Other doors

Every year there is a graduation exam, every year the whole society is filled with anxiety. Of course, every family has children and grandchildren who have to go through this "burning", 12 years of studying, just waiting for an exam...

During many years of reporting on the high school graduation exam, standing outside the school gate for the entire two days of the exam, interviewing parents and students, I witnessed countless drops of sweat, countless bright smiles, countless hesitations when asked, “Did you do the test?”, and countless tears as well.

There are candidates who enter the exam room with confidence, but when they leave the school gate, they are dejected and depressed. There are young people who jump for joy because they are lucky to have done well on the exam, but there are also those who are tearful because the exam is beyond their ability. There are parents who are thoughtful, waiting for their children with cheerful faces; but there are also those who harshly criticize their children for neglecting their review, losing points on easy questions. The exam hall is colorful, with many emotions.

More than 1 million candidates nationwide have completed their memorable "passing the gate" in smiles and tears, the only thing left now is to wait for the results. The exam results not only reflect the quality of the 12 years of study of the students, but also serve as the basis for admission to universities. Therefore, except for a few candidates who are eligible for early admission and are admitted to their desired universities, the majority of the rest are still anxiously waiting for the day of announcing their results to decide the next path of their lives.

The next path, who doesn't want it to be bright and radiant. Getting into a top university. Getting accepted to their first choice as desired. But, sometimes, who knows, the result might not be as you wish, not as your parents wish.

I used to receive desperate inbox messages: Sister, I failed the university entrance exam!; I am a failure; My parents said they were disappointed in me… Many times, even though I am someone who regularly provides psychological counseling for difficult cases and continuously writes articles to ease the stress of candidates during each exam, I still cannot help but choke up.

We love them so much, why don't we give them the right to fail, why don't we help them see other doors - besides the door to university, why don't we tell them: it's okay, this is just one exam among countless exams in life?

You have just turned 18, 18 short years of a long life. Ahead of you are countless choices: if not university A then university B, if not university then vocational school, if not vocational training then go to work abroad, if not work abroad then apply to be a worker, a small trader, a freelancer...

Being a college student is fun, but there is more joy in every profession, waiting for you to experience and discover. Never draw a circle for yourself to jump, never confine your life to just one environment, never think that the glittering door is the only way into life.

When one door closes, another will open, and even wider, lurking with opportunities that, if you are confident enough to grasp, will make you successful in your own way. There are many things that universities cannot teach you, but life can. In the world, there are hundreds of billionaires and famous people who did not go to university but still shine, especially in the current flat world era, where the opportunity to be rich and successful is shared equally among everyone.

If you fail the exam and fail the university entrance exam, it would be a lie to advise you not to cry and feel sad. Failure is sad, very sad indeed, but when you are sad enough, stand up, open your heart and mind, soberly identify your strengths and weaknesses and your family's conditions, to find a direction that suits your abilities and circumstances.

The destination of life is probably the same for everyone, but the paths are countless. Youth is the most precious capital of life, those who possess it should not waste it, but whisper to themselves the word "Dare": dare to stand up, dare to do it again, dare to be strong, dare to commit, dare to challenge, dare to succeed.