A student of mine, a native of Beijing, offers an interesting observation regarding our post on the influx of students from China. He writes:
I think there is another reason for a lot of Chinese students trying to come over here to study - it is the freedom to pick your own major. [In China]Unless you are a really good student, it's hard to major in something you love. But here, you can pick your major, and switch your major anytime. In the US people are studying the things they love, but in China a lot of people are studying something they are not even interested in.
I wonder what goes through the mind of a student who realizes he must spend the rest of his life doing something he has no interest in whatsoever and who realizes, too, that there's no way out.
I bet prozac sales are booming in China.
Anyway, in the post I was pretty enthusiastic about having the best and the brightest from India and China come here to study. For a less sanguine view read the submission from Emily on the Feedback page.
RLC
