College Students' Extracurricular Reading and Talents Cultivation in China: Based on a Survey in South China University of Technology

Abstract

College students' extracurricular reading is conducive to all-round development of talents, therefore, current extracurricular reading situation of college students is worth studying. A survey on college students’ extracurricular reading is conducted with 938 questionnaires distributed to randomly chosen year 1-5 college students from every colleges in South China University of Technology(SCUT). Based on survey results drawn by data statistics from 836 valid questionnaires, this paper sums up characteristics and existing problems of college students' extracurricular reading, and puts forward some suggestions. The survey finds that, although current college students are willing to do extracurricular reading, and have also strong self-learning ability, they, affected by heavy academic burdens and temptation of network, are forced to do extracurricular reading mainly in dormitory or bathroom in the evening, at night or at weekend, and their time in reading non profession-related books are less, their reading quantities are small and without a reading plan, with which students are dissatisfactory. Therefore, measures should be taken as follows in universities and colleges: further promote an awareness of the relationship between extracurricular reading and talents all-round development, timely adjust curriculum to allow students more extracurricular self-study time, appropriately guide students in making extracurricular reading plan, so as to enhance college student’s extracurricular reading time, quantity and efficiency, to make extracurricular reading in better service for talents cultivation.