Learning better than looks for students' future

Advertisements for cosmetic surgery in South Korea. CHINA DAILY

Cosmetic surgery has become increasingly affordable for more and more people, including college graduates, and the technology and techniques have made big progress compared with a few years ago.

It is therefore not rare for college graduates to have had cosmetic surgery nowadays, as they hope improving their looks will leave a good impression on potential employers in job interviews.

College students have the same right as any other adult to have cosmetic surgery if that is what they want, and it is a well-known fact that meeting accepted standards of beauty means more opportunities. Using medical means to beautify one's appearance is thus no longer controversial but an acceptable personal choice.

Now that it is increasingly common for professionals, particularly women, to have cosmetic surgery to satisfy the accepted standards of beauty to improve their career prospects, on what grounds can people blame college youths for wanting to do the same?

However, while morally censuring college students for having cosmetic surgery is unjustifiable, a worrying phenomenon is that some students resort to taking out high-interest loans with exploitative lenders to pay for the procedures.

Putting the cart in front of the horse, these young people ignore their lack of earning ability and gamble on their new looks paying off in the future.

However, they should be aware that rather than good looks, knowledge and skills are what really count in the job market and for their future career.