Foreign awards mean little back in Chinese job market

By Yu Wen Source:Global Times Published: 2014-4-21 20:13:01

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT



I still remember how joyful I was when I got a "distinction" for my postgraduate study in one of the universities in the UK two years ago. I was one of the only two, among dozens of Chinese students in my class to get this award for my degree. So I tried to keep a low profile about the news although I was excited for days.

When I came back to China, I didn't find it very useful when I looked for a job. There are many Chinese young people who have studied abroad and the "distinction" seemed not to make a difference.

Recently, I came across an article on the Guardian saying overseas Chinese students in the UK have a smaller chance than others of achieving outstanding results in their degrees, which reminded me of my studying days in the UK.

I'm not showing off here about my distinction degree though I have to admit that it was hard to get.

You need to be fully prepared for every single subject and take each exam and piece of coursework seriously to make sure you can get a high mark on each subject. You may have to sacrifice your Christmas and Easter holidays to do your assignments during which time your peers are enjoying the sunshine in southern Europe.

The last two to three months of dissertation are a laborious time when you have to communicate thousands of times with your supervisor and immerse yourself in all kinds of literature.

As getting a distinction or not does not matter too much to Chinese students when they look for a job in China, many do not attach much importance to it.

Meanwhile, many high school or undergraduate students do not have a clear objective of studying abroad. They simply want to have a foreign degree to make their CVs look glorious, so that they can compete with domestic graduates in job-hunting, although nowadays overseas returnees have lost the glory they enjoyed in the 2000s due to the large number of this group these years.

Most students who go to study abroad are not necessarily the best academically, but those whose family can afford the high tuition fees and the costs of living abroad.

Take applying for postgraduate study in the UK. A student only has to pass an English test and get an undergraduate degree in China, and he may be recruited by a perfectly average university.

Nonetheless, passing the English test is no guarantee that one can adapt to an English-language environment, especially when one has to struggle with study.

Chinese students may not understand everything the tutors say in class, but they feel ashamed about asking questions.

Compared with their Western peers who aggressively raise sharp questions and debate fiercely with each other, Chinese students can only look on in despair.

Moreover, for most of the Chinese students, it may be their first time to leave their home country and they plan to go back to China after study. So enjoying the exotic culture and having fun seem more important than studying.

That's why during my one-year study in the UK, many of the Chinese students were busy making plans to travel around continental Europe or other parts of the UK and submitted their assignments at the last minute of the deadline.

As acquiring a foreign degree is not that a proud thing as in the past, Chinese students should have clearer objectives when studying abroad.

Students should make proper plans for their study and career so that they will know how to make the best of it when studying overseas.

The author is a freelance writer based in Beijing. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn



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