According to the Ministry of Education, the 2024 National Postgraduate Admissions Examination will be held from December 23 to 25, 2023, and the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination has decreased by 360,000 compared with the previous year, which has attracted widespread attention. Judging from the changes in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examinations in recent years, 2023 is indeed a historical peak, while 2024 shows a downward trend. So, what is the reason for this change?
First of all, as the popularity of postgraduate entrance examination is heating up year by year, more and more undergraduates are taking postgraduate entrance examination as a way to improve their employment competitiveness. However, postgraduate entrance examination is not an option for everyone, as it requires a lot of time and effort, as well as certain risks and pressures. Therefore, for some undergraduates, they may be more inclined to other career directions, or choose to enter the workplace in advance rather than continue their studies.
Secondly, there has been a trend of "college entrance examination" in the postgraduate entrance examination, and many universities regard the postgraduate entrance examination as the goal of undergraduate teaching, which has brought greater pressure to candidates. This has also led to the fact that some students who are admitted to graduate school still need to improve their comprehensive literacy. As a result, some undergraduates may choose to improve their competitiveness in other ways rather than relying solely on graduate school entrance examinations.
In addition, employment prospects are also one of the main considerations for candidates to enter graduate school. According to the report released by Max, through the survey of undergraduate college graduates, it was found that one of the main reasons for candidates to choose graduate school is to enhance their employment competitiveness. Over time, it is true that the improvement of academic qualifications can bring better financial returns and employment feelings, but for some undergraduate graduates who are already working, they may be more inclined to accumulate practical experience and improve their professionalism through work experience.
To sum up, the reasons for the decrease in the number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 mainly include: the concern about the energy and time invested in the postgraduate examination, the tendency to other employment directions, and the change of the employment prospects of the postgraduate entrance examination. Although the popularity of postgraduate entrance examination continues to rise, candidates' choices for their own development paths are diversified, rather than blindly pursuing the path of postgraduate entrance examination.
The change in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination is not only a matter of personal development choice, but also related to the development of the entire higher education system. As the craze for postgraduate entrance examinations continues to heat up, the higher education sector is facing a series of new problems.
First of all, there has been a trend of "college entrance examination" in the postgraduate entrance examination, which has brought some new problems to candidates and the development of higher education. Some universities regard postgraduate entrance examination as the goal of undergraduate teaching, resulting in some students who are admitted to graduate school still need to improve their comprehensive literacy. This requires higher education institutions to pay more attention to the comprehensive quality of students in the process of undergraduate education, not only their test scores.
Secondly, the continuous rise of postgraduate entrance examination fever has also made some undergraduates more inclined to choose postgraduate entrance examination rather than choosing employment or other further study paths. For higher education institutions, this means preparing and planning for admissions and teaching to meet the growing demand for graduate school.
In addition, the postgraduate entrance examination is an important factor for the improvement of employment competitiveness. Although the postgraduate entrance examination can help students improve their academic and professional qualifications, not everyone is suitable for the postgraduate examination, and not everyone needs to be admitted to the postgraduate examination. Institutions of higher education should guide students to make reasonable development choices based on their own interests and abilities, rather than blindly pursuing postgraduate entrance examinations.
To sum up, the change in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination is not only related to the development choice of individuals, but also closely related to the development of the entire higher education system. Higher education institutions should pay more attention to the comprehensive quality cultivation of students in the process of undergraduate education, and at the same time prepare for enrollment and teaching to meet the needs of postgraduate entrance examinations. At the same time, students should also make reasonable development choices according to their own circumstances, not only limited to the path of postgraduate entrance examination.
Postgraduate entrance examinations have always been a topic of great concern, and in the context of the decline in the number of applicants for postgraduate examinations in 2024, I have personally made some thoughts on the phenomenon of postgraduate entrance examinations.
First of all, I think that there is some value in going to graduate school as a way to improve one's competitiveness, but it is not a suitable choice for everyone. Everyone's interests, abilities and development directions are different, and the choice of postgraduate or employment or other further study pathways should vary from person to person. For those who have a strong interest in research, education, and academics, postgraduate entrance examination is undoubtedly a good choice, but for others, they may have a more suitable development path for themselves.
Secondly, I think the roles and responsibilities of higher education institutions in undergraduate education also need to be clearer. The postgraduate entrance examination should not be regarded as the goal of undergraduate teaching, but should focus on cultivating students' comprehensive quality and practical ability. Higher education should focus on students' interests and development needs, and provide them with diverse choices and development opportunities.
Finally, I believe that personal development should not only depend on academic qualifications and examination results, but more importantly, develop one's practical ability and professional quality. Regardless of whether we choose to go to graduate school or other development paths, we should pay attention to the cultivation of practical experience and practical ability, and enhance our competitiveness through continuous learning and Xi accumulation.
All in all, the change in the number of applicants for graduate school shows the diversity and individualization of people's choices for personal development paths. Institutions of higher education should pay attention to the cultivation of students' comprehensive quality and provide diversified development opportunities. When individuals make development choices, they should mention in the article that the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examinations in 2024 has decreased by 360,000 compared with last year, and the number of postgraduate applicants in 2023 has reached a historical peak. According to the Ministry of Education**, the 2024 National Postgraduate Admission Examination will be held from December 23 to 25, 2023. According to the data in this article, from 2014 to 2015, the number of applicants for graduate school has declined, while since 2015, the number of applicants has been rising. This shows that the popularity of postgraduate entrance examinations is increasing year by year.
However, the decrease in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination does not mean that the popularity of postgraduate entrance examination has decreased, but it has only dropped slightly after reaching a peak in 2023. This may be because the postgraduate entrance examination is an important opportunity for many students to further their studies and improve their academic qualifications. In addition, the survey report released by Max shows that the postgraduate entrance examination can enhance the employability of graduates, so some students choose to continue their studies.
In addition, the article highlights the trend of "gaokao-taking", that is, some universities make the postgraduate entrance examination a goal of undergraduate teaching, resulting in more pressure on candidates. The report also points out that the reason why graduates of some undergraduate institutions choose to pursue graduate studies is to enhance their employability. In fact, academic qualifications can lead to better financial returns and employment feelings.
Overall, changes in the number of applicants for graduate school are influenced by a variety of factors, including personal development needs, employment prospects, and changes in the higher education system. While graduate school entrance exams can provide individuals with better opportunities for development, they are not for everyone. Therefore, students should make an informed choice based on their own circumstances. Higher education institutions should pay attention to the comprehensive quality training of students, provide diversified development opportunities, and the article points out that the reasons for the decrease in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 include: concerns about the time and energy invested in postgraduate examinations, the tendency to other employment directions, and the impact of various factors such as changes in postgraduate employment prospects. Although the popularity of postgraduate entrance examination has been rising, candidates' choices for personal development paths are diverse, not limited to postgraduate entrance examinations.
The article also touches on the impact of changes in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination on higher education. On the one hand, higher education institutions should focus on cultivating students' comprehensive qualities in undergraduate education, not just their test scores. Higher education institutions, on the other hand, need to be prepared in terms of enrollment and teaching to meet the growing demand for postgraduate admissions.
Finally, the article summarizes and reflects on the individual's development choices. As a way to improve competitiveness, graduate school entrance examination is valuable for some people, but it is not suitable for everyone. Personal development should not only depend on academic qualifications and examination results, but also focus on the cultivation of practical ability and professional quality.
In general, the change in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination is a reflection of personal development choices, and it is also related to the development of the entire higher education system. For candidates, they should make reasonable development choices based on their own circumstances;For higher education institutions, they should pay attention to the comprehensive quality training of students and provide diversified development opportunities.