It's hard to go to graduate school, it's even harder for married people to go to graduate school, and it's even harder for people whose wives are also studying. My friend Mr. Du is such a difficult person to get along with.
His simple and optimistic attitude concealed his difficulties, while his long-neglected hair and simple clothes exposed the difficulties in his life. Xiao Du 1999 was admitted to Peking University to study for a doctorate. In 2000, he married his girlfriend whom he met in graduate school. In the same year, his wife was admitted to the China Academy of Social Sciences as a graduate student. Now, their monthly income is the state subsidy to 500 yuan and the support for their elderly parents in their hometown.
Some time ago, because my brother who works in Beijing went abroad to visit, the couple lived in their home. After returning to China recently, the couple had to rent a house outside. This alone cost nearly 1000 yuan in a month. This is undoubtedly a heavy burden for his already stretched life.
■ The monthly living expenses gap is around 300 yuan.
When I was interviewing at Peking University, I had a meal in Peking University canteen at the invitation of Mr. Du. We ordered four dishes and two bowls of rice, one * * * 12 yuan. Xiao Du said that we would go to the best canteen in Peking University to entertain me today. At ordinary times, he only goes to the ordinary canteen, and the price of the food is almost the same, but the weight is doubled. Under normal circumstances, it is enough to eat one dish, about three or four yuan per meal. When the reporter interviewed in Tsinghua, he also had dinner in their student canteen. The price of this meal is similar to that of Peking University. The reporter asked for a set meal in 3.8 yuan, including a plate of meatballs, marinated tofu and a bowl of rice. Although the price of vegetables is lower than that of off-campus restaurants, it still costs three or four hundred yuan a month.
A survey conducted by Peking University in June last year 165438+ 10 found that a doctoral student in 700 yuan and a master student in 600 yuan thought that the monthly living expenses of 580~800 yuan were more appropriate. The meal fee is 400 for boys and 300 for girls. A prominent phenomenon is that the fees for books, newspapers, telephone and Internet access have risen, reaching 200 yuan. Daily necessities 100 yuan, other expenses 100 yuan.
Through investigation, the reporter found that more than half of the students have computers. They use computers to type, design, browse the Internet and collect information. For them, computers have become an indispensable learning tool. They would rather save some money in other ways than own a computer.
■ Economic independence undermines the confidence of graduate students.
According to reports, the state subsidies for graduate students in school are: about 350 yuan for doctoral students and 250~280 yuan for master students. According to the length of service, the subsidy is slightly different, with one year's service subsidy 10 yuan. This is the most stable source of life for graduate students, but this source is far from enough for their living expenses.
Graduate students don't want to spend money at home, no matter how hard it is. A boy in Renmin University Law School finds it hard to spend money at home. A girl in physical geography at Peking University said, "It's a shame to spend money at home at such an age." A boy surnamed Hu thinks that it is understandable if family conditions permit, but parents are nervous and unfilial. Spending money at home after graduate school has dampened their confidence.
Of the 100 students surveyed by the reporter, only 10 is a student who relies entirely on family support, and these students think that this is only temporary and an investment, and there will be greater returns in the future to repay this kind of parenting. Many students would rather have no support from home than go out to work to make money.
The reporter learned from the Ministry of Education and Industry of Peking University that about 20% of poor graduate students in North China apply for national student loans. According to Teacher Yang of the Ministry of Education, poor students will generally be approved as long as they apply. Teacher Ji of the graduate school believes that only a small number of poor students apply for student loans, which shows that students in Peking University are more confident and hope to solve their own lives by themselves. In addition, there are many details of the national student loan, which is difficult to handle. Therefore, since June this year, Peking University has held many lectures on personal credit, inviting professors and scholars in the fields of economics and sociology to give lectures, with a view to improving students' credit knowledge.
■ Working part-time is the best way to subsidize living expenses.
Using spare time to work and make reasonable arrangements is the most common way for graduate students to improve their living conditions.
A female student surnamed Hou from the Business School of Renmin University told reporters that her first year's living expenses came from home, and her second and third years were mainly earned by working. The phenomenon of graduate students working is very common, ranging from four or five days to ten or twenty days a month.
According to a survey in Tsinghua University, 70% of graduate students want to work, and half of them say that working is to ensure their basic needs. At Peking University, 47.80% of students work outside the home. Among the 100 graduate students surveyed by the reporter, nearly 70 students have long or short work experience, spend more or less time and earn more or less money. Interestingly, most students of the National People's Congress think that part-time job does not affect their studies, because part-time job itself is a way to get in touch with society and increase their life experience. And think that working is the best way to make a living. However, in Peking University, more than 50% students think that part-time jobs have an impact on their studies and waste precious time, which is a last resort under the pressure of life. 6 1.3% students work to make a living, 19.6% students think that they can improve their experience, and 12.9% students think that they can enrich their lives. Graduate students in Tsinghua think that helping tutors with projects is the best way. One is to get some money to improve their lives, and the other is that these projects will be the topics of their graduation thesis. This can not only make money, but also improve business ability, and also prepare graduation thesis by the way, killing two birds with one stone. Why not?
■ The school's "Three Helps" activities are short of funds.
For the embarrassing situation of graduate students, the school is trying to alleviate this contradiction. In order to increase students' income, let them study with peace of mind, and don't spend too much time on work unrelated to study, at present, some colleges and universities have begun to implement the "three assistance" activities.
"Three Assistants" refer to teaching assistants, research assistants and management assistants. Students share part of the teaching and research work that the school needs, and the school gives appropriate subsidies. In the survey conducted in Peking University, 86% of the students are interested in the activities of "Three Helps", and 77% of the students said that they would not go out to work after they had the positions of "Three Helps". They get a subsidy of 100 yuan for the first year of master's degree, and 200 yuan for the second and third years of master's degree. First year doctor, 300 yuan, second and third year doctor, 400 yuan.
Teacher Ji said: "The" Three Helps "is very important for improving students' living conditions. It strengthens the connection between tutors and students and improves students' ability to participate in teaching and scientific research." This semester, about 5000 students in North China have "three-help" jobs, accounting for about 60%~70% of the total number of students. To this end, Peking University will invest 9 million yuan this year. Teacher Ji of the graduate school said that this is a huge expense for the school, and the difficulty of funding sources is a bottleneck of the "three assistance" activities.