Graduate school is like a besieged city. People outside want to come in and think that after graduate school, it is not far from a decent and well-paid job; The people inside are always trying to escape because they are squeezed by the teacher, their papers are too difficult to write and their future is not bright.

Zhang Chu is a graduate student. He is an undergraduate of a 985 university, majoring in chemistry. After graduation, he was admitted to another 985 graduate school. However, after a few months of graduate study, he dropped out as a deserter. At the end of 2020, after thinking about the past and the future, he entered the examination room for the second time.

There are many graduate students like him. On a well-known Q&A website, the question "Why do some graduate students quit school" has attracted more than 20,000 people's attention, with more than 2 1, 9 1, 000 views. On another social APP, it's called "Doctor, did you drop out of school?" Members pour out grievances in the group and ask for help. In the eyes of the public, these children are also struggling painfully, not knowing whether to give up or continue.

In 2020, the number of graduate students reached a new high, exceeding 3 million. But how many of these thousands of postgraduate students really want to do scientific research? According to the survey data, 53% of the students went to graduate school because of better employment prospects, 17% went to graduate school temporarily because of employment difficulties, and less than 30% went to graduate school because they wanted to do academic research.

In other words, graduate school is more like a "road of dependence" for most people. But near graduation, they will find that the future of graduate students may not be as bright as they think. Seeing that some students who work after graduation from undergraduate courses have accumulated several years' experience and got a lot of wages, they will feel more stressed and wonder if there is any problem with their choices.

There are also many students whose undergraduate majors are not what they really like. Some are forced by their parents to apply for a major, and some are adjusted because their scores are not enough. The depth of undergraduate research is limited. As long as you don't exaggerate, you won't fail at the end of the semester, and your graduation thesis is just a formality. In this case, learning a major that you don't like and don't understand seems less painful. But graduate students are different, more professional and deeper than undergraduates. It is very painful to learn a major that you don't like.

If the relationship with the tutor is not handled well, it will also make graduate students feel pressure. According to the survey data, 465,438+0% graduate students hope to get the care and help of their tutors. But in fact, 55% students communicate with their tutors less than six times each semester. Some teachers are so famous and busy that they can only teach themselves and report regularly, which makes some graduate students puzzled. There are also teachers who maliciously squeeze students, force students to publish more than the prescribed number of papers, or let students help themselves with projects for free, which also makes some graduate students miserable.

Wang Pan, the tutor of a university in Wuhan, is a typical example. He not only squeezes students academically, but also squeezes students in personality and daily chores, asking them to buy food, buy a house and wash clothes for themselves, and asking them to call themselves dad. After years of oppression, student Tao Chongyuan was overwhelmed and ended his life. However, Wang Pan was not greatly affected and continued to live and work.

Whether to go to graduate school or work after graduation is a question worth thinking about. It is better for college students not to make decisions easily. First of all, they should have an objective understanding of their scientific research ability, stress level and expectations for the future. Don't watch others go to graduate school and feel ashamed of not going to graduate school, just follow suit. Everyone's situation is different. On these key issues, you can ask your parents more, and don't just make decisions based on your own imagination. The experience of our predecessors can sometimes help us to suffer less.

In the process of graduate school, if the pressure is too high and you are prone to depression, you need to go to a psychologist for treatment in time. Don't feel ashamed to see a psychiatrist, nor is it shameful to pursue health. This attitude towards life deserves respect. Don't cut off contact with your friends because of scientific research problems. Having friends to chat can actually give us a lot of comfort. If you meet too many harsh tutors, you should actively report to the school.