Education: Bachelor's Program, Department of Economics, National Dong Hwa University; Master's Program, Department of Economics, National Chengchi University

Current Position: Senior Officer, Credit Department, Mega International Commercial Bank

To everyone reading this article:

Hello~

My name is Ching-Chun Ma. I entered the Department of Economics at National Dong Hwa University in 2016 and graduated in 2020. In the same year, I was admitted to the Graduate Institute of Economics at National Chengchi University through the recommendation-based admission process and graduated in 2022. Although I do not consider my experience particularly extraordinary, I am still grateful to the Department for inviting me to share my experience of pursuing further studies. Looking back on that period, there are things I am glad I did and other things I would have done had I known about them earlier. In the following, I would like to share my own experiences regarding undergraduate learning and planning for graduate study, in the hope that they may offer some help to younger students who are still in school.

First, let us talk about learning during university. What do you think is most important at this stage? It may be finding a field that interests you, participating in many activities to develop teamwork and social skills, or perhaps identifying a direction for your future. These learning experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, are all valuable in their own ways and cannot really be ranked as better or worse. However, society tends to assign them different levels of importance depending on our age and stage of life. During freshman and sophomore years, no matter how earnestly teachers and senior students advise us to think about our future direction, most students probably cannot fully understand how much this decision may affect their lives. As an ordinary student, I was no different at the time and did not pay particular attention to it. I simply followed the Department's curriculum, studying a broad range of foundational courses, then took more advanced courses in areas that interested me after I had some exposure to them, while also moving between general education courses offered by different colleges. Looking back now, I realize that although finding a future goal is certainly important, what is even more valuable during these four years, when the cost of learning is relatively low, is gaining basic knowledge across a wide range of fields. Expanding your understanding of and openness to different areas as much as possible will be tremendously helpful in your future workplace as well as in everyday interactions with others. You may even end up pursuing a path completely unrelated to economics, and that can also be a valuable outcome.

Next comes the question of graduate study. Before making a decision, I think you should first ask yourself why you want to attend graduate school. The reason does not need to sound grand or impressive; in fact, it is better to be practical, because this motivation will need to sustain you through all the difficulties of preparing for entrance examinations and completing graduate school. If you are considering further study, it is best to make the decision sometime between the second semester of your sophomore year and the first semester of your junior year. At that point, you should carefully review your grades and class ranking from your first two years and consider whether you want to apply through recommendation-based admission or entrance examinations, as well as whether you should start an independent research project early to strengthen your academic profile. The longer you have to prepare at this stage, the better. Since the process is lengthy, it is also a good idea to find like-minded friends and work toward your goals together. A casual question you ask someone may even change the course of their future life! In my own case, during my sophomore year I thought that since I would eventually have to complete a graduation research project anyway, I might as well make the most of it. I therefore began writing a research paper in international finance, a field that interested me, and participated in a government research project. At the time, I simply felt that I had plenty of time and wanted to find something meaningful to do. I never expected that these experiences would later help me when applying to graduate school. Of course, I was fortunate that things happened to work out this way. In the end, it still comes down to the familiar advice that the earlier you prepare, the greater your opportunities will be. Graduate school may not last very long, but there will be many moments when you feel stuck. Continually reminding yourself of the goal that originally led you to pursue further study will help you get through those difficult periods.

The above is simply a sharing of my personal experience. A hundred people will have a hundred different learning experiences and perspectives. The best approach is to seek advice from professors and senior students in the Department from multiple perspectives, so that you do not make a hasty decision based on incomplete information. Finally, although I do not know what brought you to this article, I hope it can offer you at least a little help. I wish you a future in which everything proceeds safely and smoothly along the path you have envisioned!

Ching-Chun Ma 2023/08/13