Stars After Shattered Dreams

—The only thing you have to fear is fear itself.

Feeling Lost

Whatever their major, most students feel somewhat lost when they first enter university. It all seems to come down to one thing: fear of an uncertain future.

Reflection

“Why do you want to go to graduate school?” Of everything I have heard since starting university, that question has stayed with me most. I consider myself articulate and quick with words, as well as honest and kind, so few questions outside factual knowledge leave me speechless. This one did. I could not find an answer that made sense to me.

In my first year, I studied electronic information engineering. My time in the telecommunications laboratory’s programming group improved my technical knowledge and programming ability, but the most important change was in how I thought. I am deeply grateful to senior student W for opening my eyes. I changed from a clear-eyed but ignorant freshman into who I am today.

Even now, I find that question difficult. First, graduate study follows the social current: the expansion of master’s and doctoral enrollment suggests broad demand. Second, people generally believe a graduate degree brings better employment and therefore a higher standard of living. Third, there seems to be a widespread attachment to prestigious universities: C9 students aim for Tsinghua or Peking University, 985 students for C9, 211 students for 985, and students outside those groups for 211. Fourth, you can meet outstanding people, perhaps even a life partner. It certainly sounds appealing.

Changing Majors

Why did I change majors? Mainly because I did not want to take endless laboratory classes or the two intimidating subjects of electromagnetic fields and signals and systems. Honestly, I moved to computer science hoping for an easier time…

Planning

Most university students resist the prospect of work. At university, parental support covers the basics. At home, relatives and neighbors praise your status as a university student. You get weekends off, summer and winter holidays that may be longer than a primary school student’s, and—if you choose—you can practically take every day off.

But that is not the real issue. The deeper reason may be the gap between the dream of earning more than RMB 10,000 a month and the reality of exhausting work for RMB 5,000. In other words, the desirable jobs feel out of reach while the available ones do not appeal. Finding some kind of job is not that difficult for a graduate if you are not selective.

Honestly, I have been lucky. Had my entrance-exam score been higher, I would have studied mathematics. Why? Back then, my understanding amounted to “mathematics and physics.” A little funny, really. Sometimes a setback turns out to be a blessing. We should stay optimistic.

As for pay, outside some computer science graduates, it is probably difficult to earn more than RMB 10,000 immediately after a bachelor’s degree. For students in other subjects, perhaps graduate school feels like the only route forward.

Employment Pressure

Everybody seems to have heard that jobs are hard to find. Let me emphasize that I am discussing this specifically from the perspective of a computer science undergraduate, because from that viewpoint I find the statement rather absurd.

Consider an analogy. A man is tall, rich, handsome, and well educated. Can he be my wife? Obviously not, because in the example I am looking for a woman. Job hunting works similarly: the first condition is meeting the employer’s requirements.

How can you tell whether you do? Open BOSS Zhipin or Nowcoder and read the job descriptions. Development roles almost universally require a bachelor’s degree or above and proficiency in certain technologies. We clearly meet the first condition, perhaps with an advantage from attending a Double First-Class university. The second depends on the person, and many do not qualify.

Then look at interview accounts on Nowcoder. Most people will probably feel as I did: I cannot answer any of this. For example, we have all studied databases, but what is MVCC in MySQL? The issue is not merely recognizing the term; it is explaining it clearly and in depth. Many probably do not know it at all.

Suppose a master’s graduate from a 985 university attends an interview and half-understands—or cannot answer—every question. Put yourself in the employer’s place: would you hire them? Much graduate research focuses on deep learning, which differs substantially from software development. This helps explain why employers specify “bachelor’s or above.” Sometimes age itself is a significant advantage.

The obvious reality is that if you are not suitable, someone else is. This is why many computer science undergraduates and even postgraduates struggle to find work. I suspect the proportion of computer science graduates entering the internet industry may average below 40% even across 985 and 211 universities. Is the problem the credential anxiety everyone talks about? I think it is more often a lack of capability.

An interesting point is that people truly suited to continued study tend to be highly capable. Whether applying for further study or finding work, they manage with confidence rather than the usual anxiety. Unfortunately, many people pursue further degrees by following the crowd without understanding themselves. Ask why, and the answer is credential anxiety.

Credential Devaluation

With enrollment expanding, “credential devaluation” has become a fashionable phrase. I will not judge other subjects: without deep understanding and firsthand experience, I am not qualified. It is unfortunate that so many people cannot observe this boundary and speak recklessly from partial knowledge.

For computer science, though, I think the phrase is nonsense. Major technology companies offer some new graduates in their top algorithm programs annual packages of a million yuan. A computer science undergraduate entering a major firm can earn as much as, or more than, a doctorate in some less sought-after field. Of course, not every undergraduate can get into a major firm. Ha! That is why I consider myself lucky; otherwise, I might have studied mathematics and struggled considerably.

From my own experience, however, I would actually recommend mathematics at both bachelor’s and master’s level to someone interested in deep learning. There are abundant resources for teaching yourself computer science, accessible to many ages and backgrounds. Mathematics is different: without the right environment, sustaining it can be difficult. Deep learning can demand substantial mathematics, so mathematics graduates moving into computer science doctorates may outperform those with a conventional CS background.

There is another question worth considering. If you choose ordinary software development, how much of your university calculus, linear algebra, and probability and statistics will you use? Never mind subjects such as university physics, which seem far removed from computing. If you pursue algorithm research, those introductory courses may also fall short because their coverage is too shallow. Some courses, to me, satisfy the equation: attending class = serving time = wasting time.

The Age-35 Crisis

Another popular online topic is “the programmer’s age-35 crisis.” The self-appointed experts advise against computer science: the industry is saturated, layoffs are a risk, and a civil-service or public-institution job offers a stable “iron rice bowl.” Then they pity programmers laid off from big firms: unemployed at such a young age, how tragic.

Honestly, I do not know who deserves sympathy. The person who lost their job may already own a home in Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen. They may have saved several million yuan and be enjoying a quiet life, or they may move to another major company and keep competing. You might not accumulate that much before retirement. Sometimes there is no need to pity others.

Layoffs are normal, and I see two kinds. The first affects programmers whose skills stop at basic CRUD and whose output is a mess; removing them makes room for capable younger people. The second happens when a business changes and an entire team or department disappears, regardless of individual ability. The former may genuinely lose their options; the latter may still choose what comes next. Having a plan for a stable job can also be perfectly reasonable.

Responsibility

The biggest transformation university has brought me is growth. Yet the reality can be bleak: many students choose avoidance rather than responsibility. I have already discussed avoiding employment. Much further study is another form of avoidance: people who do not want to work, or do not yet have the ability, choose graduate school without even knowing what they intend to do afterward.

I have a few questions that many may struggle to answer. First, are you suited to research, and have you learned what it involves? Many outstanding researchers and candidates for major companies’ top programs have strong NOI or ACM competition records. Yet many strong programmers are not suited to research. I therefore see strong coding ability as a necessary but insufficient condition.

Second, can you afford the sunk costs? There are two sides to this. Research sometimes depends on luck. If someone else has the same idea, arriving first may mean success, while arriving slightly later can render all your work fruitless. That is the favorable case; if things go badly, perhaps only people in the field understand the difficulties.

The other side is your family situation. I have been in two telecommunications classes and one computer science class, and each year more than 40% of students were certified as needing financial assistance. Your choices may not depend solely on you. You need to consider your parents and family, and decide carefully in light of your own circumstances.

Closing Thoughts

Lu Xun said, “China’s young people should have ambition and their own independent thinking.” Perhaps there are real problems in family and school education, especially at home. Many parents constantly force children into one thing or another. Some students become so absorbed in studying that they lose their individuality, bury their interests and talents, and stop thinking for themselves. They repeat what everyone else says.

He also emphasized that young people should be willing to explore and not fear hardship. Technology keeps changing, and as computer science students we happen to be moving with our times. We should keep learning, explore new knowledge and fields, and face difficulties and challenges.

He further said that young people should be useful rather than merely spectators. We are not remnants of an old era; we are here to create a new one. We should pursue our ideals bravely and contribute to society. Even tiny points of starlight can gather into a brilliant glow. As long as our generation holds onto dreams and keeps striving, our country will grow through what we build, and our lives will become better.