Embracing life beyond academia
Youth are moving away from traditional academic pursuits, favoring unconventional paths over exam obsession, sparking societal reflection on the value of education, Gui Qian reports.
As most young students are still navigating through life, Jiang Ziyan, 21, has already found her beacon — to live a life that one won't regret.
Majoring in international economics and trade, Jiang is now in her fourth year at Beijing University of Chemical Technology. In fact, she began contemplating her post-graduation choices soon after entering the university.
"I've experienced the pressure of the college entrance examination and the disappointment of not being elected as a student leader. I don't agree with the model that a person's future is determined by a single chance. Later, through my internships, I found that ability is more important than a degree or certificate," she said.
"I decided early on not to take the postgraduate entrance exam, but this doesn't mean that I'm better than others. I simply experienced the pain and inner turmoil earlier and started trying to prepare myself for this," she added.
Starting from her sophomore year, Jiang interned at a bank, a consulting firm, and a top internet company. However, these glamorous industries and jobs didn't bring her any sense of achievement or happiness.
"Previously, people thought finance and the internet were the best industries. Now, many people believe that becoming a civil servant is a better choice, and many students choose to take the postgraduate entrance exam to seek some certainty in life. This makes me realize that it's more important to live life in one's own way rather than chasing after the era's trends," she said.
Jiang made up her mind to pursue academic programs in Sweden, Finland, or Denmark, and she has already applied to several universities. "The schools I've chosen aren't on the QS World University Rankings, which is unlikely good news for my job prospects in China after graduation. But should all our choices follow a predetermined path?" she said.
"If someone were to ask me about my aspirations for the future, I'd say I aim to become more open-minded and, above all, to embrace life with a sense of freedom."
