Global Journal of Engineering Sciences (GJES)
Iris Publishers
Authored by Chi Zhou
With the passage of
time, the influence of college students on society is more and more extensive
and profound. Since the 21st century,
the competition among regions and countries in the world has become
increasingly fierce. As a result, competition for talent has become one of the
main ways to gain an advantage over competitors. Therefore, college students,
who are the recipients of modern education, have rightfully received more and
more attention from people from all walks of life. These very same college
students shoulder the responsibility and mission of social development and
progress. They are the future and the hope of China. Because of the
increasingly rapid development of society today, it is necessary to fully
understand the current situation of contemporary college students’ learning, to
identify problems in a timely manner, and to analyze and alleviate these
problems. By doing so, we can improve the overall quality of college students
by raising the standards of university education, and through the improvement
of college students, improve society as a whole. In this way, the China that we
have all dreamed of will be able to come to fruition as soon as possible.
Changes in the Educational
Circumstances of Contemporary College Students
Changes in the social environment
Contemporary college students
are currently the chief beneficiaries of the new era and of modern society.
They grew up in an age of great societal reform and the “opening-up” of China
to foreign cultures and society. They have witnessed the substantial changes
that have occurred as a result. They also enjoy the advantages brought by such
reform and opening-up. However, with the continuous development of society and
the continuous improvement of the Chinese economy came a trend that can be
described as “money worship.” This new trend, unbeknownst in pre-reform times,
is becoming more and more popular in this new era of materialism and is
consistently impacting the thoughts and values of contemporary college
students. For contemporary college students, whether they can handle all
aspects of society and make effective use of their learning, to realize the
advantageous position their learning puts them; this will be an altogether
different kind of test.
Changes in college students themselves
In the past, the generation of
college students of the post-80s, who had no high-tech surroundings, little
material enjoyments, and simple yet substantial childhoods, entered an era of
scientific and technological progress and informational development. In this
special period of the country’s vigorous development, they were instilled with
the lofty ideals of becoming “successors of communism,” from their respective
childhoods. Now compare this to the generations of the post-90s, many of whom
have set their own goals. The generation of college students of the post-90s,
born during the national implementation of the family planning policy, many of
them grew up an only child, spoiled by parents and grandparents alike. Compared
with the generation of the post- 80s, they lack an ethic of hard work and a
personal experience of self-struggle, resulting in an ability to combat
opposition and frustration that is generally inferior to the generation of the
post- 80s. This results in the older generations labeling the post-90s
generation as “capricious,” “selfish” and even “rebellious” when they talk
about them, thinking that they lack firm willpower, have no ideals or morals,
and will consequently be unable to shoulder the social responsibilities of
national development and progress that their forebears were tasked with.
Changes in information technology
With the rapid global rise of
the Internet in the 1980s and 1990s, information technology has increasingly
become an overwhelming force in our lives. How then do college students, the
highly educated younger generations, stay away from the technology and services
that the “Internet” has to offer? The Internet, after all, is characterized as
a system consisting of vast amounts of accessible information, fast
disseminating, and having an imperfect management system. As a result, it does not
only provide college students with more help in learning but also spreads
negative, corrupt, and backward ideas and cultures. Nowadays, the addiction of
college students to the Internet is no longer a small-scale problem, but a
common phenomenon in colleges and universities throughout the country. A series
of events, such as playing mobile phone games in class, truancy, and playing
online video games all night, have been commonplace due to widespread addiction
to the Internet and its services.
Changes in the employment situation
The population of college
students in the country has increased considerably, and the problem of
employment caused by it is selfevident. There is a serious imbalance between
the number of employable college students and the positions available for them
to take. The more college-educated individuals there are, the greater the
competition for employment there will be. This will put a great many life
pressures on newly graduated college students, about to enter the workforce.
Many colleges and universities recognize this problem. Consequently, they
encourage college students to learn and cultivate relevant skills, so that they
can be better prepared for their entrance into the workforce and into society.
However, if we only pay attention to the employment rate with the sole
objective of achieving a specific statistical goal, we will undoubtedly move
students to feelings of recalcitrance and ultimately lead to students’ loss of
interest in learning.
The Current State of College
Students Learning
Learning is disoriented and lacks motivation
Today’s college students lack
motivation and a genuine desire for knowledge and are becoming more and more
infatuated with their smartphones. With the rapid spread of the Internet, the
generation of the post-90s has become almost zombified, constantly checking
their smartphones with heads bowed low. This has become a common trend
throughout college and university campuses. Taken as a homogenous group, the
behaviors of these bow-headed “zombies” pose risks not only to their individual
physical and mental health but also to their abilities to learn and communicate
effectively. It is interesting to note that, in a way while bowing their heads
to their mobile devices, these students are at the same time yielding to the
fruits of their own learnings. The famous German philosopher Kant once said,
“Living without goals is like sailing without a compass.” The lack of goals in
learning means that learning has lost its general direction, and it is not
clear what it is for and how to discuss the benefits of “true” learning.
Lack of thinking and innovation in learning
Contemporary college students
lack study arrangements of their own as well as personal plans for learning.
More often than not, they simply review what they have learned prior to each
examination, according to strictly to the scope of what will be covered on the
test. This kind of “cramming education” is not uncommon on contemporary
university campuses. Students have merely become recipients of knowledge,
abiding strictly to the teachings of professors, unable to explore and apply
their teachings any deeper than the way they have been taught how. To put it
another way, in today’s climate of learning, knowledge itself has become a
widely recognized truth that has already been explored through and through by
predecessors, and the responsibilities of students are simply to memorize and
apply these truths. However, what we really need to do is to innovate based on
a deeper and deeper understanding of the knowledge taught. Innovation and deep,
abstract thinking are the true purposes of the cultivation of knowledge. It is
clear by the lackluster innovative performance of college students that we have
lost sight of this truth.
Laziness and recalcitrance in study
University is not only a place
for college students to attain knowledge. It also serves as a valuable platform
for the cultivation of their abilities and the quality of these abilities.
Today the phenomenons of uncultured and uneducated people becoming fiscally
rich and of the “wealthy second generation” have become very prevalent in
society. On face value, these results of these highly visible phenomena have
become strong evidence for a theory that reading is useless. This undoubtedly
shakes the confidence of college students in their learnings, causing some
college students to reevaluate their life values, even some to redefine the
realization of life values and goals in terms of materialistic and fiscal
wealth. But in the end, learning is and will always be the most important thing
for college students. To lag behind others in learning means to lag behind others
in market competitiveness. It is common knowledge that even in this era of new
theories, new technologies, and new achievements, the truth that the people
lagging behind their peers will be pushed out by their peers, of jobs, of
relationships, of fulfilling lives, is the same for college students. The
cultivation of truly talented individuals with extensive self-knowledge and
self-learning abilities necessitates that they learn to overcome the state of
mind that learning is full of anger and frustration. They must learn how to
calm themselves down in order to learn healthy practices, master useful skills,
and improve the overall qualities that will benefit them not only in the
classroom and in the workforce, but throughout their lives.
Opinions on Whether University
Students Require Increased Academic Pressures
The phenomenon is known in
China as “happy middle school life, happy university life” has changed
drastically in today’s educational setting. I believe that many students in
middle school have heard the teacher say: “Study hard now. You will be free to
do what you want in a college.” True to the words that have been taught by
their middle school teachers, many college students attending university focus
only on eating, sleeping, and playing video (or otherwise) games. Doing so,
they waste their time. They believe that upon entering university, that they
have “made it.” They only seek to study enough to pass their examinations at
the academic level and are consequently not interested in pursuing knowledge to
a much deeper and more profound level. In this regard, we conducted a series of
surveys at Wuyi University.
Analysis of the views on academic pressure of Wuyi University
students based on a sample group of university students
Our survey is mainly on
students’ opinions regarding the policy of increasing the academic pressures of
college students at Wuyi University. The questionnaire was filled out by 163
people, 156 them currently students at the university. Among them, first-year
students, sophomores, and juniors accounted for the vast majority of the
students surveyed, with half of whom were majoring in engineering, and the rest
is mainly majoring in sciences and the liberal arts (findings reviewed below).
According to Figure 1 and
Figure 2, 52.76% of the students had little understanding of the policy to
increase the academic workload of college students. All they really knew is
that they have heard about it from the teachers and from fellow students. For
all intents and purposes, they know very little about the actual purposes of
and reasoning behind the policy. This demonstrates that either 52.76% of
students were broadly unaware or willfully ignorant of the policies students
are subject to at Wuyi University or that this specific policy and the way that
it will be implemented are not very clear to students. Also of note, 28.83% of
students have no understanding whatsoever of the relevant policies in regard to
the governance of college students. Some students asked what the policy of
increasing academic pressures for college students entails. These groups of the
students surveyed, too, have little understanding of this policy. Contrarily,
only 18.4% of students surveyed have a clear understanding of what it means to
increase academics pressure on college students and have a very clear personal
view on the matter.
According
to Figure 4, the academic pressures of college comes the number of courses
students take in any given semester. 60.49% of students thought that the bulk
of the academic pressures came from the amount of assigned homework to them.
The number of courses students take is comparatively more than they would have
taken in middle and high school, and of course, the amount of homework assigned
to college students will also be comparatively more than in primary and
secondary schools. According to our Research, most of those surveyed actually
thought that pressures mainly came from the dual pressures of graduation and
employment; this group accounted for 76.54% and 74.69%, respectively, of those
surveyed. It is natural that students’ graduation becomes more and more
difficult over time, owing not strictly to graduation requirements, but rather
to the actions and attitudes of students themselves. Many choose not to work
hard. As a result, many students find it more and more difficult to graduate
from university. The pressure of finding employment after graduation is also
very significant. We found that 59.26% of students thought that the pressures
exerted upon them came not from an academic source at all rather that they came
mainly from psychological pressures. (Figure 5) Additionally, 34.57% of the
students thought that pressures mainly came from extracurricular activities and
college life. There will always be various organizations and activities for
college students to attend to, more so now that they are “free to do what they
want.” However, attempting to undertake too many activities can make one feel
under great pressure to fulfill extracurricular obligations. Finally, 8.08% of
students surveyed thought that the main source of pressures for college
students came from the need to complete credits, economic hardships,
instructors, research work, external physical stressors, and social and other
stressors. According to the above data analysis, 30.13% of students hand in at
least three-course assignments a week, depending on the difficulty of the
course. According to students surveyed, there were many assignments that must
be completed weekly. Of the students surveyed, 22.44% needed to hand in at least
two-course assignments a week, which most of the students think is reasonable,
while 33.34% of the students needed to hand in four or five-course assignments.
There were a lot of students, many of whom say that the latter, having to
complete four to five assignments a week, is very difficult. Those surveyed
with this heavy workload state that their daily routines consist almost solely
of going to class and working on homework after going to class. Only 7.69% of
those surveyed are required only to turn in at least one-course assignment a
week, which they find is relatively easy to do. These students find that they
have a lot of free time. Additionally, 6.41% of students surveyed say they are
required to hand in homework weekly for every class that they take. This is
significant because some of these students are taking up to nine classes! Some
surveyed students also said that they do not necessarily have any homework to
turn in on a weekly basis, but that they find group work and lectures move at a
fast pace for them. So how long exactly does it take the average student to
finish all the homework assigned to them? According to Figure 6, 35.26% thought
they could finish in 3 hours. Less, 14.74% stood the students that claimed they
usually finished their work for the week within 2 hours, and 6.41% of students
said they could finish all their assigned work for the week in 1 hour. However,
in great contrast to the above-discussed students, 42.95% of students surveyed
answered that it generally takes them more than 15 hours, some even 20 hours to
finish their assigned work for the week. Because of the great variety of
answers, the average time that students finished their weekly assignments is
rather unclear. In short, some students replied that they have to work on
homework all week long to get through their weekly assignments due to the
difficulty as well as the quantity of the work assigned, while others said that
their workload was relatively light and that they could finish their work with
much time to spare. According to Figure 7, 83.33% thought that they felt
pressure when taking core courses. The correlation between core courses and
respective majors is generally strong, and learning more in-depth. Compared
with other courses, they will inevitably be more difficult. The homework
assigned in these classes is also difficult and numerous. Instructors of these
core courses also lecture at a very fast pace. As a result, the burden that
these courses put on students is very heavy, indeed. In addition to the pressures
exerted upon students by specialty courses, 35.8% of students surveyed thought
that the bulk of the pressures came from foundational “pre-requisite” courses.
This is due to the fact that the theoretical nature of pre-requisite courses is
strong and, therefore, difficult for many students to understand. Additionally,
23.46% thought that the pressures came from elective courses. Although elective
courses are relatively simple and straightforward in nature, students are
required to take a certain number of credits to graduate. Some of the elective
courses that students take solely to make up credit hours are cumbersome and
difficult to pass. Of those surveyed, another 22.22% of students thought that
the pressures they experience come from general education courses. The forms
that general education courses can take are very diverse. Some are taught using
video or slideshows, other research work, or research papers, which can take a
lot of time. Should a policy of increasing academics pressures for college students
be implemented? To put this in perspective, 46.91% of students surveyed
supported a policy to increase academic pressure on college students. They
thought that the university life of many college students was too
self-indulgent and relaxed. They thought that the quality of the pressures that
college students face should be improved as well. Students were quick to point
out that some core courses were too abstract, and that college students were
made to push through these inane courses, which led to student recalcitrance in
learning. Students, they said, should be pressured in specific and productive
ways. It is just this targeted, “productive pressure” that will push students
to become better versions of themselves. Unsurprisingly, some students, coddled
and protected from personal challenge and growth from youth, also believed that
pressure was a phenomenon specific to the school, and that when they complete
their studies and finally enter society, the majority of social, psychological,
and work pressures would mysteriously evaporate and disappear from their lives.
Increasing pressures in the short-term, therefore, could dramatically improve
college students’ (who have not faced like pressures before) ability to combat
frustration, so by the time they complete their college postsecondary studies,
they will have an idea of how to struggle, how to persevere, and how to carry
on despite numerous external pressures. However, on the other hand, 67.9% of
the students did not support a policy to increase the workload for college
students. This group consisted mainly of engineering and science students who
thought that pressures exerted on university students were already excessive
and even mentioned that they hoped the university would reduce their respective
workloads. (Figure 8) Other students thought that though the workload policy of
students is generally good, there are still many problems. For example,
selfdisciplined college students may experience greater pressures and workload.
And for lazy students, there may be similar if not more homework and more
academic pressures (owing to the fact that they may not complete their
assignments on time), but these students may not care about their studies as
much as diligent students, and so may not experience the same consequences in
the same way as such students. We should give college students more control
over their own time to learn to study and live independently, instead of being
pushed forward linearly, policy after policy.
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