Four Letters to Puzzled Graduate Students: Insist or Give Up?

The following is a letter from a reader to Teacher Liu Suli. The confusion and confusion mentioned in the letter are quite representative among many graduate students. Therefore, Liu Suli forwarded this letter to us, hoping to help this classmate. Taking the questions raised in this letter as the theme, we invited four authors with different identities to reply, including psychological counseling experts and doctors majoring in geology and geophysics. I hope these sincere replies will not only give this classmate some inspiration and thinking, but also give some inspiration and thinking to the students who are fighting in the front line of postgraduate entrance examination.

[letter]

Teacher Su Li:

Believe it or not, I'm a junior girl and I just turned 22.

I feel that I am such an uncontrollable person between hot and cold now.

I decided to take the postgraduate entrance examination in March this year. I majored in exploration and petroleum energy. I applied for this major because of the high employment rate and my parents' advice. I don't have much interest in this major myself, especially some courses in this major have higher requirements for mathematics and computers. You can still learn at the undergraduate level, and you don't find it particularly difficult. It may not be difficult to take the exam. But now I hear that it is not easy for girls to find jobs in this field. If they graduate, they can go to scientific research institutes or oilfield units, and the treatment is better than now. What bothers me most now is that if I study this major, I'm afraid I can't meet the requirements of mathematics and research papers in the future. From the seniors, I learned that the life of graduate students is to read a lot and then put forward new ideas and conduct research. I don't know if I can do it. I feel like I don't have any hobbies in scientific research. However, if you don't go to graduate school, the society's requirements for academic qualifications are constantly improving, especially for state-owned enterprises, which are afraid of not being competitive.

Another reason why I want to go to graduate school is that I want to continue my school life and meet more like-minded friends. And I especially want to go to Beijing. I want to take the college entrance examination, but the cruel reality makes it impossible for me to take the postgraduate entrance examination in Beijing. There is a lot of pressure now, and it may be less in other places, but I just want to realize my wish. If you apply for Beijing, you are afraid that you won't pass the exam and you won't have a job.

I am now troubled by these problems, and the review progress has been delayed and I can't devote myself wholeheartedly. Without a clear goal and direction, I don't know where my direction is. Sometimes I say to myself, if this goes on, there will be results in the future, but I am very confused, too confused. I reported it online these days. I hope you, Mr Su Li, as an experienced person, can give me some advice. Not very grateful.

Artificial madder dye

20 10 8 25

[First reply]

You may be surprised at your butterfly change.

Stream:

Hello! When I read your letter, your image came to my mind. I think you should be the kind of child who has studied well since childhood. Parents hardly need to worry about your study, because you will study consciously, which you think is necessary to be a good child. Parents have always been proud of you, teachers like you, classmates envy you, and you have a bright future in their eyes. But there's always a little thing hidden in your heart. The name of this little thing is "not confident", which will pop up from time to time. Sometimes when you hear a classmate praise you, you will ask a question mark: "Are you telling the truth? Am I that good? " Sometimes when faced with some challenges, you will ask yourself, "Can I do it? Otherwise, you can quit and worry less. " You are deeply afraid that you will fall down somewhere, such as the postgraduate entrance examination, such as how to face the more intense competition behind the postgraduate entrance examination.

In fact, it can be seen from your letter that you are determined to take the postgraduate entrance examination, because the "confidence" accumulated by your usual achievements and experiences is enough to overcome the "confidence" hidden in your heart. You are more worried about the legendary graduate life, because it is beyond your experience, and you haven't done it yet, so you don't know if you can do it well enough. In your words, you don't know if you can do it well. Speaking of the word "competent", it suddenly reminds me of a problem that I have been thinking about these days. Three years ago, a colleague of mine was just pregnant, and she was always worried about whether she could "be competent" for the role of mother. Pregnancy in October is undoubtedly hard, and the body has to bear the nutrition and weight of two people. Even I am worried about whether her delicate body can hold up. Later facts proved that all our worries were unnecessary. Now my colleague's baby is over two years old, lively and lovely. What is even more surprising is that my colleague's health is much better than before pregnancy. The original low blood pressure has been improved, and muscle blocks have been exercised. I feel refreshed every day, and the whole person exudes a mature and wise light. In fact, the reason is not difficult to understand. In the process of the baby's growth, the mother will continue to increase energy and physical function to support her and the baby's needs. After the baby is born, the mother will mobilize her physical and psychological energy to ensure the baby's health and happiness. In this seemingly complicated but simple and natural process, physical and psychological energy gradually increased, and when we noticed it, she had already completed the beautiful butterfly change as a woman.

In fact, in the face of difficulties, aren't we? Of course, you may encounter all kinds of challenges after entering the graduate school, but I believe that in the process of trying to solve them, your ideas and horizons will become more and more open; When you have to do something you are afraid of, you will gradually increase the number of people and things you contact and experience more. Maybe you will be surprised when you find yourself changing, but you are more calm. Because you have experienced, persisted and tried your best to do it, you will have no regrets in this life.

From your letter, I know with confidence that you will not give up your dream. But as an experienced person, I want to remind you that you must decide which school you want to apply for. Because the postgraduate entrance examination depends on the degree of knowledge mastery, each school will have its own emphasis, and each tutor will also have its own professional orientation. Knowing this as soon as possible will save you a lot of detours. As for whether to apply for a school in Beijing, it's not your major, so it's hard to judge. But I think you can think about these issues. What factors can contribute to your future development in Beijing? How attractive are the universities in Beijing to you? Is there a better choice if I apply for a foreign school instead of taking the exam in Beijing? Will it take less effort or have more favorable conditions to prepare for the exam in the second choice school? I think after careful consideration, you will have a clearer choice, and when you make a choice, your pace will be firmer.

I look forward to seeing you step through every threshold of postgraduate entrance examination and graduate study with firm steps, and realize the beautiful butterfly change in your studies.

liu qianqian

20 10-9-2

(About the author: Liu Qianqian, female, born in 198 1, Shouguang, Shandong. Graduated from the Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Nanjing Normal University. Now I work in the Mental Health Education and Counseling Center of Shandong University, mainly engaged in the teaching and research of psychology and psychological counseling. )

[Second reply]

People have to live for a little ideal.

Hello, Sister Qian:

See the words like a face! I am deeply puzzled and confused by your letter. I want to take the postgraduate entrance examination, but I am worried that I will not be competent in my future postgraduate life, especially in mathematics and scientific research. At the same time, I want to take the postgraduate exam in Beijing, but I am worried that I will not be admitted, which has delayed my job search. But if you don't take the postgraduate entrance examination, you are worried that you won't find an ideal job.

I fully understand your confusion. In fact, like your current situation, many people will have such troubles in the next semester of junior year. There are obviously two ways in front of you now, either to take the postgraduate entrance examination or to give up!

Choose to give up? Review for nearly half a semester, is it a little reluctant? Besides, most people around you are working hard for the postgraduate entrance examination. Are you giving up so easily?

Choose to insist? But the road ahead is still full of thorns and difficulties! Let's not talk about whether we can get in. If so, how can I continue to major in exploration and petroleum energy that I am not interested in? How to deal with mathematics? How to conduct scientific research? Think about it. Is it a little harder than heaven? It's a little confusing I don't know what to do.

But in fact, I don't know if I can get in. Your dream is in Beijing. Whether it can be fulfilled or not, in the face of too much competition and pressure, general efforts are not enough.

I have a student who was admitted to the graduate school of psychology of Peking University this year. In fact, when she decided to enter Peking University, many people questioned her, including me. Because three universities like ours, it is not easy to get into Peking University. However, regardless of the questioning eyes of people around her, she resolutely applied for Peking University, which was really courageous. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to have a high goal. As the saying goes, "if you want it, you will get it." Even if you don't get into Peking University, you may transfer to a good school. But she finally won the third place with more than 380 points. Before she decided to take the postgraduate entrance examination and enter Peking University, she also had many concerns, but she said that if she wanted to March toward the place she longed for, she would have an ideal without hard work, which was fantasy and fantasy.

Yes, she did make more efforts than ordinary people. I often meet her walking around the campus with a big thermos. She told me that even when eating, she listened to English or politics with headphones. Heaven rewards diligence, and every penny you pay will be rewarded.

In fact, no matter which school you take the postgraduate exam, you can't take it without hard work, especially if you want to take the postgraduate exam, you need to pay more. I don't know if you have chosen a good school. If not, you can make a reasonable choice according to your own strength and the situation of the school.

If you're worried that you won't be qualified for graduate life after you pass the exam, then you're a little too worried about your future life. I don't know if you have this feeling. A mountain looks unattainable in the distance, but when you reach the foot of the mountain, especially when you climb it step by step, you will find that the mountain is not as high as you think. A lot of things will come naturally after the conditions are met, just like you think math and computer are difficult to test, but you can still cope at the undergraduate stage. In fact, you will be the same after graduate school, because your own ability has also improved. You are not an undergraduate, are you? Don't worry about scientific research, as long as you have a sound mind and are not afraid of hard work, you will certainly produce many results. If you feel that you don't know what to do and have nowhere to start, isn't there a tutor to guide you? There are also many brothers and sisters and resources available around them. After being admitted, naturally everything is not a problem.

The key question is not whether you can pass the exam, but what to do and how to do it in the next three months.

Give up or insist? You can choose any way, you have the right to give up the postgraduate entrance examination, live comfortably for half a year, and then find a job or internship; You can also choose to take the postgraduate entrance examination, but once you decide to take the examination, you should set the school and direction of the postgraduate entrance examination as soon as possible. With a direction, we can further clarify our goals, and then make a step-by-step plan to spur ourselves to implement it. "Nothing is difficult in the world if you set your mind to it", there are difficulties, needless to say, but people have to live for a little ideal.

Don't worry that failing the exam will delay your job search. You can also find a job in the second half of the year. If you set a goal for the postgraduate entrance examination, you don't really need to consider whether you can get in. Your mind should be spent on how to review better and get higher grades.

Fighting for the ideal is something to be proud of. The road ahead is full of unknowns, and no one knows which way is right. In fact, as Mr. Lu Xun said, there is no road in the world. If there are more people walking, there will be a way. Therefore, if you choose to give up, others will respect you. After all, the road is your own. If you choose to take the postgraduate entrance examination, I wish you an early harvest of the dawn of victory and board the ideal hall!

Liping Wang

(The author is currently working in binzhou university, Shandong Province, mainly engaged in psychology teaching, research and psychological counseling. )

[third letter]

Please put down the burden of worrying about your ability.

Stream:

Hello, I'm a friend of Liu Suli, a teacher. She happens to be the graduate of petroleum exploration related major you want to apply for, so she forwarded your letter to me. I looked at it and thought maybe my understanding of the major might be helpful to you. The writing is clumsy and blunt, so you can talk about where you want to go.

I wonder what your undergraduate major is? If it is related to oil exploration, it is necessary to master master's computer and mathematics knowledge, and it will probably be a major in exploration technology and engineering. My major is exploration technology and engineering, my master's degree and doctor's degree are both geophysics, and my current work is also in the field of oil exploration, so our majors should be relatively similar. After reading your letter, the first thing I want to say is that the postgraduate entrance examination for petroleum exploration major is not as difficult as you think, and the requirements for mathematics and computers are not as high as you think. There are many jobs in this field that don't require strong ability, so if you are afraid that you can't do it, you can put this burden down. At the same time, China's graduate education has now become an extension of undergraduate education, and the expansion of enrollment has also affected the quality of graduate education to some extent. It is not easy for graduate students to realize the requirement of "reading a lot of literature and refining their own opinions". What I know is that as a master, I can independently refer to other people's literature and copy other people's research. It would be great if I had my own innovation.

Let go of the burden of worrying about your ability, and make clear what is the purpose of your postgraduate entrance examination, is it to find a better job or to join scientific research? It can be seen from your letter that you are looking for a good job. Let me talk about my situation. I graduated in 2003, and my classmates have jobs. I choose to continue my studies until this year. My undergraduate classmates have worked in the oil exploration industry for seven years, and now their careers and families are very stable, and their income is higher than mine. Therefore, after three years, graduate school may not be as high as your undergraduate classmates. Of course, with the passage of time, the situation now is not necessarily the same as that in 2003. I think there is no absolute positive correlation between graduate school and future employment.

If the postgraduate entrance examination is to find a good job, you definitely need to care about the prospects of the industry. Petroleum exploration was once too cold to be cold, and it is well known with the sharp rise of oil prices in recent years. From the current point of view, it should be impossible for oil prices to fall back to twenty or thirty dollars a barrel before 2003. With the gradual improvement of the global economic situation and the continuous development of emerging countries, the demand for energy is still endless, and oil companies have invested heavily in upstream exploration. There is a saying in our industry that "oil fields are in the hearts of geologists, and geophysical exploration is the eyes of geologists". Compared with other industries, geophysical exploration, as an oil exploration discipline, should have a good prospect in Qian Jing in the last ten years. /kloc-people with 0/0 to 20 years of industry experience can get high salaries in the market, and the average salary level of the whole industry should be above average. Last year, one of my school sisters graduated from a small private enterprise in Beijing. At present, her monthly salary is about 6,000 yuan, which should be said to be good from the current employment situation of master's degree. If you go to a state-owned enterprise and just start working for a year or two, your salary may be lower. After several years of work experience, you should get a good salary and benefits.

Let me tell you something about what the oil exploration industry is mainly doing. As you said, your major needs math and computer skills, so let me guess for myself, is geophysical exploration your major? At present, the master of geophysical exploration is mainly engaged in seismic data processing and interpretation (there are other geophysical methods, but seismic methods are mainly used in oil exploration). This doesn't require a high level of computer and math skills. Of course, there is also a major in software development, but if math and computers are not good, there is not much to say about this direction. Seismic data processing and interpretation work is to operate some ready-made commercial software, analyze and process seismic data, and then provide basis for geologists to judge the location of underground reservoirs. This industry is an industry with high experience value, and many jobs require more experience than theoretical knowledge, so the requirements for academic qualifications are not too high. Some time ago, an employee of our company just won the "National May 1st Labor Medal". He started as a contract worker and worked in this industry for more than 20 years. Some time ago, he made outstanding contributions to the discovery of an atmospheric field. However, times have changed. Nowadays, the academic requirements of state-owned enterprises for new employees have also increased accordingly.

Geophysical exploration industry is also related to natural earthquakes. The occurrence of the "5. 12" earthquake made the country pay more attention to natural earthquake disasters. Therefore, in the future, civil servants can consider joining the State Seismological Bureau or the Provincial Seismological Bureau. Personally, I think this is also a good development direction for girls, and the pressure is not too great.

I wonder how difficult it is to go to Beijing for postgraduate study now. It shouldn't be too difficult, as long as every major crosses the line. The geophysical exploration major in the School of Geophysics and Information Technology of China Geo University (Beijing) will drop 5 points in each subject, but now it seems that there are more applicants and the competition is more intense.

As far as I know, the employment situation of China Geo University is not as good as that of Youshi University in China. Of course, the admission score of Youshi University is higher, and these materials should be available online. Peking University and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are more focused on theoretical research, which may require higher mathematics and computer skills. But the university employment in Beijing is not necessarily better than that in other places. The employment situation of graduates from Southwest Petroleum University and Chengdu University of Technology in southwest China is much better than that in Beijing. For example, the employment situation of Southwest Petroleum University and Chengdu University of Technology in Chengdu is very good in the local area and even the whole southwest region, and the employment of China Youshi University in Dongying is also very advantageous in Shengli Oilfield. So if you are not sure whether you want to work and settle in Beijing, some universities in other places can consider it, and the competition is not too great.

Another extremely important influence on the future is to follow a good tutor. A good tutor has projects during your study, which can exercise your practical work ability. When you graduate, a good tutor can also recommend jobs. Many industries, including oil exploration, can play a very, very important role in your employment.

If you have a solid basic knowledge of the subject, a good command of English and good programming skills, and of course, the most important thing is that you have considerable enthusiasm for scientific research, then it is a very good choice to choose further study for scientific research. Good English is a great help for both work and scientific research. After all, the most advanced documents in most disciplines are now expressed in English, and geophysical related disciplines are no exception.

At present, China has invested heavily in oil and gas exploration and natural earthquakes, and there are many scientific research projects every year. Geophysics is well done in China, such as Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Chinese University of Science and Technology, etc. There are many high-level teachers, and their achievements have also had a considerable impact in the world. If you are strict with yourself, you can choose to study abroad for a master's degree or a doctor's degree. For example, the SEP and Rock Physics Laboratory of Stanford University in the United States are world-famous, colorado school of mines has a prominent position in the industry and a large number of people, and the geophysics related disciplines of Houston University also have a fairly high level. If you are interested, there are other schools on the Internet that can find relevant information.

If you really can't find a satisfactory job at present, it is also a good choice to improve your professional level through postgraduate entrance examination; If there is a satisfactory job opportunity, personally, it is better to work first.

Well, I don't know if I can let you see your major and future. Anyway, I wish you a good choice of life direction as soon as possible and let the sails of life set sail as soon as possible!

Hu shanzheng

(The author is a doctoral student at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, China Academy of Sciences, e-mail :husz3@sohu.com)

[Fourth reply]

Make a decision for your dreams.

Stream:

Hello! Seeing your letter to our department, I deeply feel the confusion and confusion you are facing. We are also anxious for you and your classmates who are facing similar situations, because time passes day by day and the time for postgraduate entrance examination is approaching day by day. For those who take the postgraduate entrance examination, it should have been time to prepare their horses and sharpen their knives. However, many students, like you, are caught in a dilemma at this time, which has delayed precious time and normal review progress.

According to your letter, we might as well calm down and carefully analyze the reasons that bother you. According to the analysis, I will give you three suggestions for reference only, hoping to help you get rid of your troubles as soon as possible, make a decision that suits you and move forward smoothly.

You said in your letter that this major is related to exploration and petroleum energy. "I applied for this major mainly because of the high employment rate and the advice of my parents." On the one hand, the employment rate of a major is a relatively dynamic data, and the cold and hot of a major is also a relative concept. Various possible factors will affect the hot and cold and employment situation of a major in various periods. On the other hand, the employment rate is only a probability. For a certain person, a popular major is not necessarily good for employment, and an unpopular major is not necessarily bad for employment. In addition, the overall employment situation of college students is not optimistic at present, so the employment rate is only an influential factor in your choice of major or whether to take the postgraduate entrance examination, not a fundamental one. More importantly, the choice of undergraduate study major is mainly the advice of parents, not your own decision. I believe there are many similar situations among your friends and classmates, which can be understood at that time. Because in high school, many of our classmates didn't have the energy and mind to think about what major to study in the future, and they didn't even know what major to study in the university. Many people don't understand them at all. Therefore, when many students apply for majors and colleges, they can only listen to the suggestions of others-mainly parents and teachers. Make such a decision, the result is likely to be blind obedience, or even ignore the subjective will. This is basically your situation, and it is important to ignore your subjective wishes.

Judging from the above situation, when you choose your major during your undergraduate course, you pay attention to an inherently dynamic and uncertain employment rate, while ignoring your personal subjective will and the real purpose of going to college, so that you will not feel so happy and happy when you study your major, which is similar to the consequences of "arranged marriage" in the old society. I believe you have understood by now that going to college is not only about finding a job, but also many other more important things, such as the improvement of personal literacy, thinking ability, cultural level and other comprehensive abilities, as well as personal all-round development. As for finding a good job, it's just a by-product of going to college. We have great respect for Mr Ji Xianlin. When he graduated from the Department of Western Literature in Tsinghua University, it was difficult to find a suitable job, and he became a high school teacher at the call of his alma mater. But in the end, he was assigned to study in Germany by relying on his own knowledge, which made him a brilliant life. This example vividly shows that temporary employment difficulties can't affect the glory of your life. The most important thing is to study further and really learn the skills that will benefit you for life. So, calm down and seriously think about it, do you want to take the postgraduate entrance examination, do you want to go to graduate school, and do you want to stick to it. This requires you to make your own decisions, think clearly about what you really want, and make the final decision yourself, instead of relying too much on others (including parents). You have gained experience and lessons, the ability to think independently, and the ability to be responsible for your own decisions. Being responsible for your future means that you must think carefully and make your own decisions. So, my first advice to you is: This time, it's time for you to make a decision about your dream.

The second advice I want to give you is to believe in your potential and work hard for your dreams. One of the reasons why you want to take the postgraduate entrance examination now has an important influence on your future is that you still have a dream, want to further improve your competitiveness, and want to realize your dream through graduate school. It is very important to cope with this complex and changeable society by further improving your competitiveness. First of all, you respect your own subjective wishes and work hard for your dreams, which is something to be proud of. If you have a dream and don't work hard for it, it will never come true. In addition, judging from your study during your undergraduate period, you don't think that specialized courses are particularly difficult, and there are no problems in math and computer exams. Facts have proved your learning ability in the professional field. The problem now is that, considering the employment factor and the negative influence left by your parents' decision to choose your major instead of your own, you constantly doubt your professional potential and worry about whether you can be competent for your study and life during the postgraduate period. In other words, you may have some potential psychological resistance to your major. In fact, whether you are qualified for the study and life during the postgraduate period needs your efforts to prove. At present, the most important question is whether you can be admitted to graduate school, not whether you can be competent after being admitted. Have priorities. And if you give up the postgraduate entrance examination now, it is equivalent to giving up the possibility of realizing your dream, and there is no question of whether you are qualified to live a postgraduate life. Therefore, believe in your own potential, try to change your mentality, eliminate your resistance, discover and cultivate your own specialties and interests, and try to realize your dreams. This is what you need to do most at present.

To believe in yourself is to believe in your rational judgment after careful consideration, that is, to believe in your own ability. You started reviewing in March, and it has been more than half a year since October. At this time, your review may have entered the bottleneck period or altitude sickness period. At this stage, you have doubts about your ability, goals and direction, and feel confused, irritable and difficult to persist. It is a normal psychological phenomenon to hope that the exam will come soon, get rid of it as soon as possible, and even escape the pressure of review. Communicate with classmates and research friends around you, and maybe many people will have similar feelings. At this time, you need to make appropriate self-psychological adjustment and life adjustment, add a little seasoning to the simple and boring review of the postgraduate entrance examination, and feel happy and happy for your daily progress, instead of letting negative emotions grow and spread, so as to receive better review results. If you stop pursuing your dreams and give up your efforts because of temporary confusion and hardship, you will regret it in the future. People often say: "if it is broken, it will be chaotic." At this critical juncture, every minute is very precious for the postgraduate students. Once a decision is made, we must move forward resolutely. Hesitation and hesitation can only delay the process of realizing our dreams. Therefore, the third advice I want to give you is to trust your rational judgment after careful consideration, stick to your dream to the end and let yourself have a clear conscience.

As the old saying goes, "He who travels a hundred miles is half ninety", which is hard to end. The closer you get to the final success, the more you should take it seriously and try to avoid failure. Make decisions for yourself, fight for your dreams, and have a clear conscience. You are not far from success.

Wei Haizheng

(The writer is a newspaper of Shandong University. )