Despite the high cost of living, many Chinese college graduates choose to go to first-tier cities to work and live for more opportunities. (Photo: Li Hao/GT)
Striving for their future
For Lin Tong, a 23-year-old student who recently graduated with an undergraduate degree from a university in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province and his hometown, what drove him to move to Beijing to work was his desire for a less predictable, more challenging life.
Growing up in a middle-class family, Lin's future was predictably bright. He could have easily gotten a decent job working for a good company in Shenyang, and he wouldn't have needed to save money to buy an apartment because his parents have already bought him one. But he balked at the idea.
"If I stay in Shenyang to work and live, I can imagine what kind of life I will be living in five, 10 and 20 or 30 years," he said. "Everything has been or will be prepared for me. If I do not leave my hometown, my future is set, and I do not like that."
He moved to Beijing about two months ago and found a job as a copywriter. He loves his job.
Wang Yuanyi, a 22-year-old recent graduate from Baoding in Hebei Province, moved to Shanghai after graduation for a similar reason. She is one of the numerous white-collar workers in the metropolis.
She had originally planned to stay in Baoding and lead the kind of life her parents wished, but all that changed last year when she was watching the popular TV series Ode to Joy.
Wang was very impressed with how Guan Juer and Qiu Yingying, two of the five heroines in the show, tried to find their future in Shanghai and decided to give it a try. After graduating from university with her bachelor's degree, she went to find a job in Shanghai.
"Both heroines would live a much easier life if they stayed in their hometown, but they did not. So, why should I choose an easier life while young? They helped kindle my passion for striving," she said.
"Life in a big city might be harder, but it would be a more memorable life experience."
Thistles and thorns
Many of Lin's friends chose to stay in Shenyang and have settled down with stable jobs.
"It is not difficult for their parents to help them buy an apartment considering that the housing price in Shenyang is not very high," he said.
"However, with the sky-high housing price in Beijing, it would take me a really long time to buy an apartment in Beijing, even with help from my parents."
Although he feels pleased and excited that he is not on a road that has been paved for him, Lin cannot help feeling a bit stressed as he needs to pay thousands of yuan for the room he rents and has buying an apartment in the future as a potential pressure.
Wang conceded that although she has been in Shanghai for only a month, she has also felt the pressure.
She shares an apartment with two other girls and needs to pay more than 2,000 yuan for a room that is only 10 square meters, but her monthly salary is less than 4,000 yuan, which is not enough to cover the rent and expenses for food.
Her mom gave her some money before she left for Shanghai and said that she would transfer some money to Wang's bank account regularly.
"But even with her financial support, the money I have is only enough for the rent and my daily expenses; it is unlikely that I will be able to save," said Wang.
Besides the financial pressure, she also feels a lot of pressure at work. She goes to work at 9 am and usually gets off at 9 pm. During the 12 hours, she has an enormous amount of work to do, which is not completely within her comfort zone, so she worries that she is not doing a satisfactory job.
Also, several days ago, she had a high fever, and there were no family members around to take care of her, which left her feeling especially lonely and fragile.
"It sometimes occurs to me that if I had not come to Shanghai, I would not be living under such great pressure and have no one around me when I need help," she said.
"But I do not regret it because I believe that my life is enriched, and it will be an experience that is worth recalling when I get older."
