New graduates feel mixed emotions about the future

Practical experience

Kong Zhiyu, Zhang's classmate, said that this year's graduates enjoyed their internships very much, and they believe that learning in school and practicing in the workplace are equally important ways of gaining experience. Even though they are not yet 23 years old, many say that they are already "internship veterans".

He said that interning taught him a lot: in addition to improving his basic working ability, he is better at writing resumes after interacting with employers and he has identified the things he needs to do to supplement his knowledge and ability.

"The practical experience also made me more realistic," he said. "In school, we don't have a clear idea of what kind of talent society needs or where we stand among our peers. But after working with employers, we tend not to be too shy or arrogant, we can find our own level and have more realistic expectations for the future."

One of his peers, Wu Di, a Spanish major who graduated this year, said that today's college students are "caught up" and that the anxiety and insecurity they feel mainly come from peer pressure to work hard.

Wu said his former classmates still feel uneasy and anxious, despite having consulted with their predecessors and teachers about their experiences, formulated future work plans and interned and interacted with employers since their early years in college.

"If you measure anxiety on a scale of zero to 10, this generation would register as eight to 10," he said.

"In recent years, we have felt that there are too many uncertainties in the world. When it comes to work and the future, it seems that the only certainty is making money. So when I made a career choice after graduation, the salary was the first factor I considered, followed by the growth brought by the job, realization of personal value and a few other things."