Recently, Professor Gan Yang from Tsinghua University made a bold statement in a media interview: "Why are university students so unhappy? One reason is that universities are becoming more and more like factories, and departments resemble production workshops." He further stated that even students from top domestic universities generally feel exhausted and anxious. This statement immediately sparked widespread attention and discussion in society.
Quality development relies on high-quality talents, and high-quality talents stem from high-quality education. However, in recent years, issues related to university students, such as competition for enrollment, educational "internal homogenization," and the "high schoolization" of universities, have frequently appeared in the public eye.
In response, the Chinese Science Bulletin interviewed numerous experts and scholars, focusing on the growth of university students and discussing how universities can become qualified educational institutions to help students who have the "aftereffects" of exam-oriented education regain their life goals and meaning.
When discussing the current situation of personal growth among contemporary university students, Professor Shi Weidong, former president of Nantong University, pointed out that some students are in a state of "emptiness." The term "emptiness" vividly captures the phenomenon where some university students appear lost due to an inability to accurately identify themselves, a lack of proper understanding of their needs, and a lack of motivation for continuous struggle.
Shi Weidong believes that this phenomenon is influenced by various factors. For example, excessive protection or expectations from families may cause children to face adaptability challenges during their university years. Additionally, the pressure of competition for employment and further education increases the mental burden on university students, making it difficult for them to effectively adjust psychologically when faced with setbacks and difficulties.
According to Professor Chen Zhiyan from the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, more severe "emptiness" refers to depression, while the more common and mild "emptiness" refers to the lack of a sense of life meaning or ideals and pursuits. "In last year's Blue Book of Mental Health, we investigated the sense of life meaning among university students and found that many are in a stage of searching without finding."
As society and the economy develop, people's needs evolve from lower to higher levels. When discussing the meaning of life, most people have already moved beyond safety and physiological needs. Contemporary young people increasingly pursue self-realization, which is a higher-level need. However, this path is more complex than pursuing lower-level needs because understanding "who I am" and "what kind of life path I want to take" is inherently difficult.
The teenage and university stages are crucial periods for understanding "who I am" and forming self-identity. "One important reason why university students are increasingly struggling to find themselves is that with the increasing specialization in modern society's division of labor, it becomes more difficult to define one's career path. Meanwhile, our lifestyles become more diverse, making it more complex to determine 'which lifestyle suits me best,'" explained Chen Zhiyan. This delay in achieving self-identity means that reaching physiological adulthood does not necessarily signify reaching a stage where one can clearly understand oneself psychologically.
Therefore, she hopes that families and universities can provide young people with more possibilities for exploration, experimentation, and reference, as well as more opportunities to reflect on which life path suits them best.
When discussing "internal homogenization," universities are undoubtedly a heavily affected area, leading to a trend of "high schoolization" in universities. What are the reasons behind universities increasingly becoming heavily "homogenized"?
Li Jun, a researcher at the Center for Modern Education at Tongji University, told the Chinese Science Bulletin that one reason is the changing external environment. Currently, with the slowing economic growth, the continuous expansion of higher education, and an increasing number of people entering the labor market, the requirements for recruitment are changing. This has led to a gradual occurrence of "educational inflation," making it increasingly difficult for students to find satisfactory jobs. Consequently, many students set postgraduate entrance exams as their initial goal upon entering university. "Under the influence of the external environment, students' learning behaviors and internal logic are also changing. When an undergraduate degree is no longer 'secure,' and it's better to have a graduate degree, students naturally adjust their goals," said Li Jun.
Shi Weidong mentioned issues related to the educational system's orientation. "The current educational system still largely revolves around scores and GPA," he said. Schools evaluate students' academic abilities and comprehensive qualities through GPA, honors, awards, etc., which are closely related to students' future opportunities for further education and employment. This compels students to continuously improve their GPA and overall performance to strive for better opportunities.
Additionally, Shi Weidong believes that from the perspective of path dependence and habitual thinking, students have become accustomed to the competitive approach based on scores during primary and secondary school. After entering university, they find it difficult to change this way of thinking and behavioral habits. When dealing with university studies and competition, they often continue to use the learning methods and competition strategies from their primary and secondary school years, resulting in the phenomenon of "overexertion."
Li Jun agrees with this perspective. In his view, although the learning methods and characteristics of university differ from those of high school, students' learning and life in university are still influenced and shaped by the study habits, attitudes, and values formed during high school. Especially for students who decide to pursue graduate studies immediately upon entering university, they develop clear learning strategies and cannot freely explore and try out new university experiences.
If not handled properly, this "internal homogenization" phenomenon will have many negative impacts on the growth of university students. Shi Weidong emphasized that ignoring personal interests and multidimensional development in the long run would lead students to focus solely on improving their grades to gain an edge in competition, which is detrimental to their comprehensive development and personal growth. Moreover, intense competition can create immense psychological pressure on students, potentially leading to anxiety, depression, and other mental and physical health problems. Additionally, innovation and collaborative spirit may gradually diminish in this process, ultimately affecting students' competitiveness in their future career development. At an ideal university, students should have the opportunity to explore and experiment, finding goals that align with their individual talents, abilities, and preferences. Jun believes that such exploration and experimentation require support from both the school and society, which is currently lacking, especially considering the educational methods students have been exposed to in the past, which did not teach them how to explore effectively.
Jun observes that many students enter university with a lack of momentum, which is partly due to the learning methods in their earlier education. After enduring long periods of rote learning in their formative education, they often lose interest in knowledge and curiosity for learning, as their past exploration was primarily geared towards exam preparation.
"Personal growth is continuous, and the influence of different stages runs deep. Though challenging, I hope that in the foundational education stages, we can encourage autonomous learning in a way that protects students' interests, fostering curiosity as an intrinsic motivation, so they still possess hope and curiosity upon entering university," says Jun.
On the other hand, Wei Dong believes that higher education must truly adhere to the goal of nurturing individuals. Apart from providing in-depth academic knowledge and skills, universities should cultivate students into lifelong learners with critical thinking, innovation, and a sense of social responsibility.
To help students mature academically, professionally, and personally, Wei Dong suggests that universities should update their curriculum to ensure alignment with current industry and societal needs. Emphasizing interdisciplinary knowledge and skills is crucial to developing students' comprehensive abilities and innovative thinking. Beyond academic knowledge, students should also be equipped with essential skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving, which are vital for adult life and career success.
Additionally, he stresses the need for comprehensive career planning and counseling services to help students understand their interests, abilities, and values, explore career options, and prepare for future career development. Simultaneously, enhancing mental health support services by providing counseling, mental health education, and crisis intervention is essential to help students cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
