考研热

When the job market feels like a boss fight you're not leveled up enough for, why not stay in school forever? '考研热' captures the exploding trend of Chinese undergrads cramming for postgraduate entrance exams — not always out of academic passion, but because a master's degree feels like a cheat code in a brutally competitive economy. Think of it as the Chinese version of hiding in grad school, except millions are doing it simultaneously.

China's graduate exam applicant numbers surged past 4.57 million in 2022, nearly doubling from five years prior. Youth unemployment, a glut of bachelor's degree holders, and the cultural premium placed on academic credentials all fueled the rush. For many Gen-Z graduates, the exam became less a career choice and more a way to delay — and hopefully improve — their odds in a shrinking job market.

越来越多大学生选择考研而非直接就业，折射出就业压力与学历焦虑的社会现象。