At the end of June 2023, the scores of the college entrance examination in Henan Province were announced, and Xiao Li (pseudonym), a fresh graduate who lives in Henan, won the top science prize in Henan Province with an excellent score of 690 points.
As soon as the news came out, the entire Li family was immersed in joy, and the parents even held a banquet to celebrate their son. However, in the celebratory atmosphere, Xiao Li's heart swelled with a bigger dream.
Since childhood, he has been curious about the vastness of the universe and aspires to become an astronaut. Now, this childhood dream seems to be within reach. After the scores were announced, Xiao Li happily discussed with his parents that he wanted to apply for Northwestern Polytechnical University.
"The aerospace major of Xi'an University of Technology ranks among the top in the country," Xiao Li's eyes flashed with longing, "With my grades, I will definitely be admitted!" For Xiao Li, Xi'an University of Technology is not only a university, but also a springboard to her dream.
He has carefully studied the contributions of Western Institute of Technology in the fields of aerospace, spacecraft, precision manufacturing and other national defense science and technology. "Maybe one day, my name will appear on the list of researchers of China's manned spacecraft!" Xiao Li was secretly excited.
The Li family's parents had no objection to their son's choice. In their eyes, as long as the child is happy and happy. They were relieved to see the sparkle in their son's eyes when he talked about Western Institute of Technology.
However, Xiao Li did not expect that his decision was about to cause a family turmoil, which would put him in a fierce conflict between ideals and reality. His aerospace dream will face a severe test.
Xiao Li's choice soon aroused strong opposition from his uncle. This uncle is a well-known education blogger with more than one million followers on Douyin, and has his own unique views on higher education.
When he learned that his nephew wanted to apply for Northwestern Polytechnical University, the expression on his face instantly froze. "What do you think? Is this kind of garbage school of Western University of Technology comparable to Qingbei? Uncle's voice was full of incredulity and anger.
He insisted that with Xiao Li's score, he could sprint to a top university like Tsinghua University and Peking University. The uncle began to gush on the advantages of Tsinghua University and Peking University. "Tsinghua University and Peking University are the backbone of the motherland, and countless pillars of talent have come out from there.
"According to the 2025 World University Rankings, Tsinghua University and Peking University rank in the top 20, along with MIT, Harvard, Yale and other world-famous universities. Faced with his uncle's persuasion, Xiao Li tried to defend his choice.
"But uncle, Xi'an University of Technology is also very strong in the aerospace field! I have dreamed of becoming an astronaut since I was a child, and Western University of Technology is the most suitable choice for me. Xiao Li's voice trembled a little, but there was still a determined light in his eyes.
However, my uncle was unmoved. His tone became more stern: "You are still too young to understand the importance of the aura of a prestigious school. A student who graduated from Tsinghua University is often directly exempted from the examination when looking for a job; However, graduates from other schools, even after layers of selection, may not be able to enter the company smoothly, and may even encounter various unspoken rules in the workplace.
Uncle's words were like a sharp sword, constantly piercing Xiao Li's heart. In the end, the uncle even let go of the cruel words: "If you don't listen to persuasion, you will get out of this house in the future!" This heated argument made Xiao Li feel both aggrieved and angry.
He clenched his fists, his inner dreams in stark contrast to his uncle's expectations. Xiao Li knows that this debate about the future has only just begun, and he must make a difficult choice between ideals and reality.
As the debate deepened, Xiao Li began to understand the pros and cons of the two schools more deeply. He hopes to use facts and figures to support his choice, and at the same time, he also wants to have a more comprehensive understanding of Tsinghua University and Peking University, which his uncle highly admires.
Xiao Li first studied the background of Northwestern Polytechnical University in detail. "Uncle, do you know? Xi'an University of Technology is one of the seven sons of national defense. Xiao Li explained, "The seven sons of national defense include Harbin Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Nanjing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, and Harbin Engineering University.
The strength and scientific research level of these schools in the field of national defense and security are top-notch. Xiao Li also mentioned a striking fact: "According to the surging news report, in 2022, the United States National Security Agency tried to hack the information system of Western University of Technology several times in order to steal China's national defense intelligence."
Although they all ended in failure, this is enough to show the important position of Xi'an University of Technology in the field of national defense science and technology! When talking about the professional advantages of Xi'an University of Technology, Xiao Li's eyes flashed with enthusiasm: "Xi'an University of Technology has made outstanding contributions to national defense science and technology fields such as aerospace, spacecraft, and precision manufacturing.
Compared with Tsinghua University and Peking University, Western University of Technology is more focused on the construction and development of these fields. However, my uncle was unmoved. He began to enumerate the advantages of Tsinghua Peking University: "As a top university in China, Tsinghua Peking University has nurtured countless talents in the course of running the school in the past century, and enjoys an extraordinary reputation and social status.
The uncle emphasized, "According to a news report by Science Network, Tsinghua University's scientific research expenditure in 2021 will reach an astonishing 31.728 billion yuan. In 2022, Tsinghua University's budget will further increase to 36.211 billion yuan, and in 2023, it will soar to 41.093 billion yuan, ranking first among universities in the country.
The uncle also added: "Tsinghua University and Peking University have a long tradition of running a school, with a complete range of disciplines, strong faculty, and sufficient scientific research funds, which depicts a broad prospect for the life of countless students."
It is no exaggeration to say that as long as you graduate from Qingbei, regardless of whether you are admitted to graduate school or not, you will have the opportunity to directly enter the world's top 500 companies to work. In the face of his uncle's discussion, Xiao Li had to admit that Tsinghua University and Peking University do have enviable resources and status.
But he still insisted on his choice in his heart: "I understand the advantages of Qingbei, but I think it is more important to choose a school and major that suits you." Although the comprehensive ranking of Xi'an University of Technology is not as good as that of Qingbei, it is the top in the aerospace field.
This is more in line with my interests and career plans. "This debate over school choice actually reflects the contradiction between ideals and reality, between personal interests and social evaluation.
The differences between Xiao Li and his uncle represent two different values and life choices. As the deadline for college entrance examination registration approached, Xiao Li felt unprecedented pressure.
This debate about the future continued until there were only two days left before the registration deadline, leaving Xiao Li deeply troubled. On the one hand, Xiao Li's yearning for Northwestern Polytechnical University has never changed.
Whenever he thinks that he might realize his dream of space flight there, his heart is full of excitement. He once firmly said: "I must apply for the Western University of Technology, otherwise I will drop out!" This dedication reflects his persistence in his dreams.
On the other hand, his uncle's words were like a sharp sword, constantly piercing his heart. The influence of his uncle cannot be ignored, and he constantly repeats the advantages of Tsinghua University and Peking University in Xiao Li's ears, and even threatens to sever relations.
This strong pressure made Xiao Li begin to waver, "Am I really wrong?" He couldn't help but begin to question his own judgment. In this difficult decision-making process, Xiao Li's parents maintained a neutral attitude.
In their eyes, as long as the child is happy and happy. But they couldn't completely ignore their uncle's professional opinion as an education blogger. Eventually, before the deadline, Li made a heart-wrenching decision.
He took a deep breath and filled in the application for Tsinghua University with trembling hands. However, he insisted on applying for the aerospace major, which was his last insistence on his dream. When the moment he submitted his volunteer, Xiao Li's tears flowed uncontrollably.
He knew that he had compromised, but the regret in his heart could not be calmed down for a long time. "My life is over! Completely missed the dream! He said silently in his heart, "Although Tsinghua University is very good, it is not the harbor in my heart after all!" This decision is undoubtedly painful for Xiao Li.
He felt that he had betrayed his heart's truest desires, just to meet the expectations of others. This forced choice left him with a heavy burden on the road to the future.
In September 2023, Xiao Li stepped into the gate of Tsinghua University as he wished. However, this seemingly happy outcome came with unintended consequences. Although he entered the top university in China, Xiao Li's eyes lacked the brilliance of the past.
He worked hard to study aerospace courses, but there was always a voice in his heart that asked, "Is this really what I want?" "Tsinghua University does provide high-quality educational resources, but Xiao Li always feels that something is missing - maybe it is the yearning for Northwestern Polytechnical University, or maybe it is the unwillingness to be forced to change the choice.
What is even more regrettable is that this choice has caused an irreparable rift in the relationship between Xiao Li and his uncle. Since entering Tsinghua University, Xiao Li has never set foot in his uncle's house again, and he does not want to call his uncle and aunt again during the New Year's holidays.
The originally intimate family relationship has become estranged because of this choice. The ending of this story is not only about the controversy over school choices, but also about a deep reflection on respecting the choices of young people.
It teaches us that everyone's path in life is unique. While parents' expectations are important, they should also be given the freedom to choose and let them spread their wings on the road of chasing their dreams.
As the article concludes: "As elders, perhaps we should respect the individuality and pursuits of the next generation, and give appropriate guidance rather than arbitrary interference." Only by letting go and letting them fly freely can they spread their wings and fly high on the road of life in the future.
After all, this story leaves a thought-provoking question mark: how should we balance the expectations of others with our own dreams in the face of major life decisions?