The consequences of filling in the wrong application form for the college entrance examination

The college entrance examination application focuses on almost all the coordinates of the dream.

You may be accepted as a volunteer or transferred to another school. After a series of accidental permutations and combinations such as luck and timing, the pointer of fate stopped somewhere on the volunteer form.

Many years later, looking back at the moment when they filled out the application form for the college entrance examination, they were able to quickly lock in that critical fork.

Chen Shuo from Dali, Yunnan, because his scores are almost the same as those of his brothers, and they all like the same school. In mutual "humility", they each chose their own future path. I didn't get into my first choice major, so I studied food science and engineering. At the age of 32, he changed tracks and started over. Entered a state-owned enterprise at the age of 34 and became a fire safety engineer.

Yan Jing, a candidate from Jiangxi Province, wanted to study economics, but was admitted early. She took the exam for an unpopular preschool education major. In the next ten years, she will usher in a boom in the early childhood education industry. "In the past ten years, everyone said that the major you chose was too good. How could you choose such a popular major?"

Hebei candidate Tian Jiawei was unable to apply for the foreign language major because she missed the English speaking test. She once thought she would miss out on her whole life. "But the longer the road ahead, the things you thought you couldn't forgive yourself for before will become very small throughout your long life."

Shandong candidate Lin Yuheng had an affair with the Ideal Academy due to his abnormal performance in the college entrance examination. The school's ideal major missed out. "My dad said that if you love watching TV so much, you can sign up for a TV major." Film and television helped her understand the existence of beauty and the significance of aesthetics, and professionalism can also permeate into daily life. Although she is not currently engaged in work related to radio and television editing and directing, she said: "No matter what major you study, the courses will leave traces and always leave some imprint on your body and mind."

At the end of June, all parts of the country have started filling in applications for the college entrance examination. We asked five classmates to talk about their past volunteer experiences. In these past events, there are glimmers of idealism and twists and turns based on reality. Some people embrace the idea of ??lifelong learning and move toward openness at the next crossroads.

At the end of June, applications for the college entrance examination have been opened across the country. Picture/IC picture

"Children from rural areas can only rely on themselves"

Narration: Yunnan candidate Chen Shuo

I am from Dali, Yunnan. Participated in the college entrance examination in 2005. It has been 17 years now.

I am a science student, and my score is nearly 60 points higher than in this book. My ideal wish was to go to West China University of Medical Sciences, but I couldn't reach the final score. My father is from Sichuan and suggested that I apply for Sichuan University. Our family is in rural Dali, and the elders don’t understand. You can report whatever you like.

It still took a long time to apply, because at that time the scores of the four of us who played well were very close, and everyone wanted to apply to Sichuan University. But it seems that Sichuan University has only recruited more than 100 people in Yunnan. If we all sign up, someone will definitely fail to sign up.

The person with the highest score is finally determined to apply for Sichuan University. Two other students told me that since you do it, I won't. They studied at Southwest Jiaotong University and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. I still chose Sichuan University. This score will definitely go up in previous years, but I have to obey professional adjustments.

I didn’t know the importance of professionalism at that time. I applied for four majors, and my first choice was water conservancy and hydropower engineering. I think this prospect is better, and I like it too. My last choice is food science and engineering.

The final admission result was Food Science and Engineering. To be honest, I was a bit repelled, but I thought forget it, at least I could get a diploma from Sichuan University.

After school, I am also one of the last. Seniors and classmates all said that the salary in this major will be lower in the future and it is really not exciting. After all, I am a child from a rural area, and I can only rely on myself for employment, so professional employment prospects are the most important to me.

I just graduated from a company in Nanjing. After passing it, I felt uncomfortable. The weather is too hot. After the training, I did not choose to join the company.

Later I went to the Yunnan job market for a day, and a state-owned food company was recruiting people.

Someone asked me which school I was from, and I said Sichuan University. The person in charge of recruitment told me, just come to work directly. That was in 2010, and I could get more than 3,000 in Kunming, which was considered relatively good.

However, wage growth in this company is very slow. After I started a family, I was under a lot of pressure, especially after I had children. I'm considering changing jobs.

In 2017, I went on a business trip to Xinjiang with an old senior. The old senior was reading a safety book and said he wanted to take the exam to become a registered safety engineer. Then he said you also have to take the exam. So I took the registered safety engineer exam in 2017 and the registered fire protection engineer exam in 2018. The fire engineer exam is difficult and the pass rate is probably 1. At that time, the certificate was very valuable. I could earn 80,000 to 90,000 yuan a year with this certificate. Of course, the country is now cracking down on affiliations.

My first job was from 2010 to 2018, and finally I was the workshop director.

After resigning in May 2018, he transferred to a private company engaged in fire protection business. I did all the work, including fire inspection, fire protection facility maintenance, and fire protection construction. I still spent a lot of energy and time learning the skills in this area, doing it hands-on, and asking old masters for advice. I also suffered a lot.

When I quit my job, I made a plan. First I had to learn technology. Later, after I learned the technology, I was transferred to a state-owned enterprise.

After working in a private company for two years, at the age of 34, I successfully entered a relatively large state-owned enterprise. Now compared with before, my income can be said to have doubled, and the pressure in life has been relatively reduced.

So now in retrospect, college entrance examination aspirations are very important. If the major is not filled out properly, it may affect your future. I am not denying food-related majors, but judging from my many years of work, there is really no good soil. There are definitely people who can develop well in this field, and everyone's path is unique. I can only speak for myself.

It’s just a detour, but as long as people are motivated and willing to work hard, there will be food wherever they go. Even if we study an unsatisfactory major, we can still make some efforts to correct it.

In July 2020, Chen Shuo carried out fire detection work in a cigarette factory. Photos provided by interviewees

“The times are changing too fast, find what you really like”

Narrator: Jiangxi candidate Yan Jing

I took the college entrance examination in 2007 , Jiangxi assessed scores after the college entrance examination and applied for volunteers. At that time, my father felt that studying finance and economics was particularly good and would be better for finding a job in the future, so he chose martial arts.

Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Han.

My mother actually doesn’t particularly want me to study economics. She thinks it would be good for a girl to be a teacher. In addition, my family is full of teachers, so I applied for a pre-approved application, East China Normal University in Shanghai.

I wasn’t sure that my score would qualify for a particularly good major at China Normal University, so I filled out the pre-school education program and my score was relatively low.

I don’t really want to choose this major. I grew up in a teaching environment, so I have a kind of rebellion. I don’t want to be a teacher anymore; and in preschool education, I might become a kindergarten teacher. , I always feel that I may not be able to make a lot of money.

The head teacher also said that the possibility of me being admitted in advance is not very high. He thinks I should still be admitted to Economics. Unexpectedly, I got the final score and was transferred directly to East China Normal University after being approved in advance.

I felt in my heart that after completing the normal education major, my future seemed to be in sight.

When I actually entered school, I was particularly impressed by the first class in college. It was the first time I took a children's literature class. The teacher taught some classic picture books. That was the first time I learned about children's literature. Children's books can do so well. If they continue to develop, it will be very good for the next generation.

It was in that class that I discovered that this major is much broader than I imagined. And we have a lot of practical classes. I personally like children, and I gradually accepted this major. Although being a teacher is a very common profession, you can still get extra happiness from working in this industry in the future.

After four years in college, I also discovered that I am actually suitable for this major. When I go out, many people see me and guess my major.

Later, the education industry suddenly became a gold industry in ten years. It turns out that if you study in preschool education, you are not limited to being a kindergarten teacher. In the past ten years, all the capital has been directed towards the education industry, especially early childhood education.

In my second job, I went to a foreign company to work on children’s programs. Later, I basically worked for foreign companies, doing video planning and review of parenting content, as well as some paid courses. In my current job, I am the product leader and I have to lead the team myself.

In October 2016, Yan Jing worked on a charity project in a kindergarten in a poor village in Gansu, and sent the programs she produced to some kindergartens in the northwest. Photo provided by the interviewee

After I started working, my family didn’t interfere with me very much. They didn’t know exactly what I was doing now, but they knew that I was making cartoons for children, because of what we are going through now. Life, our world is bigger than theirs, beyond their experience, so they can't give much advice.

I am satisfied with my current situation. After so many years of graduation, my love for this major has not diminished. I am financially well off in this industry, and I feel that I am doing something meaningful.

Although my college entrance examination application was approved in advance by some mistake, I think it is quite good to follow this path.

I think the college entrance examination application is a stepping stone for life planning, but it is really just a stepping stone. It does not mean that your life is finalized. You still have many opportunities to change. For example, some of our classmates will obviously find that they don't like children very much, and some students' current jobs have nothing to do with our majors.

When I applied for the exam, preschool education was not a good major. But in the past ten years, everyone said that the major you chose at that time was too good. How could you choose such a popular major? Of course, the industry will also shrink after last year's double cuts, so I don't think it is necessary to pursue particularly popular majors, because the road ahead is too long and the times are changing too fast. It is more important to find what you really like.

“Your choice basically determines your annual salary ceiling”

Narrator: Hebei candidate Tian Jiawei

I am a college entrance examination candidate in Hebei in 2011. My English Relatively speaking, it was relatively good. I just wanted to major in foreign languages ??and do international and foreign affairs work.

Generally, those who intend to apply for foreign language majors will register for an oral exam in advance. In our year, the oral exam was held within a few days after the main subject exam.

But I forgot to take the exam. My classmate came to ask me, why didn’t you come to the exam? I just woke up from a dream. I felt like it was finished at that time. I felt like I had finished the college entrance examination.

Without speaking scores, I would not be able to apply for the foreign language class. I didn’t study any of the subsequent applications, but my dad did. He chose schools based on scores. I ended up enrolling in my third choice, Department of Journalism, Hunan Normal University.

When I got the admission result, I seemed quite happy, because I felt that my life was ruined, and it would be good to go to school.

After I went to college, there was a period of time when I didn’t really like courses like journalism theory. When I was learning those theories, I was a little skeptical about life. But when I was running around doing news, I thought it was pretty fun. I had a lot of internships. I started interning at a newspaper during the summer vacation of my freshman year.

But I have never forgotten the path of internationalization. I still think that I will do related work in the future. I communicate with foreign students at school, and read Chronicles of Nations. I am very interested in the history of various countries.

When I graduated, my professional scores and overall scores ranked first in the school, and I was recommended to the graduate school of Journalism at Sun Yat-sen University. During this period, I watched a lot of documentaries, African history, major events in the changing world structure, etc. in the library, and I initially formulated the direction of international news.

When I was in my second year of graduate school, I started interning at a media company in Beijing, specializing in international news. Every day was a different topic. Today is the US election, tomorrow is Snowden, and the day after tomorrow is China’s Belt and Road Initiative. For The ability to learn things quickly, clarify ideas, write documents quickly, and make breakthroughs in interviews are all very good exercises.

In September 2018, Tian Jiawei (left in the picture) was invited by the local government to visit Turkey as a media person. Pictured here is a boat sailing in the Sea of ??Marmara, Türkiye. Photo provided by the interviewee

During my internship, I developed many interview resources by myself. When I interviewed the former President of Afghanistan, I waited for a day downstairs in the hotel where he was having a meeting. He was originally He refused to accept interviews from any media, and then he gave me the interview opportunity.

To be honest, I once thought, if I had chosen a major like finance during the college entrance examination, what would my life be like now? I see that many students are doing different things and earning very high salaries, but there are some gaps. I feel that when you choose this major, your overall direction in the future has been determined, and your aspirations are basically determined. Your annual salary ceiling.

But it would be hard to study a major that you don’t like, so you still have to balance your ideals with reality. Faced with golden pennies, I still choose the moon.

I missed that oral exam. I regretted it when I missed it. I thought I had really missed the whole life. But the longer the road ahead, the things you felt you couldn't forgive yourself for before, now. Throughout your long life, it will also become very small.

"The college entrance examination opened the door to fewer choices for me"

Narrator: Huang Shuling, a candidate from Guangdong

I took the college entrance examination in 2008, that year in Guangdong The exam is 3 plus X, and my X is biology. I really like books about nature science or national forest parks. I may have read all the related contents in the library a long time ago.

At that time, I had an ideal, which was to do something for the Three-North Shelter Forest, so I chose forestry at South China Agricultural University. I had a vague idea that I could go to the desert and plant a tree.

My family and even some relatives, they will ask, are you sure you want to choose this one? They think that if you can study mathematics, physics and chemistry well, you will be able to travel all over the world, but there is no biology. They feel that studying biology is a very unpopular choice. I listened to some of their suggestions, but in the end I still chose what I like.

When I got the admission result of Lin Xue, I felt very happy, as if I saw that my little dream could come true.

I have always maintained a strong interest in college for four years. So later when I applied for the postgraduate entrance examination at the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, I also chose the ecology major. There are many students in our major who take the postgraduate entrance examination, but they will not return to their major. They will hope to use the opportunity of the postgraduate entrance examination to change their major. There are more people who take the postgraduate entrance examination in law, psychology, and economics.

At that time, I was the only girl who took the postgraduate entrance examination and returned to my major.

So I chose to further my studies in 2020 and went to the UK to study with a full scholarship. The major I chose also centered on sustainable environment and business management.

In October 2021, Huang Shuling visited Bath, England. Photo provided by the interviewee

After graduation, I became the sustainability manager of a company in Guangzhou. Many people may not know that such a position exists. It actually organically integrates three aspects: environment, society and corporate governance.

Lin Xue’s path is very niche. But even a niche major can broaden the path. China is relatively new to sustainable development, and there are few specialized positions available. But my current work can influence many upstream and downstream suppliers. Many companies are now practicing some green behaviors, and the sense of accomplishment is quite high.

I have no regrets. At that time, I was just interested in it and came here by accident. Rationally speaking, I still hope that everyone will conduct a comprehensive analysis of their college entrance examination aspirations. I will still give advice based on SWOT, S is strengths, W is weaknesses, O is opportunities, and T is threats. Everyone can make a trade-off based on his or her own situation.

Of course, other people's suggestions are just suggestions. It is you who ultimately makes the decision, and you are always responsible for your own choices.

"Passing by will leave traces"

Narrator: Lin Yuheng, a candidate from Shandong Province

In high school, I was always number one in my class and among the top ten in my grade. The college entrance examination in 2005 was probably too stressful and I did not perform very well. I missed out on Shandong University and finally chose Shandong Normal University.

My father is a science student who likes liberal arts. I have been influenced by literature since I was a child, so I tend to go in a direction related to newspaper literature, but I am worried that I will not get enough marks. My dad said that if you love watching TV so much, you should sign up for a major in watching TV, and you can combine your hobby with study. So I applied for a job as a radio and television director.

This is an interdisciplinary subject. The subjects we studied include literature; art (learning sketching and gouache); music, basic musical notation and theoretical knowledge; and Mandarin. Courses related to broadcasting and hosting, as well as lighting, directing, etc., were very eye-opening.

At that time, I felt very happy and lucky to have chosen this major. In the process of liking, discovering, exploring, and then deepening, I felt that I had grown a lot, and it made me understand the existence of beauty and the importance of aesthetics. Meaning and even professionalism can penetrate deeply into our daily lives. Sometimes when sitting in a movie theater or watching a certain program, I always have some appreciation based on my own professional judgment.

After graduation, my classmates also worked in film and television distribution companies, or in publishing. Looking at their work and life conditions, it seemed that they were not what I really wanted. I chose to take the civil service exam, and finally landed in the university where I am now, engaged in administrative work.

In fact, I think it is difficult to distinguish between right and wrong when it comes to life choices. My father once lamented, saying that you liked literature so much at that time, and it would be great if you were just allowed to apply for a literature major. As a bystander, He may have some regrets in his heart.

We often say that we live elsewhere, or that our hobbies are in irrelevant things, so I don’t regret it.

On June 20, 2018, undergraduate class teacher Lin Yuheng received flowers from graduates. Photo provided by the interviewee

As for college entrance examination aspirations, I would say listen to your inner voice and boldly pursue whatever major you want to study, because only what we like can persist to the end. Sometimes life is still inseparable from idealism. Although I am not currently engaged in work related to the major I studied, I will watch it from a distance and appreciate it.

No matter what major you study, the experience will leave traces. It will always leave some imprints on your body and soul. You can still have some small hobbies or gains outside of your career.

When we complete our duties at work, we cannot see the differences between people, but in some other details, I feel that these inner persistence will still give us some guidance and guidance. , even if my power is small, I can still have my own voice.

(Chen Shuo is a pseudonym in the article) Related questions and answers: