Don’t study here! But it’s just a student joke
Print Edition
CHINESE students, never lacking in self-mockery, are going online to greet would-be freshmen busy filing college applications.
“Never join our university because you will find that we have air conditioning in the morgue but not in the dorms, which is beyond imagination,” was one comment from someone studying at the Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
As many universities try to project their best image in a bid to attract school leavers, comments from insiders provide a different view from the usual official promotion brochures.
“Never join our university because the campus is like a zoo: we have seen not only cats and dogs, but also deer, peacocks and owls!” said one student at Southwest Jiaotong University.
Majors are also a topic in this wave of online self-deprecation.
“Never join the major of archaeology because nobody understands what you are learning,” reads a placard held by a young woman in a photo posted online.
Others followed her example by wearing written placards reading: “Never join the English major because too many girls here render you little chance of finding Prince Charming” or “Never join the major of preschool education because you will become mentally and physically exhausted taking care of children.”
Some also joked that their majors do not live up to the impression their names give. “Our work has nothing to do with ‘international,’ ‘trade,’ nor ‘international trade,”’ said another placard.
However, their future colleagues aren’t fooled, saying such “advice” is never taken seriously.
“When making decisions, I think it is more important for us to follow our own hearts and choose what we really like,” said He Li, who has just left school in north China’s Hebei Province.
Zheng Tingxuan from Shanghai, who has applied for a place at Jilin University in northeast China, said he cares more about academic quality rather than the conditions of dormitories or the cafeteria.
However, some have been influenced by others’ opinions. Wu Chengjie, the top scorer in science in the national college entrance exam for Jiangsu Province, has changed his mind on his subject of study.
“All the reporters that have interviewed me advised me not to choose journalism, so now I am considering finance,” said Wu.
The Ministry of Education says 7.27 million university graduates will enter the job market this year. Landing a good job has become a major consideration in college applications and choosing a major.
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