It’s a popular myth (误传) that once high school graduates pass gaokao and enter university, they can rest easy. However, the truth is, if they waste their time in university, they could end up getting a three-year college diploma (专科文凭) instead of a bachelor’s degree.

都说只要高考考上大学，接下来就轻松了。这其实是个误传。事实上，如果在大学里虚度光阴，最后得到的可能是一个三年制的专科文凭，而不是学士学位。

At least, this is the case for students at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, Hubei.

至少，湖北武汉的华中科技大学的学生们就是如此。

Since this fall semester, undergraduates (本科生) whose performance doesn’t meet the school’s requirements will be transferred (转换) to a college course (专科课程), reported Beijing Youth Daily. After the transfer, they’re not allowed to change majors (专业) or get back on the four-year university study track (路径).

据《北京青年报》报道，从今年秋季学期开始，没有达到该校要求的本科生将被转入专科学习。在专科学习期间，不得转专业，也不得转回本科的四年制课程。

After its introduction, this new regulation caused heated discussions.

这一新规出炉后便引发热议。

Many internet users think it’s unacceptable not to be given a bachelor’s degree, as students often have to go through fierce competition during gaokao to get into HUST, which is one of the top universities in China.

不少网友认为，学校不授予学生本科学位这点令人无法接受，因为学生们大都经过了高考的激烈竞争，最终才进入了这所国内名校。

According to a survey by Xinhua News Agency, almost 90 percent of respondents would repeat a year, delay graduation or even drop out rather than transfer to three-year college courses.

据新华社的一项调查报告显示，几乎有90%的受访者会选择重读一年延迟毕业，甚至退学，也不愿意转入三年制的专科课程。

However, a staff member in the university’s teaching affairs office said that the regulation is designed to offer struggling students another option (选项).

然而，该校教务处的一名工作人员表示，这项规定为学习吃力的学生提供了又一选择。

“Each year, there are some students who should be dismissed (劝退) because of not working hard and failing to meet the university’s requirements for credits (学分),” the staff member told China Daily.

“每年都会有学生由于不好好学习，达不到学校的学分标准而被劝退，”该工作人员在接受《中国日报》采访时表示。

Under the new policy, struggling students can still earn a college diploma, he added, which is much better than being dismissed.

在这一新政策下，学习吃力的学生依然能拿到专科文凭，他补充道。这比直接劝退要好多了。

HUST isn’t the only university in China to introduce such a policy. In 2015, Tsinghua University also launched something similar.

华中大并非是国内唯一一所实行此类政策的学校。2015年，清华大学也推出了类似的政策。

According to XiongBingqi, a famous education expert, the policy is an experiment designed to improve how universities deal with their worst-performing students. “HUST is providing these students with another way out,”Xiong told news site Sixth Tone. “Of course, if they don’t want to do the vocational (职业培训的) program, they can always consider taking the gaokao again.”

著名教育专家熊丙奇认为，该政策是一次实验，旨在让高校更好地处理这些表现最糟糕的学生。“华中大为这些学生提供了另一种毕业的方式，”熊丙奇在接受新闻网站“第六声”采访时表示。“当然，如果他们不想学习职业培训课程，也可以考虑重新参加高考。”