Choosing university majors has become the top concern among new high school graduates as they await the results of the National College Entrance Exams.
Every year, millions of students crowd into a few so-called "hot" majors in the hopes of getting a better job after graduation, but the latest survey shows that the connection is far from guaranteed, China Youth Daily reposed on Monday.
The survey, conducted by consulting firm MyCOS, showed that supply exceeding demand is a common phenomenon among the hottest majors in China. The ten undergraduate majors with the highest number of unemployed graduates are called "hot" majors.
The results of the survey show that 33 percent of the unemployed recent graduates took one of the ten hottest majors in college. According to the survey, the average employment rate of college graduates is 91 percent six months after graduation, but the rate of employment for many who took the so-called hot majors doesn't reach this level. Among law graduates, for example, the employ-ment rate is only 86 percent.
Dr Wang Boqing of MyCOS thinks that enrollment levels in hot courses are the main reason for the imbalance. Most of the students didn't have employment plans before choosing their majors, and relied on limited suggestions from their teachers and parents. These students didn't have enough information to make the best choice, Wang said.
Another survey shows that the majority of students (56.7 percent) choose majors with their parents, 20 percent discuss their plans with teachers, and another 15.9 percent decide on their own. Only 7.4 percent made a decision with the help of aptitude tests, which are popular in Western countries as a means of guiding students into taking appropriate professional paths.
Careless choices lead to dissatisfaction among graduates. A survey by zhaopin, corn shows that 52 percent of respondents wish they had chosen a different major, and 34 percent want to take up additional majors. Only 14 percent say they don't regret their choices.
However, the situation is becoming brighter. Along with increased guidance at school, students can also find the information they need on the Internet as more Web sites begin offering course selection tips and related employment information.
Wang said colleges, too, need to adapt their courses to fit the changing socioeconomic structure and cap enrollment in certain programmes.
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