Long road to postgraduate entrance examination
"I have been preparing for the final exam these two days, and I haven't had time to rest and sort out my postgraduate experience." On June 65438+ 10/6, in front of the teaching building of Yibin University, the reporter met Liu Xin (a pseudonym), a senior student who just finished the national postgraduate entrance examination for 20 10, and talked about his mental journey of preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. She said that postgraduate entrance examination is the shortcut and outlet to realize the ideal. At present, the employment competition is almost "white-hot", the employment salary of undergraduates is generally declining, and "seat selection" is moving towards. "Along the way, hardships, joy, sadness and helplessness. In short, it's a long story. "
"The society's demand for talents is getting higher and higher." Liu Xin said that the oversupply of undergraduates has pushed us to a higher level. "There are more than 30 people in a class, and nearly 20 people are initially preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. Slowly, the huge team automatically decreases. "
After completing the online registration, on June 6th, 2009, 165438+ Zigong Admissions Office opened its office in Shuoxun Building of Yibin University, and selected candidates from Zigong test center in Yibin area to directly check, take photos and pay fees. Liu Xin said: "When the payment was confirmed, even after the exam, many students dropped out. But last year, the school enrolled more than 200 students, which reached a record high and gave us great confidence. There are still hundreds of people applying for the college this year. "
Starting from the summer vacation in 2008, like many prospective graduates, Liu Xin, who is about to enter junior year, began to prepare for postgraduate entrance examination, look up information online, browse the enrollment brochures of various institutions over the years, and locate the professional direction ... "Renting a house near the school is mainly convenient and has a learning atmosphere." Liu Xin said that at 7 o'clock every morning, she carries a heavy schoolbag, which contains not only materials for postgraduate entrance examination, but also water cups and lunch boxes. She went to the classroom to study for herself. After eating in the canteen at noon, she continued to read in the college library. When she came back from dinner in the afternoon, she continued to study until eleven or twelve in the middle of the night. In this way, I am busy with books, dormitories, canteens and libraries all day, and my life is simple and busy. Like her, there are a group of young people who struggle for their ideals. In the usual study and communication, students, whether familiar or unfamiliar, have a very popular name among graduate students: Kao You.
In the Spring Festival of 2009, Liu Xin didn't go back to his hometown for the Spring Festival. In order to make good use of the more plentiful and concentrated winter vacation, study hard and prepare for the exam, she shared a house and three small rooms in Longquan Community near Gaoke Station with several "test friends", and she and two other girls rushed to the postgraduate entrance examination. Liu Xin told reporters that the phenomenon of renting a house for postgraduate entrance examination is extremely common. Longquan Community near Yibin College, Xuefu Garden, the old dormitory of Yucai Road Paper Factory, and the houses behind the gymnasium are all "postgraduate villages" where postgraduate students gather. Liu Xin joked that in addition to local residents, most of the postgraduate entrance examination villages are students from various departments. They come from campus and gather here for a common goal, that is, one's postgraduate entrance examination.
Seeing that all the students around us are busy looking for jobs, and some of them have already taken up jobs, many students who took the postgraduate entrance examination are also worried, at a loss and self-care. But she said she never wanted to give up. For more than a year, I have been living in this rented house with an area of less than 10 square meter. On the three walls of the room, there are "calligraphy" and graffiti left by people who came from the last postgraduate entrance examination. She smiled and said, "This is also an inspiration to me!" The small desk is full of books and papers, and there is a thick stack of collected materials. Behind the door is a self-made calendar with a countdown to the postgraduate entrance examination and a study plan. There are some supplements in the simple cupboard next to it. "These are all specially mailed by parents." She said: "I really appreciate my family's understanding and support. They not only gave me moral support, but also gave me financial support. My family is the backing of my postgraduate entrance examination. "
Struggle in my thirties
In recent years, in the million-strong postgraduate entrance examination army, besides the fresh graduates as the "main force", there is also a special group: social workers. Among these social workers, grass-roots workers who think they are in a bad situation are the worst. Many of them are primary and secondary school teachers in remote towns, and Song Lihui, a junior high school political teacher in Yibin, is one of them.
Song Lihui is 32 years old, and 20 10 is his second postgraduate entrance examination. In the late 1990s, Song Lihui graduated from normal secondary school, and successively obtained junior college and undergraduate diplomas through self-study exams. He has been teaching in villages and towns for nearly 10 years. Effort is to "change fate with knowledge." A few years ago, his wife took part in the recruitment examination of a public institution in Yibin City and worked in a public institution in Cuiping District, which caused a lot of inconvenience. After several unsuccessful job-hopping, one's postgraduate entrance examination became his best hope to work in the city. He said, "I have been engaged in ideological and political teaching for many years and applied for the law major. Relatively speaking, I have an advantage. I chose Southwest University of Political Science and Law. "
At the beginning of 2009, after the first postgraduate entrance examination, Song Lihui set foot on the bus back to Yibin with two boxes of books and materials of almost 30 kilograms, but failed in English. In the summer of 2009, he simply resigned, left his wife and children behind, returned to Chongqing with the same "equipment" again, plunged into the book and headed for the ideal of the last stop.
"This time, I didn't give myself a retreat and devoted myself to the postgraduate entrance examination. I hope to have a good result this year. " He said that with the attitude of changing fate with knowledge, everyone crowded into the surrounding residents' homes. In order to save money, he gets up every morning and asks for a bowl of noodles with 2 yuan money, with a few side dishes on it. The noodles are dyed red by oil. In half a year, he has gone through more than 100 bowls of noodles for postgraduate entrance examination.
Higher education increases employment weight
The 20 10 postgraduate entrance examination has just ended, and the "smoke" of exams on major universities and education websites has not been exhausted. ...
Song Lihui said that in the past, employment, postgraduate entrance examination and national package distribution did not overlap. Now, the employment situation is grim. After the expansion of university enrollment, the employment market for undergraduates is limited, which, to a certain extent, has prompted a large number of undergraduates to take the postgraduate entrance examination. Since 2007, this "strategic shift" seems to be getting worse, and postgraduate entrance examination seems to be a safe haven to avoid employment. "For some freshmen, it can be said to be passion, but for more people, it is a kind of helplessness."
There are also college teachers who believe that postgraduate entrance examination and postgraduate entrance examination are no longer just academic significance, or that academic significance is fading. Under the new situation, the contradiction between the expansion of university enrollment and the increasing number of postgraduate entrance examination troops and the growth of the job market has produced a situation of "more monks than porridge". In the postgraduate entrance examination army, some want to avoid the difficult employment situation, some want to upgrade their academic qualifications and raise the employment price, and some want to be higher and have a good home, and so on. "And I just lack such a stepping stone." Song Lihui said.
The economic burden is unbearable
"Is your wallet ready?" This is a sentence ridiculed by the so-called "test bowl" family. In 20 10, the number of people taking the postgraduate entrance examination reached10.4 million. The postgraduate entrance examination army is magnificent and has the potential to expand. Faced with this situation, everyone wants to be fully armed.
On campus, one-stop services such as renting a house for postgraduate entrance examination, providing breakfast, washing clothes, tidying dormitory and food stalls are booming. In addition, the enrollment information of various counseling training courses is also flying all over the sky. The off-campus counseling institutions are booming, and the exam economy is booming. Many bookstores in the city have launched postgraduate entrance examination materials as their main products.
Every month's rent and living expenses, plus various expenses such as review classes for postgraduate entrance examination, books and materials, Liu Xin said that after returning from Zigong postgraduate entrance examination, he initially estimated that he had spent at least 8,000 yuan on postgraduate entrance examination this year. Compared with the "test friends" who apply for this major, the review task of cross-professional test students is undoubtedly heavier. One candidate said that he often communicates with students of his major and borrows their class notes, especially the notes of his tutor. Pay attention to the academic activities of the reported teacher, pay attention to his published academic papers and recent research directions. These materials, which are regarded as "vital", will be provided by students from these schools or students who were admitted to the same major last time, and the cost will be more or less several hundred yuan. Before and after all the study expenses are not less than 1 ten thousand yuan.
Postgraduate entrance examination is expensive, and tuition is even more pressing, and other expenses besides tuition are enough to make people nervous. A candidate who asked not to be named said that before and after the postgraduate entrance examination, some candidates tried to win the favor of future tutors, especially after the initial test results came out, the wind of giving gifts also spread among the re-examination competitors. Then, a new round of competition began again.
Thinking behind "Safe Harbor"
Postgraduate entrance examination has become another "drama" after the college entrance examination every year. Every college student's expression in the postgraduate entrance examination is different. Some people want to take the postgraduate entrance examination, and some people have to delay their time and look for opportunities again because they can't find a better development direction at the moment. ...
"It is difficult to enter, and it is even harder not to enter." Hu, a graduate student in a university, believes that the dispute between postgraduate entrance examination and employment has a long history, and it is undeniable that many people regard postgraduate entrance examination as a "safe haven" to delay employment. If you fail to pass the exam, you will go back to find a job after graduation, which obviously increases the psychological pressure; Admitted, but after three years of graduate school, what kind of current situation the employment situation will be, in the eyes of many students, is also very confused.
Zhou Shiwei, deputy dean of the School of Literature and Media of Yibin University, said that in 2009, more than 200 graduates of Yibin University were admitted to graduate schools, the largest number in the past years, with more girls than boys. The school encourages and supports graduates to take the postgraduate entrance examination, and has also introduced relevant incentive measures. Take the College of Literature and Media as an example. The number of applicants this year is 36, which is basically the same as last year. Last year, more than 10 people were admitted. After this year's results are announced, the second interview depends on the admission results. It is popular in universities to take the postgraduate entrance examination directly after graduation. From the school's point of view, a realistic consideration is that in order to improve the employment rate of graduates, students admitted to graduate schools can be regarded as employed. Secondly, how many graduate students a school can enroll in a year can also show the faculty and academic level of this institution. In addition, there are also students' own considerations. In order to seek a higher development platform or be interested in a certain subject field, many college students are also keen on postgraduate entrance examination.
The reporter learned that after the exam, the marking and grading work will be completed before February 10, and candidates are expected to score before the Spring Festival. Re-examination will be conducted from mid-April to early May, and admission will be completed in early June.