It was at university that I learned the line, "Never, never, never give up," a famous quote by Winston Churchill. I didn't "make it" in many arenas after graduation, failing to grasp a virtue promoted all over the world, because I find knowing when to stop and seeking a new way instead works better.

When I recently saw a news story related to the registration of the national entrance examination for postgraduate, I was instantly reminded of someone from my past.

He was a middle-aged, quiet man who was unemployed and spent most of his time in the study room at my university. He had taken the postgraduate examination three times, but flunked each time.

When my classmates and I teased him and asked why he was so persistent in pursuing a master's degree, he himself even didn't know how to answer.

It's been quite a few years since I graduated from university, and I don't know whether this man ever realized his long-held dream. But he may feel relieved as even after so many years, there are still people like him relentlessly pursing a postgraduate degree.

According to recent media reports, a man in his 30s has taken the exam for the last nine years and has changed jobs three times.

This year's postgraduate examination registration closed last week. In China, it is a challenge for college graduates to find a satisfying job due to the large number of new job seekers that enter the market each year. Therefore, many choose to continue postgraduate studies, hoping to stay away from an extensive job hunt for as long as possible.

However, they have to face reality sooner or later. After two or three years, they will find themselves amid the waves of job seekers again, competing with graduates from both domestic universities and overseas institutions.

Indeed, there are companies that prefer those with a master's degree or higher, who are thought to perform better than those with lower degrees. But even this is not set in stone.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows that the employment rate of those with postgraduate degree has been lower than that of those with undergraduate degree since 2009. Pragmatically, a master's degree is still no guarantee for a job.

The fact that people keep taking the exam over and over signals a wider problem. It shows that the job market is offering limited choices for degreed workers.

It also does not bode well for China's education system, which has already been criticized by international academia. Those who register for the postgraduate exam are mainly motivated by the prospect of a good job, not the love of the field they study.

Furthermore, the exam's economic benefits to society, such as revenue from test prep centers and temporary housing for test takers, are miniscule.

From an individual point of view, passing the postgraduate examination is a test not of luck but of one's academic learning ability. I dare say that those who take the exam time and time again without success don't have what it takes to pass, to say nothing of the fact that their seat in the exam could be given to someone better qualified.

Admitting one's own lack of ability in a certain field is painful, but there's no use in pitting one's weaknesses against others' strengths.

Some people may not be good at taking standardized tests, which China's education system relies upon, but they may do well in solving practical problems. Stubbornly keeping one far-reaching dream alive may close a door to a more promising future.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. wangwenwen@globaltimes.com.cn