them.”
王伟说：“现在很多学生把读研当作找到好工作的捷径，而近来的就业数据可能会令他们心灰意冷。”
The employment rate of postgraduates in China in 2011 was 87 percent, 8 percent less than that of undergraduates, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
由人力资源与社会保障部发布的数据显示，2011年我国研究生就业率为87%，比本科生就业率低8个百分点。
Given this situation, experts are calling on students to think clearly about what they want a master’s degree for.
在这种情况下，专家呼吁学生考研要三思而后行。
Chen Lu, 23, is graduating this year from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics. She says taking the exam will enable her to pursue her real passion.
23岁的陈璐（音译）今年将从天津财经大学毕业。她说考研使她去追求真正令自己兴奋的专业。。
The logistics major has signed up for a master’s degree in journalism at Renmin University.
本科学习物流专业的她报考了人民大学新闻专业研究生。
Many other people are like her. According to MyCOS Research Institute, 28 percent of test takers in the 2012 national graduate school entrance examination applied for a major different from their bachelor’s degree.
很多人都和陈璐有着同样的想法。北京教育咨询公司麦可思研究院表示，在2012年报考研究生的学生中，跨专业考生占到28%。
In deciding whether to take the exam or not, students are recommended to make the decision based on the nature of their major.
关于是否要考研，专家建议学生应该根据专业特点来做决定。
“For majors that focus more on theory, students should enroll in a master’s degree immediately after graduation as it’s important for them to keep up to date on the latest theoretical developments,” said Zhang Xiangkun, associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These majors include mathematics, physics, philosophy and linguistics.
中科院副研究员张祥坤表示：“对于侧重理论的专业，学生应该在毕业后立即读研，以便掌握最新理论研究成果，这对他们很重要”。这些专业包括数学、物理、哲学和语言学。
“But for majors that feature practical skills, getting familiar with relevant workplace skills as soon as possible and getting to know your own strengths and weaknesses is more urgent.”
“对于侧重实践技巧的专业来说，尽早熟悉相关工作技巧，了解自己优缺点则更重要。”
Computer science, telecommunication engineering and mechanics majors are of this kind.
计算机科学、通信工程和机械制造都是这类的专业。