In a notable trend, Chinese students are increasingly enlisting in the military as a strategic pathway to higher education. This shift allows them to bypass qualifying exams and switch majors more easily. For instance, Alan Yuan, who enlisted due to poor exam scores, was later accepted into Shanghai Jian Qiao University. The military service law was updated in 2021 to facilitate enlistment for university students, leading to a rise in recruits from this demographic, which increased from 50% in 2017 to 80% in 2022. This trend comes amid a challenging job market, where youth unemployment reached 14.55% in early 2024, peaking at 17.3% in July. With 10.47 million students graduating from Chinese universities in 2023, many are struggling to find suitable employment, prompting some to consider military service as a viable option. However, students like Chen and Zhou report difficulties in adapting academically after their military service. Experts suggest that improving job market conditions could reduce the appeal of military enlistment as a stepping stone to education [1d909ffe].
Additionally, alongside this trend, there is a growing preference among university students for science and engineering majors, driven by the weak job market and China's emphasis on technological self-sufficiency. At one institution, approximately 70% of graduates are choosing to study the sciences, particularly in fields like electrical engineering and computer science, which offer better employment prospects in state-owned enterprises. Despite these choices, the current employment landscape remains challenging, with many graduates struggling to secure jobs in their fields [f421d3cc].