The application for domestic graduate programs has begun nation wide. The admission scale of graduate students has been expanding for years, and the number of graduates have exceeded one million for nine consecutive years. Some students have joined the graduate examinations due to employment pressure, while some students have turned their attention to foreign graduate programs. So, what are the differences between graduates at home and abroad in terms of education?
1. Different Admission systems
Students applying for graduate programs in China have to sit the entrance examination before being admitted, while those applying for overseas programs don’t. Comparing to the examination system adopted in China, in which whether a student can be admitted depends on his/her scores of the entrance examination, the application system adopted overseas pays more attention to GPA, language grades, and internship experience of the applicant as an undergraduate.
Some foreign universities require students to have a GPA of at least 3.0, which means that the average score for each course should be 80 or more. The requirements of universities in the UK varies. Some universities even have requirements for which university the student graduated from. At the same time, the student’s internship experience is very important.
2.Different education systems
Graduate students are trained together in a large class in many colleges and universities. The large class deprives them of the time and speak, let alone asking questions, challenging or even criticizing, which is contrary to the training mechanism of graduate students.
The difference is that the curriculum of foreign universities is very flexible. Usually the master’s program includes certain general courses and some elective courses.
Compared with the relatively simple form of class in China, foreign universities adopt case teaching and group discussion with more interaction. Students from different backgrounds can sit together to discuss a topic by sharing each other’s opinions. In addition, the ability of independent study is highly valued in foreign countries. Teachers will rarely tell the details of what to do and how to do it as compared to domestic universities. You often get a heavy introduction to the course before you start school and must read carefully to find out what courses you are going to take. Although the arrangement of the curriculum does not seem so intensive and there is no self-study course, a large amount of time should be spent on collecting studying materials and finishing assignments related to the course.
3. Employment
Regarding the investment and reward of studying abroad, returnees generally believe that in addition to learning knowledge, what is more important for them to acquire is experience and self-confidence to enhance their ability.
Money can devalued, but one’s ability cannot. Thinking and ability cannot be bought with money. According to a survey, the salary paid by the returnee’s first job after returning to China is often similar to that of domestic graduates, but the former usually gets promoted and an increase in salary quicker after job-hopping. Of course, whether to work or pursue higher education at home or abroad should be based on your own actual situation. Choose a suitable development direction or a country to continue your study in.
