After failing the postgraduate entrance examination, I switched to studying abroad and was delighted to receive an offer for a research-oriented master's degree from Nanyang Technological University!

Date：2023-05-22   Author：admin

Student Zeng

Undergraduate institution: 985 university

Undergraduate major: Advertising

Standardized test scores: GPA3.9/4.0, IELTS 7.5

Admitted institution: Nanyang Technological University

Admitted major: Master of Media Research

Should I take the postgraduate entrance examination for the second time or switch to studying abroad?

In my opinion, academic qualifications will depreciate in the future. Therefore, in order to maintain a competitive edge in the future talent market, a postgraduate degree is definitely necessary. At first, I chose to take the postgraduate entrance examination in China, but I failed to get in after a year. After failing the postgraduate entrance examination, I compared taking the exam for the second time with studying abroad. I felt that although studying abroad might have a relatively high economic cost in the short term, the time cost saved also has economic value. Besides, going abroad can further broaden one's horizons. Therefore, my family's attitude gradually changed from resistance to support.

Considering economic factors and time costs, my plan after graduation is to prepare for both the postgraduate entrance examination and studying abroad while working. However, after starting work, I found it too difficult to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination while working. There was only one school to choose from for the postgraduate entrance examination. If I failed to get in during my one-year full-time postgraduate entrance examination, the cost of trial and error for the second attempt would be relatively high. Therefore, I turned to studying abroad at this time. Although studying abroad brings certain financial pressure, there are many schools to choose from and the preparatory investment required in the early stage is relatively less than that for postgraduate entrance examination, which further strengthens the idea of studying abroad.

2. Why choose a research master's degree in Singapore?

When it comes to choosing a place to study abroad, due to economic factors and cultural differences, I believe that an environment with a higher proportion of Chinese culture and closer to China would be better. Therefore, I chose Hong Kong and Singapore.

There are multiple considerations when choosing a research-oriented master's degree:

First, compared with taught master's degrees, it requires a lower economic cost. The tuition fees for taught master's programs in Hong Kong are higher than those for research programs. In Singapore, the tuition fees for taught master's programs are lower than those for research programs and the graduation time is shorter. However, students can enjoy full tuition waiving and a living subsidy of 1,900 Singapore dollars per month. Overall, both Hong Kong and Singapore are indeed superior to taught master's programs.

Secondly, being able to truly receive academic training and experience an academic environment can help me understand whether I have the intention to conduct further research and whether I need to pursue a doctoral degree.

Thirdly, it is beneficial for both employment and pursuing a doctoral degree. Compared with taught programs, although the internship period or opportunities are relatively fewer, personal abilities will be greatly enhanced. Although there may be a deficiency in the richness of work experience during the interview compared to other taught master's degree candidates, after entering the company, one's personal level will still be significantly better than that of taught master's degree candidates of the same period. However, if one intends to pursue a doctoral degree, the advantages over the taught type are quite obvious.

3. How to choose a suitable study abroad agency for yourself?

After clarifying my intention to study abroad, I began to prepare to find a suitable study abroad agency to assist me with the application.

The criteria for me to choose an institution are as follows

At the macro level: There are many successful cases in the past, the scale of employees and clients is large, the prices are fair and reasonable, and the procedures are legal and compliant.

Micro level

① Result: It can guarantee that students will definitely receive offers within the range of the schools they have chosen.

② Efficiency: Be able to plan, communicate, adjust and provide feedback as early as possible based on the current situation of students.

③ Attitude: Be able to empathize with students, respect their thoughts, be patient and have a positive mindset.

At first, I consulted a local study abroad agency in Hangzhou. However, after visiting a highly-rated agency, I found that the consultant did not show a strong willingness to help me. I know that essentially it is a process of purchasing and consuming services, but studying abroad is not merely an economic exchange; it also involves the derivative practices of education. I didn't want to be treated on an assembly line by the agency or receive template-based services, so I gave up choosing a local study abroad agency in Hangzhou.

At that time, I considered applying by myself, but DIY was too time-consuming and couldn't guarantee a high success rate. The advantage of study abroad agencies lies in the large scale of individual difference data they accumulate and the timely acquisition of information. Therefore, it is relatively risky and not very wise for an individual to compete with an organized and experienced collective. If you have enough time, you can consider DIY. However, if your time is limited and you have other more important tasks at hand, a study abroad agency is a time-saving and labor-saving option.

So, at the recommendation of her best friend, she chose the successful study abroad agency that served her - Yisibole. I communicated with Teacher Zhu about my own situation, the school goals I hope to achieve, and my future career plans. I also emphasized some of the difficulties I am currently facing. Teacher Zhu gave me a serious and responsible feedback.

4. Teachers who fight side by side like friends

Teacher Zhu is very conscientious, responsible and meticulous. When choosing a school, she made multiple selections based on my background and intentions. Moreover, she would communicate with me in detail about the characteristics of each school and major, the match between my personal experience and future development and the school's major, as well as how to understand and choose the teachers corresponding to the research-oriented master's degree. At each stage, Teacher Zhu also helped me arrange my goals very clearly and with strategic foresight. This not only helped me overcome my laziness and giving up, but also made my application for studying abroad well-organized and unhurried.

What impressed me deeply was that at the early stage of the application, Teacher Zhu came to Hangzhou and met me. Although Teacher Zhu's schedule was very tight, she still took the initiative to say that she wanted to meet me. She even treated me to my favorite He Fu Lao Mian and chatted with me about a lot of information and situations related to the application. Moreover, she brought me the treasure given by the teacher from the document section. Because we had always communicated online before, I really didn't expect her to come and meet me in person. Compared with the indifferent attitude of other study abroad agencies, I was really touched by Teacher Zhu's sincerity and believed that she was truly considering my future.

In order to supervise my IELTS study well, Teacher Zhu even placed me at the top of her wechat. Every day, she would follow up on my study progress with great care and responsibility. She would also offer suggestions and reminders based on my study duration. She never gave a perfunctory response. I think even good friends would find it hard to do this, but she did. In the middle and later stages of the application process, in order to help me, who had been repeatedly disqualified from the IELTS test, get admitted on the first attempt, she specially sought advice from her friend who is good at IELTS speaking on how to improve my score. Throughout the process, she constantly encouraged me not to give up. She really considered everything very consideredly and thoroughly.

Because Teacher Ou's professional background is in media and advertising, we have a strong resonance in our fields. Especially when discussing fan culture, Teacher Ou and I feel as if we had known each other for a long time. She has always encouraged me to study hard for IELTS and prepare for studying abroad with the things I am interested in and like. She has indeed given me many precious fan works, which has further strengthened my interest and hobby and made me take it as the driving force for my long-term academic research in the future. I can really feel the encouragement and affirmation from the teacher towards the student. It's a kind of patient and guiding style, which makes me full of expectations for the future application results and academic life.

In order to impress the admissions officers of the media major as much as possible, Teacher Ou specially read a lot of literature and materials related to the metaverse, including a McKinsey research report of over 100,000 words, and wrote a very excellent document. I think if it were me, I wouldn't have the patience to read such a long report and conduct such a detailed research and analysis. But Teacher Ou really did it. Moreover, at that time, she was still in a period of illness and mercury retrograde, yet she always remembered me. I was truly touched and highly respected her dedication. This made me even more determined to continue my academic pursuits so as to be worthy of the hard work of Teacher Ou.

The follow-up from the teachers in the later stage is as responsible as in the early stage. They do not slack off just because of the later stage. Each teacher maintains the same sincerity and enthusiasm. Whether it is the adjustment of the thinking for the rejection of the Hong Kong school, the preparation for the last-minute interview, or the handling of matters before the official start of the school term, every link is very meticulous and serious. It really gives a feeling of being cared for and accompanied as a baby grows.

In conclusion, the entire experience was extremely enjoyable. I want to be good friends with the teachers for life.

5. Some experiences of those who have been through it all

① Regarding English learning

Even if you get a high score in IELTS, don't forget to train your oral English and listening skills. Because when you really go abroad to study, you will find that the real life abroad is filled with all kinds of accents and won't be as standard as in IELTS listening. So before going abroad, make sure you spend some time every day immersed in an all-English environment. As for oral English, it is essential to speak and practice a lot every day. Don't be afraid to open your mouth and don't worry about making mistakes. Because the unfamiliar environment abroad usually makes people reluctant to speak, and academic English and life English are two completely different concepts. Unlike the IELTS speaking test, in fact, in daily life, it is in a state of immediate questioning and answering. It is impossible to know in advance what the question is or have enough time to draft it in your mind. Therefore, it is necessary to have the mindset of treating spoken English as spoken Chinese. Only in this way can you quickly adapt to the foreign environment when you first arrive abroad.

② Regarding scientific research

You can participate in SRTP, or the College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program, during your college years. This can help you clarify in the early stage of college whether you like and are good at conducting scientific research or are more suitable for employment and entrepreneurship. It doesn't matter if you miss this opportunity. You can take advantage of the two important events during your junior and senior years, namely job hunting and writing your graduation thesis, to help you determine whether you are more suitable for scientific research or work.

③ Regarding daily study

You must adopt the attitude of either not doing it at all or doing it seriously to learn and complete every class assignment well. Although you may not know what significant effects there will be in the short term, at least in the long run, it can give you more choices. Furthermore, when comparing the educational gaps between China and the West, I found that China is more adept at using theories to expound on the current situation or explain principles, while foreign countries tend to focus on critical interpretation and personalized innovation. One is based on deductive logic, and the other on inductive logic. So if domestic students want to study abroad in the future, they must learn to communicate more with their teachers, ask more questions, be good at observing detailed phenomena in life, and be good at making use of various information resources.

I'm really, really happy to have received an offer from my dream school. I'm feeling extremely elated. I never expected that the interview I thought I performed very poorly would actually get the offer I wanted. However, I soon realized that it was because both I and the teachers from Yisi Boluo had done our best and indeed put in a lot of effort that we got this offer. This was completely what we should have done and not something we were surprised about.

But I am also well aware that greater challenges lie ahead, as research-oriented master's students need to conduct research, and academic research is no easy task. Therefore, it is essential to be well-prepared and maintain a strong mental state.

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