The craze for the postgraduate entrance exam is waning. Whether college students really need to pursue a postgraduate degree has become a dilemma confronting every student and even their parents.
Yesterday, I discussed this topic with friends again, and we reached a consensus: the skills and capabilities a person acquires are assets that stay with them for life. No matter what challenges they may face in society in the future-such as unfair treatment or a lack of favorable timing and geographical conditions-these capabilities can never be taken away by others. Turning the tide in adversity or making rational choices between gain and loss all depends on one's own competence. This is especially true for students from ordinary families. From this perspective, students can then make plans on whether to pursue further studies after their undergraduate programs.
If a student has the aptitude for scientific research, can stay focused and committed, and is wholeheartedly dedicated to academic pursuits, taking the postgraduate entrance exam is an excellent choice that will allow them to acquire more knowledge. Conversely, if a student derives far greater joy from social activities than from academic work, choosing to enter the workforce after graduation to accumulate practical experience and hands-on capabilities is also a process of enhancing one's competence.
There is another train of thought: using academic advancement to completely change one's fate. However, the value of academic credentials is now depreciating, while the worth of genuine capabilities is on the rise. It is not impossible to rely on prolonged academic study to obtain a postgraduate or doctoral degree as a ticket to enter elite career thresholds, but this path means one will have to strive endlessly from such a high starting point throughout their life. Thus, the question of whether to pursue a happy life or a so-called "successful life" remains a matter of personal opinion.
Furthermore, if one regards further education merely as a means to boost their academic credentials rather than a way to enhance their capabilities, they will face a risk. When they enter the workforce with a master's or doctoral degree, they may find themselves outperformed by undergraduate peers, or even discover that a underachieving classmate with family connections has become their superior. After years of arduous study, they will end up feeling that all their efforts were in vain. Studying solely for the sake of obtaining a higher degree is an agonizing process. As Viktor Frankl put it,
The ultimate tragedy is not suffering itself, but suffering without meaning.
