The number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 was officially announced, and people were surprised to find that the number of applicants did not continue to maintain a growing trend, but showed a significant decline. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Education, the number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 will be 4.38 million, a decrease of 360,000 compared with 4.74 million in 2023, which has attracted the attention and discussion of many netizens. For this result, not only ordinary netizens were surprised, but even professionals in the education industry were quite concerned. Especially Zhang Xuefeng, a famous teacher who is popular with students, predicted that the number of graduate students may decline this year, and after the data was announced, he made his prediction successful. Such a deviation from the result makes people think about the reasons and significance of the decline in the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination.
Expansion: The decline in the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination can be explained to a certain extent by the change in college students' perception of post-graduation pressure and the employment situation. In the past few years, the continuous growth in the number of graduate students may be related to the increasing employment pressure of college students. The employment situation of college students after graduation is not ideal, and high competition and surplus make it difficult for many college students to find satisfactory jobs. Faced with this dilemma, some college students choose to take the postgraduate entrance examination, hoping to increase their competitiveness and employment opportunities by continuing their studies. However, nowadays, the increase in the number of places in the insurance research institute makes it no longer the only way to choose the postgraduate entrance examination, relatively speaking, the insurance research is more convenient and time-saving. At the same time, college students who have not been successful in the postgraduate entrance examination will also give up the opportunity to continue the postgraduate examination because of the difficulty of the postgraduate examination and the energy consumption brought by the investment. These factors may be one of the reasons for the decline in the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination.
Behind the decline in the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination, it also reflects the gradual clarity of college students' cognition of the postgraduate entrance examination. Although postgraduate entrance examination can increase academic qualifications, expand knowledge and improve competitiveness, it is not the only option. For most industries, a bachelor's degree is sufficient, so a graduate degree is not a requirement. In addition, the job market is gradually changing, and the demand for graduates is more focused on practical skills and work experience, rather than just academic qualifications. As a result, more and more college students are beginning to realize that working or obtaining a vocational certificate is also a way to achieve personal career development. Rather than investing a lot of time and energy in preparing for graduate school entrance examinations, they are more willing to choose other ways to improve themselves in order to obtain more employment opportunities and development space.
Expanding: While college students are facing the pressure of employment, they are also beginning to pay attention to and recognize a variety of different career opportunities. They realize that they can't find a satisfying job right away by relying on academic qualifications alone, and they need to have practical experience and professional skills. Therefore, some college students choose to participate in practical Xi or vocational training to accumulate the skills needed for the job in advance. Or look for other industry-related vocational certificates to increase your competitiveness. At the same time, many college students also have a certain interest in studying abroad, and they will apply to study in foreign universities or graduate schools, and improve their comprehensive quality and international vision by obtaining foreign diplomas. The emergence of various options has made the career planning of college students more diverse and personalized.
The declining trend in the number of applicants for the 2024 postgraduate entrance examination makes people think about whether college students really need to increase their competitiveness and expand employment opportunities through the postgraduate entrance examination when they are facing employment pressure. Although postgraduate entrance examination is still a way to improve your academic qualifications and knowledge, it is not a suitable choice for everyone. Everyone has their own career plan and development path, and they need to make the right decisions based on their own situation and interests. Not only does it take a lot of time and effort to get into graduate school, but you also need to consider the impact of various factors on your future development. Therefore, when making a choice, college students should objectively and rationally weigh the pros and cons, choose the path that suits them best, and lay a solid foundation for their future.
Expanding: Looking back at the past few years of the postgraduate entrance examination boom and the current decline in the number of applicants, we can see that the thinking and understanding of the college student group has gradually matured. Instead of blindly following the trend as before, they are beginning to think more deeply about their career planning and future development, and choose the path that suits their own situation and interests. It is a positive change and progress, as well as a manifestation of the autonomy of individual development. Although the craze for graduate school entrance examinations has reversed, this does not mean that college students are less enthusiastic about academic Xi and development, on the contrary, they are exploring their life path in more ways and making positive efforts to realize their personal values. Therefore, we should support and encourage university students to bravely choose a path that meets their own wishes and development needs, and open up a broader space for their future.