The world of film and television begins with university lecturers

Seeing that most people looked thoughtful or enlightened, Han Tao changed the subject, focusing on the core theme from their previous conversation:

"Now let's get back to the core issue: why I say that how you get into university is far more important than which university you go to."

Now I'll explain it to you in four parts, which will also be a summary of the topic we just discussed.

The first layer is your self-planning during your four years of university, which determines your lower limit, not your upper limit, employment prospects.

Those who truly know how to "go to college" have already found their own niche and determined their future path by their freshman year.

I started accumulating internship experience and building connections in my sophomore year, and then focused on developing my professional skills in my junior year.

By the time they were seniors, they already had several high-quality job offers in hand.

The difference in life outcomes between these two types of people after graduation is enormous. Although there's only a four-year gap, the actual difference can be more than ten years.

"Besides the examples from my own school, I have also met some students from second-tier universities. Some of them have a very clear plan for their four years of college, and they don't go on trips or go back to their hometowns during winter and summer vacations."

They chose to intern at companies, and after graduation, they outperformed many students from top-tier universities who were just coasting along, successfully landing jobs at major internet companies in first-tier cities.

I have also seen many top 985 university graduates who, because they wasted four years of their lives, could only return to their hometowns to work as low-level clerks.

Therefore, the reputation of the school can only determine whether you pass the initial resume screening.

Four years of experience are what determine whether you can earn a high salary and have control over your choices.

"The second layer we're talking about is the information accumulation during university, which is definitely one of the shortcuts to bridging the gap between prestigious universities and ordinary universities."

Many students from ordinary universities are prone to feeling inferior, feeling that their background is not as good as that of students from 985 or 211 universities.

But they have no idea that there are countless free resources hidden in universities; it's just that many people don't actively seek them out.

Remember, the efficiency with which you acquire information directly determines your starting line.

On-campus lectures, industry training, industry-university cooperation projects, professional literature in the library, online open courses...

These are all valuable channels and resources that you can access. But the key is whether you are willing to actively seek out equal opportunities.

The biggest advantage of students from prestigious universities is simply that they have access to industry information earlier.

If you can proactively seize all learning opportunities and plan ahead, you can completely bridge the information gap caused by the level of your institution.

"In the last class, I also talked about a topic: the postgraduate entrance examination is the first fair opportunity for ordinary people to freely change their university and major."

However, the prerequisite is that you study diligently and immerse yourself in your studies during your four years of university, so that you have the foundation to aim for better universities.

If you just coast along for four years of your undergraduate studies, even if you're given the chance to switch tracks, you won't be able to seize it.

At this point, let me briefly break down the underlying logic of these 34 universities, because many students choose schools based solely on rankings, completely ignoring location and industry support.

For example, the eight 985 universities in Beijing are full of resources in the humanities, internet, and central enterprises, but the competition is so fierce that postgraduate entrance exams are only the basic entry point.

  

When it comes to East China Normal University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the financial and engineering resources in Shanghai are unparalleled. The interview process has an extremely high rejection rate, making it even more difficult than the college entrance examination. It is definitely a case of crossing a single-plank bridge among millions of soldiers.

Finally, there are the 985 universities in the Midwest. Their admission scores are lower, and it's easier to get in, but there's a shortage of high-end industries locally. If graduates want to return to first-tier cities for employment, internship resources are far less plentiful than those from universities in the East.

"This is the most typical misconception about not knowing how to 'go to college': focusing only on the name of the school without considering one's own plans, employment location, and professional track."

Some people clearly intend to work in the internet industry after graduation, but insist on applying to a 985 university specializing in heavy industry in inland China.

Some students aspire to work in finance but choose top agricultural or forestry universities, graduating in four years with their careers completely out of sync, wasting their time.

The students below the stage scribbled rapidly, their eyes filled with clarity and understanding. The long-standing confusion about choosing a school and taking the postgraduate entrance exam that had plagued her was gradually dissipating.

Her family only asked them to uphold the prestigious university status, and no one ever told her that the self-cultivation she undertook during her four years of university was far more valuable than a degree from a prestigious university.

"Now let's talk about the third level: independent thinking and the ability to withstand risks, which are also among the most important skills you should learn in university."

In 2015, the economy slowed down, many industries reduced the number of jobs, and many fresh graduates frequently encountered setbacks in their job search.

Students who only know how to study by rote and passively complete their coursework are at a loss when faced with industry changes.

Students who know how to plan their university years, understand industry risks in advance, and improve their abilities in multiple dimensions will have multiple options even if the industry cools down.

What does it mean to "go to university"? It means being able to balance professional learning, social practice, and industry knowledge.

At the same time, they possess independent judgment and do not blindly follow the trend of taking postgraduate entrance exams, civil service exams, or applying for popular majors.

While everyone else is scrambling to get into finance, you need to calmly assess whether it's right for you.

Everyone is avoiding employment and pursuing graduate studies. You need to figure out if you genuinely want to further your education or are simply afraid of entering the workforce.

"Finally, the fourth level is crucial: expanding your network and broadening your horizons."

This requires proactive management, rather than simply relying on prestigious university platforms.

Prestigious universities do attract outstanding students, but if you don't actively reach out and strive to get to them during your four years of study, you won't have any interaction with them, even if you're surrounded by excellent people.

People who know how to manage will actively participate in academic exchanges and industry practices, and actively make friends with like-minded partners.

These connections are things you have to actively seek out; they're not something the school gives you out of thin air.

At this point, Han Tao raised his hand and tapped the words he had rewritten on the blackboard, emphasizing them in his tone.

"Many parents, including students, fall into a fatal misconception: they do everything they can to get into a good university, as if getting into a prestigious university means their life mission is accomplished."

However, they overlooked the fact that the college entrance examination is just an entry ticket, and the four years of university are the real arena where different tracks are divided.

No matter how glamorous your admission ticket is, if you stay in the same place after entering, you'll still be left far behind in the end.

The admission ticket may be ordinary, but if you keep running for four years, you can still achieve a breakthrough.

Tsinghua and Peking Universities are prestigious, but they still have students who fail courses. Meanwhile, ordinary first- and second-tier universities can also produce outstanding individuals.

For example, Professor Chai Jijie of Tsinghua University graduated from Dalian Light Industry College, an ordinary undergraduate institution.

He later achieved a remarkable turnaround by pursuing postgraduate and doctoral studies, winning the Humboldt Chair in Physics and solving the global problem of plant disease resistance mechanisms.

Professor Gao Huijun, the newly appointed dean of the School of Science at Harbin Institute of Technology, initially only attended a vocational school.

He then worked his way up through self-study for his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, and at the age of 29, he was promoted to professor, becoming one of the top experts in the field of control science.

Finally, let me mention someone you're familiar with: Shi Yuzhu, the founder of Giant Interactive Group. He graduated from the Department of Mathematics at Zhejiang University.

It's important to understand that Zhejiang University at that time was just an ordinary key university, not a 985 or 211 university as it is today.

As Han Tao finished speaking, his gaze swept across the audience. On those young faces, the bewildered expressions were being replaced by an unprecedented clarity.

"You might ask, these principles sound simple, so why do so many people still fail to put them into practice?"

Because between "knowing" and "doing," there lies countless battles against one's own laziness.

He leaned slightly forward, placing his hands on the podium, his voice deep yet incredibly penetrating.

"So the scariest thing about the four years of college is not starting from a low point, but getting used to staying in your comfort zone and making mediocrity the norm."