A word on graduation from Chinese college graduates

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"Excited"

Ms. Mao, 60, graduated from college in 1982. She took the first gaokao - the Chinese higher education entrance exam - when it was reinstated in 1977.

University life wasn't exactly easy for her. "It was the first year after the reform, so all the systems were not yet in place," she said. "But all the teachers and knowledge were there, so the quality of education was still good."

'Gaokao' was reinstated in 1977. /VCG Photo

The gaokao was canceled from 1966 to 1977. In that year, Mao took the exam with 5.7 million other attendees, including many whose academic careers were held up for a decade.

Graduation was an exciting event for her, but she feels like she’s among the lucky ones.

"I was excited because I felt I could finally get a job, start a career, and make a living. But there were a lot of Lao San Jie students (students who graduated from high school in 1966, '67, and '68), some of them came to college after getting married, so it wasn’t as easy for them as for us. I was one of the lucky ones."

"Sad"

China went through great changes from 1982 to 2001, but graduation remained a bittersweet affair throughout.

Yu Hongkai graduated in 2001 from a university in Tianjin. He still can remember the moment he parted from his college friends.

The graduates bid each other farewell in a train station. /VCG Photo

"We all knew that we would be working in cities all over China, so it would be hard for us to see each other again. It was very touching when we said goodbye and waved farewell at the train station. We all helped each other carrying luggage. Some girls cried, and it made all of us cry. That scene still lingers in my head," Yu said.

"Stressed"

But for those who have recently graduated from college, it seems like they still miss their student life.

"College was fun. I studied and I 've made a lot of friends. We could hang out and do many fun things. Now every day is a routine of going to work," said Gu Yanbo, who graduated in 2016.

Two years after graduation, Gu is still adjusting to her new life in the real world.

"Maybe it's just another stage of life. That’s something everyone has to go through."