A survey conducted by China Youth Daily on 10095 college students from 478 universities across the country found that over 70% of the surveyed college students were confused about how to find the right direction in life, and over 90% of the surveyed college students believed that the college years of academicians have reference value in the present. Recently, reporters from China Youth Daily and China Youth Net conducted exclusive interviews with academicians Wang Yanxin, Zhao Pengda, Fan Mingwu, and others, and published them one after another, hoping that their choices, experiences, and suggestions can inspire current college students.

Wang Yanxin, an academician of the CAS Member and president of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), once went from a domestic "famous university" to a "less famous" Wuhan Institute of Geosciences. Is it a "degree downgrade"? A college student asked, 'Why is innovation more difficult now that research conditions are better than in the past?' How would he answer? Part of the post-2000 generation often says that they are anxious, and some people even "lie flat" when faced with difficulties, and "mess up" when faced with setbacks. Is there a solution to this problem?

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"The president also needs encouragement. For me, the biggest encouragement comes from the students." Wang Yanxin, an academician of the CAS Member and president of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) who has won many authoritative awards in the international hydrogeology community, most cherishes an "honor given by young students".

In his office, a trophy from 8 years ago is placed in the center of the bookshelf - this honor was fully voted by college students in the "Student Favorite University President" selection event held by China Youth Daily in 2015. Only 48 university presidents in the country won the award that year.

Wang Yanxin has stated in public more than once, 'Whether as an academician or a president, I am first and foremost a university teacher.'.

Walking on campus, Wang Yanxin always greets the students he interacts with, and some students take the initiative to stop and chat with the principal about their current academic and personal situations; Every email in the mailbox, Wang Yanxin always personally checks and answers every question. If he is unable to solve it at the moment, he will promptly forward it to the relevant functional department and remind them to implement it properly; In a survey organized by the school Youth League Committee, he was also named the "most refined" and "cutest" principal in the eyes of students

Having been on university campuses all year round, Wang Yanxin is well aware that today's young students often face many "little frustrations". Recalling his youth, he admitted that he had also encountered the same confusion and perplexity as young people today. His message to today's college students is that the primary task should be to shape their values and conduct, cultivate a "broad mind" that loves their country and cares for humanity, so that they will not be troubled by the "little depression" in front of them.

In middle school, I had a fondness for literature and excelled in foreign languages. At one point, I was torn between studying literature or science

Wang Yanxin's ancestral home is Yuanping, Shanxi, and both of his parents work in geological exploration units. Due to the constant relocation of his parents to the exploration area of the unit, Wang Yan was born in Yichang, Hubei in 1963. Later, he came to Xiaogan with his parents and completed primary and secondary school there.

Soviet literature is a vivid memory in Wang Yan's New Year's memories, from Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" to Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and "The Karamazov Brothers". These literary works, rich in critical spirit and social concern, opened the door to a new world for him and invisibly deepened his interest in literature.

In 1978, Wang Yanxin attended high school at Xiaogan No.2 Middle School (now Xiaochang No.1 Middle School).

At that time, English was only counted as 30 points in the total score of the college entrance examination. Due to its low score, small proportion, and high difficulty in learning, many students chose to give up English learning directly and focus on high scoring subjects such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Wang Yanxin, however, took a different approach and had the idea of "seeing the outside world" during his middle school years. He keenly realized that the country had resumed the college entrance examination, and learning English well could help him go abroad, 'at least be able to understand foreign books and literature'. Therefore, Wang Yanxin not only did not give up foreign languages with the trend, but also started learning more seriously. During the college entrance examination, he scored 24 out of 30 in the foreign language exam, ranking among the top in Xiaogan City.

Due to his literary background since childhood, Wang Yanxin is very interested in humanities. Even during the high school liberal arts division, whether to study science or humanities became a long-standing problem that troubled him.

At that time, there was still a saying in society that 'if you learn mathematics, physics, and chemistry well, you won't be afraid to travel around the world'. After a series of ideological struggles, Wang Yanxin ultimately chose science, but he did not give up his love for literature.

When filling out his college application after the 1980 college entrance examination, Wang Yanxin was determined to study physics due to his outstanding grades in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. He wrote on his application form: Shanghai Jiao Tong University was his first choice, Beijing Normal University was his second choice, and Tianjin University was his third choice... None of the geology majors were applied for in the application form, and the words "Nanjing University" did not appear.

A few months later, when the admission news came, Wang Yanxin learned that he had been assigned to the Department of Geology at Nanjing University. He couldn't figure it out for a moment, and people around him didn't think highly of the "unpopular" geology major.

At that time, the "trendy" majors in society were science majors such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. People generally believed that geological professionals had to endure wind, sun, and harsh fieldwork all year round. Although my parents work in a geological exploration unit, they are engaged in administrative work. Wang Yanxin's impression of the geology major only stays at 'running around, it's a very difficult profession'.

During his high school years, the "top students" in the whole school and the city were assigned to "unpopular" majors, which was a big blow to Wang Yanxin. However, considering that he had stated that he would "obey the assignment" when filling out his application, he still bravely came to Nanjing University to report.

Later, it was discovered that due to the full quota of the first choice major at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the geology major at Nanjing University had a vacant enrollment spot in the Hubei examination area, and Wang Yanxin was directly transferred and assigned. That year, Nanjing University admitted only over 700 new students nationwide, and very few new students were admitted in Hubei Province.

When he first enrolled, Wang Yanxin repeatedly applied to transfer majors, partly because he was still interested in "popular" majors such as physics and chemistry, and partly because his college entrance examination scores were not lower than those of his classmates in these majors. However, his application to transfer majors has not been approved for a long time. In his sophomore and junior years, as his professional studies continued to deepen, Wang Yanxin gradually discovered the charm of geology and became determined to become a geologist.

Solid learning during university provides a footnote to one's life in scientific research