I imagine that by the time you read this chapter, the grueling Gaokao will be over, and you'll have already begun taking your first steps toward your dreams.
What can I say...
There's no doubt that the Gaokao is important. To some extent, it can change the course of your life.
I won't say too much about that here, because your family, friends, and teachers have already told you countless times how important the Gaokao is.
Instead, I'd like to talk with you about how to view your results once the Gaokao is over.
Cang Jian has taken the Gaokao twice. Yeah... unfortunately, I had to repeat a year, so I guess I have plenty of experience... haha. (Awkward)
The first thing I want to say is that the Gaokao is just one small setback in the course of your life. People say it's very important, but compared with your life as a whole, it really isn't quite that important.
This isn't ancient times, when millions of people crowded onto a single narrow bridge to pass the imperial exams and become top scholars.
In modern society, college students are everywhere. Prestigious universities are still highly sought after, but opportunities aren't reserved for people who get into them.
They're for... people who get into prestigious universities and still keep striving...
You may not quite understand what I mean, so let me put it another way: even students at prestigious universities play games, fail classes, and get asked to leave.
Students at ordinary universities still work hard and go on to take the graduate school, civil service, or public institution exams.
And students at vocational colleges can start businesses, become successful bosses, and reach the pinnacle of life.
So don't ever think the Gaokao is the final hurdle in your life, and