After eight consecutive years of growth, the number of applicants for the 2024 National Master's Admission Examination will decline for the first time. According to the data released by the Ministry of Education**, the number of applicants for this year's postgraduate examination is 4.38 million, a decrease of 360,000 compared with 4.74 million last year. This news surprised people, and once again made Zhang Xuefeng, a high-profile graduate school teacher, a hot search topic. The craze for postgraduate entrance examinations has continued over the past years, especially during the pandemic, when the number of postgraduate students jumped from 3 million to 4 million, and peaked at 4.74 million in 2023. Many institutions and individuals** will exceed the 5 million mark in 2024, but this year's situation is the opposite.
For many candidates, the postgraduate entrance examination has always been a major choice and challenge. The number of people who take the postgraduate entrance examination every year can be said to be huge, and the decline in the number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 is indeed surprising. In the past few years, the postgraduate entrance examination has been in a high craze, and many people believe that they can get better employment opportunities and development space through the postgraduate examination. However, with the passage of time and changes in social development, some people have begun to question the value of graduate school entrance examinations. They began to think about whether they should choose other career paths than just graduate school entrance exams. This shifting attitude and trend is reflected in the decline in the number of graduate students in 2024. Candidates are more rational about the choice of postgraduate entrance examinations, focusing on practical development and employment prospects, rather than just pursuing academic progress.
While the drop in the number of graduate students is somewhat unexpected, it is understandable. For a long time, the battle for graduate school entrance examinations has been described as "too rolly". The growth rate of enrollment in graduate units could not match the surge in the number of graduate students, which led to a large number of candidates going to World War II, World War III, and even World War IV and World War 5, and even the situation of "reverse postgraduate examination", that is, choosing to enter a school with a lower level than the undergraduate level. It's not sustainable to put so much energy into an exam with an uncertain future, so it's understandable to give up on graduate school. At a deeper level, the fact that the prospects of graduate students are not as expected is the main factor affecting the decline in the number of graduate students. Many undergraduate graduates prefer to find employment as soon as possible rather than choose to continue their studies. In addition, many people have lower expectations of finding a job after graduate school because of the time and financial costs associated with graduate school. Not only that, the number of graduate graduates is also increasing, especially during the epidemic period in recent years, which has made more young people realize the importance of the "iron rice bowl", which has further pushed up the number of public examinations. It can be said that the continuous decline in the cost performance of graduate education has become an objective phenomenon.
With the continuous progress and development of society, candidates' views and choices on graduate education are also changing. In the past, postgraduate entrance examination was regarded as a way of upward mobility and an important means to obtain higher education and development space. However, with the passage of time and changes in society, more and more people have begun to think about the cost-effectiveness of graduate education. They recognise that a high standard of qualifications does not solve all problems and does not guarantee employment. Rather than spending a lot of time and energy preparing for graduate school, some people are more inclined to look for other opportunities and development paths. Education is a means, not an end. In real life, mastering practical skills and work experience is often more important than academic qualifications. In the current stage of economic transformation, the demand for skilled workers and technical talents is increasing, and the future will also enter a society where skilled workers are popular. Therefore, we should pay more attention to being based on doing things, rather than obsessing with academic education. Instead of blindly pursuing academic qualifications, it is better to change your thinking and explore skills education and practical experience.
The decline in the number of graduate students may mean that people's rational perception of graduate education is increasing. Academic qualifications, while important, are not the only factor that determines employment and development. As society grows and needs change, people begin to pay more attention to practical skills and work experience. Academic qualifications are merely a means, not an end in themselves. We should be more rational in our approach to postgraduate entrance examinations and academic education, and pay attention to practical development and survival. In the current period of economic transition, technical talent and practical experience will become increasingly important. Therefore, it may be wiser to base yourself on doing things, rather than obsessing over academic qualifications.