I have previously highlighted the differences between the attitudes of Chinese people to studying to that of some people here. Obviously I am generalising a little, but on reading several newspaper reports recently on this very subject, I feel that I am justified.

Are you ready for the future after graduation?

SNOWFLAKE STUDENTS!

Unlike a lot of students from other countries, the majority of university students here are self-funded in that they get student loans to see them through their study years, which have to be paid back once they start work. This kind of student gets no financial help from their parents so many think that if they want to waste time partying whilst at university, that is their prerogative as it is their money that they are wasting. OK fine, in that case who can criticise them, it is up to everyone to decide for themselves what to do with their time and money – however there will be consequences for wasting these precious "commodities".

Attitudes to teachers here are different too. A Cambridge university professor dared to send an email to his new class of students advising them not to waste time partying and drinking to excess, but rather to spend the time on their studies, as the subject of Physical Science needed their full time and attention. The reaction to this advice was swift and condemnatory. He was accused of putting students under pressure and thereby threatening their mental well-being. Really? A teacher having the temerity to tell students to study hard has now become something to be scorned at and censured for.

Another report said that many students are failing to attend exams and turn in assignments on time, claiming that they were ill or that something else had prevented them from doing so. Ok some situations are unavoidable, but included amongst the excuses were "I had to furnish my new apartment and so was too distracted to study". Another priceless gem was that tests and essay deadlines stress students out too much so that should be a valid reason not to do them. How about this one, "I missed the exam because I overslept". Those particular students may well have overslept, especially if they had consumed large amounts of alcohol the night before. Apparently if they fail to turn in an assignment or to attend an exam, they have the opportunity to go in front of a panel of academics and plead their case as to why they should be shown mercy. If there are extenuating circumstances they can be given a second chance. Needless to say, the excuses I have quoted were unsuccessful, but they go to show that there is a problem with the thinking and attitude of these students in that they really think they have extenuating circumstances. Tolerating such behaviour is going to leave them ill prepared for life in the real world, when they have to not only find a job, but keep it. They are being called "Snowflake Students" because they melt under pressure. Their future employers will also not want to listen to the fact that they didn't come to work because they were out buying furniture, or that they overslept.

GOOD GOOD STUDY, DAY DAY UP

I think these students need a wake-up call/reality check and sending them to China to observe how students study there will open their eyes. They need to learn the spirit behind the Chinglish translation of 好好学习天天向上 "Good good study, day day up". Of course we all know that in China there is a totally different attitude to education. I read a recent report that I found quite interesting. Students who want to take a Master's degree have to first apply by way of a Post Graduate Admission Examination. The exam lasts for three days so definitely would not suit the students here, as the "stress" would be too much. Such is the Chinese students' desire to succeed, that most of them prepare a year beforehand to take this exam. As university dorms are quite crowded, there is no quiet place to study so the university library is a very desirable environment. Extraordinary footage has been posted online of hundreds of students who had queued up since 5a.m. rushing to enter the library in order to secure a seat. A teacher vainly tried to stop those at the back of the queue from pushing in, but he was swamped by the crowd who simply swarmed past him.

The People's Daily reported on this situation, I guess China is rightly proud of its students' attitude to studying. A lot of the students here would actually be coming home at 5a.m. after partying all night, other than that there is no way that they would get up that early in order to queue for a library place – mind you there would be no need, probably the library would be empty of all but the most dedicated students. I must add that not all university students here are the same, some of course take their education seriously and study hard and in fact they are highly sought after by the big Institutions and by the Banking Industry.

The report went on to say that now in China, a university degree is not enough to secure a good job, so a Master's Degree is the next highly desired step for those wanting to get ahead. This year more than two million students signed up for this exam and this figure is up by 13.6% from last year. What will it be next year? As admirable as the attitude of these students is, of course it raises some questions, if the bar is so high now, what will it be in the future? Will Chinese students be able to continually reach for the top when the pressure is already so high? Hard work deserves to be rewarded but only a few will reap the benefits of such effort. One thing China is not short of is students who have reached the highest grade. There are still no guarantees that these students will be able to find the job of their dreams. In the past if somebody could speak good English they could get a good job, but now even tiny Kindergarten children are learning English and other foreign languages so students that can speak English are not special at all.

The long queue waiting outside a university library in China

IS IT WORTH IT?

In a previous article I wrote about how students from poor families were making the decision not to go to university and instead start working immediately upon graduating high school, as at least for them, the investment in higher education is not paying off. Only students from top universities can get ahead, and it is unlikely that the in case of poor students, they will be able to go to the top universities. In time it may be proven that their decision was not wrong after all.

I have issues with both the no pressure to study and the high pressure to study environment. Whilst the no pressure to study will bring no rewards, the high pressure to study may also bring no rewards. Both roads may lead to heartache in the end.