The night Zhang Jie learned about the suspension of admissions for associate degree to bachelor’s degree programs, he couldn’t sleep. Lying in bed with his eyes closed, he felt like he was in a solitary boat, drifting towards pursuing a bachelor’s degree or entering the workforce, with an uncertain future ahead.
In November of last year, Zhang Jie, who was studying at Changsha Vocational Technology College, devoted himself wholeheartedly to preparing for the associate degree to bachelor’s degree exam. He completed his graduation project early, spent over 6,000 yuan on a specialized institution to review the professional courses, and rented a house off-campus to focus on exam preparation. He aimed to be admitted to Central South University of Forestry and Technology’s environmental design program. During the day, he diligently practiced drawing at the institution, and at night, he reviewed English and Chinese.
Zhang Jie was one of the early preparers, collecting materials even before the exam syllabus was released. He sought out senior students who had been admitted to Central South University of Forestry and Technology, asking them to recall previous exam questions from memory. He also established a good relationship with a substitute teacher from the university, asking for help in collecting previous year’s exercises.
In February of this year, some bachelor’s degree-granting institutions for associate degree students gradually released their exam syllabi and admission guidelines. However, the exam syllabus and admission guidelines for Central South University of Forestry and Technology were still not published. Zhang Jie became a little anxious and called the admissions office, but the response he received was, “Most likely not admitting.”
He thought, “Well, at least there’s a ‘small probability’ they will admit,” trying to console himself.
For associate degree students with the intention to pursue a bachelor’s degree, the sudden suspension of admissions for their target schools and majors means that their previous exam preparation may have been in vain. They have to choose new schools and majors, review the new exam syllabus, and even learn new subject knowledge.
On March 10th, just over a month before the associate degree to bachelor’s degree exam, the admission regulations for Central South University of Forestry and Technology were announced. The environmental design major was canceled, and only four majors such as accounting were available for admission. Zhang Jie couldn’t believe the news he received and fell into contemplation while staring at his drawing board.
Like Zhang Jie, many associate degree students are experiencing unexpected changes. 20-year-old Wang Ni planned to pursue a bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Trade at Hengyang Normal University. Looking across the entire Hunan province, there are no more than ten bachelor’s degree-granting institutions for this major, leaving limited choices.
