Is the College Entrance Exam the Only Way to Success? zz

More than 9.5 million Chinese students have sat the national college entrance examination. It is regarded as one of the most important events for the participants, and can change their lives in this fiercely competitive society.

The exam, which is considered the largest of its kind in the world, is not only a fight for the candidates, but also affects their families and the society.

The Ministry of Education says a record 10.1 million people applied to take the exam, but only 5.67 million would be able to enter college. Then what about those left behind? Are they failures? Is China's national college entrance examination the only way to success?

Definitely not! One's talent can not be judged by one exam! There are various roads leading to success!

What Is Success?

Success is certainly not a random whim of fate or a chance roll of the dice. For those who are fortunate enough to achieve success, some of them turn around and proclaim that success is not a destination but merely a journey.

Success is a series of realized objectives and achieved goals. The most important point is to live fully on one's talent. Everyone is endowed with different talents. Some are born musicians. Some are mathematical geniuses. And some have a special talent in sport.

Take Liu Xiang as an example. The twenty-something Shanghainese, who won China's first male Olympic track gold medal in 2004, didn't take the national entrance exam, but he can still be a hero in all Chinese people's heart. His experience clearly proves the importance of getting to know your talent and live fully on it to find your own successful way.

Many Chinese parents think this way. If their children can't get into a good kindergarten they won't get into a good primary school. If they can't get into a good primary school, they won't get into a good high school, and so on.

They fear "inadequate education" means their child can't get into a good university and find a good job. So before children are born, some parents have already started to worry about their education. Some even neglect the importance of fostering their children to be a well-rounded person.

Is a degree really helpful for one to get a good job or earn a decent life?

Does an Advanced Degree Encourage Success on the Job?

Indeed, a university degree can be very helpful during one's job hunting. However the certificate is not the only key to the door of the job market any more. The question is, does the key fit the right lock?

As we all know, mutual selection between employers and employees have gradually become a dominant trend as Chinese society develops. The demand of employers is a precondition for the success of job hunters. If a company managed by the employers doesn't supply positions, job hunters can't obtain work, even if they have an advanced degree.

The current situation in the job market is there are a large number of graduate students without jobs. On the other hand, many employers are badly in need of professional people who are graduates of professional training schools. Their pay can be much higher than university graduates'. The immature supply and demand structure of the current job market reveals getting into a professional training school might also be a good choice.

Good personality traits, such as honesty, reliability and responsibility, have also been emphasized increasingly by employers. Many of the world's top 500 companies have already put personality prior to one's education background. That reflects an old Chinese saying: one should learn to be a person first and then he or she can possibly be successful in their careers. Therefore, for those who have lowered their moral standards in the process of pursuing success, the key of a university degree can’t help them open any career door.

Everyone is talented and everyone can be successful in one's own field, no matter whether he or she has passed the national entrance exam or not. When one door closes, another might open right in front of you. Good luck everyone! 

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