The number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination in 2024 will be 4.38 million, a decrease of 360,000 from last year. Behind this huge decline may reflect several trends in the current social environment. At present, graduates are more inclined to give priority to employment, the motivation for postgraduate entrance examination has changed, the competitive pressure has been reduced, the difficulty of postgraduate examination has increased, and the quality of undergraduate education has been improved. Combined, these factors influence whether candidates choose to pursue further studies.
In the current economic climate, many undergraduate graduates are more inclined to find employment as soon as possible rather than choose to further their studies. They may believe that the job market is relatively optimistic, with relatively low expectations of finding a job after grad school. In addition, it takes time and financial costs to go to graduate school, which is also a factor in their abandonment of graduate school.
In addition, graduates may place more emphasis on practical experience and vocational skills rather than simply pursuing a high degree of education. By participating in practical Xi, part-time jobs, training, etc., they can gain more practical skills and experience to better meet the needs of the workplace. This choice also makes them gradually less interested in going to graduate school.
Some colleges and universities have expanded the enrollment scale of graduate students, providing more opportunities for graduate students to go ashore. Such a move may have reduced the competitive pressure for graduate school entrance examinations, and some candidates no longer feel compelled to gamble. They can have more options, such as direct employment, studying abroad, etc., which also reduces the attractiveness of graduate school entrance examinations.
However, in order to ensure the quality of graduate students, the requirements for postgraduate entrance examinations have also been increased. This has led to an increase in the difficulty of the postgraduate examination, and many candidates may choose to give up because they think it is too difficult. Candidates need to put more energy and time into preparing for graduate school entrance exams, which can be a huge challenge for graduates who are already feeling stressed.
With the improvement of the quality of undergraduate education, some candidates may think that they have acquired enough knowledge and skills at the undergraduate level to further their studies. They feel that their undergraduate degree has provided them with sufficient Xi resources and practical opportunities to pursue a postgraduate degree.
However, in a modern society where the workplace is becoming increasingly competitive, the knowledge and skills required in the workplace are constantly updated. Some graduates may underestimate the challenges and demands of the workplace, believing that what they have learned in the undergraduate program will be able to cope with the demands of career development, which is one of the reasons why they give up on graduate school.
To sum up, the sharp decline in the number of graduate students in 2024 may be the result of a combination of factors such as employment priority, changes in motivation for graduate school entrance examinations, reduced competitive pressure, increased difficulty in graduate school entrance examinations, and improved quality of undergraduate education. The change of graduates' employment concept, the increase in the admission opportunities of graduate students, the improvement of the difficulty of postgraduate entrance examinations, and the improvement of the quality of undergraduate education have all affected the decision-making of candidates to a certain extent. However, it should be noted that the above reasons are only one of the factors that may affect the decline in the number of graduate school applicants, and the specific situation needs to be further observed and analyzed. Further attention and evaluation are needed to further focus and evaluate the future trend of graduate school applicants to better guide graduates' career development and further study choices.
The decline in the number of graduate students reflects the changes in the employment concept and education system of graduates in the current era. Education should keep up with the development of the times, pay more attention to cultivating students' practical ability and vocational skills, and give students more practical opportunities and broad horizons. At the same time, the society should provide more employment opportunities and development space for graduates to reduce their employment pressure. For graduates, it is necessary to choose postgraduate entrance examination or employment more rationally, taking into account personal circumstances and career development needs. For students who are going to graduate school, they should make adequate preparations and plans according to their own situation and fully understand the difficulty and requirements of the postgraduate entrance examination. Whether it is employment or further study, the key lies in personal interests and abilities, and being able to make choices that are more suitable for one's development is the most important thing.