Summary of the Second Semester of Sophomore Year

WARNING

Prologue:

I mistook the morning probability theory exam for an afternoon one, slept soundly till eleven, and woke up cheerfully ordering a plate of Kung Pao chicken rice.
And then quietly perished…

It’s probably over now—sophomore year, grad school recommendations, all of it. Stories often end with accidents, as if only the unexpected can leave a lasting impression on both the actors and the audience.

A year in Qian’s Class has indeed brought more challenges. Every early morning rush to an 8 a.m. class while my roommates slept, every late-night return from the lab to find them gaming—it made my teeth itch with frustration.
Was it worth it?
I have no regrets.

Though my advice to underclassmen is always a straightforward “don’t do it,” I don’t regret joining Qian’s Class. To get closer to aerospace, I decisively transferred from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to Qian’s Class. The moment I filled out the application, I knew what was coming: more courses, more work, cutthroat academics, fewer credits, less funding, and a brutal grad school recommendation process. The cautionary posts from the previous class on Zhihu didn’t deter me, just as I can’t deter the freshmen of ’23.

Out here in the Chang’an campus, far from the city center, the thick cotton-like clouds by day and the countless stars at night are far more captivating than words like “competitions” or “grad recommendations.” Freed from the anxiety over credits and recommendations, I feel much lighter.

There’s nothing to lament. Compared to building an aviation industry from scratch in the early days of New China, grad school exams aren’t even a setback. The road may be winding, but you just keep walking.

Fortunately, I’ve mastered most of this semester’s coursework. Probability theory, which I missed, remains a gap, but I’ll fill it through practice. Knowledge gained means these six months weren’t wasted.

“The path not taken always seems more alluring, but I believe the one I chose was always the right one.”
“Schools are places for teaching and nurturing, not for fighting over grades. What makes a university ‘great’? Great learning, great wisdom, great vision.”

Words I wrote a year ago, a constant reminder to myself. Don’t lose sight of what matters, don’t be blinded by worldly illusions. Where to go? Toward aerospace, toward the people, toward communism.
Smooth out the bumps to forge a broad road; after conquering hardships, set forth again.

Though I often wonder if it’s the late-night probability theory notes that scrambled my brain, I’ll keep sharing them. They might not help my peers much, but they could benefit those who come after—a small contribution to the spread of knowledge and cultural communism.