This episode features an interview about a woman who transitioned from a vocal arts specialist to an assistant professor of sociology near Boston. The interview chronicles her academic journey, beginning with her high school decision to pursue the liberal arts despite pressure to study science and her experiences as an art specialty student facing academic bias. It details her path from choosing Journalism and Communication as an undergraduate to discovering and pursuing Sociology for her master's and Ph.D. abroad, highlighting her commitment to following her intellectual curiosity and the impact of fieldwork and international exchange on her professional trajectory. The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, notes that the goal of the series is to provide diverse life stories to high school students, demonstrating that "the path later in life can be traversed in any way, there are still many opportunities to explore one's life. Gaokao is not the only thing that decides everything.

"Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers《70号分享：从声乐特长生到社会学助理教授，她充满好奇心，一直坚定地追着自己的兴趣前进》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/70%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E5%A3%B0%E4%B9%90%E7%89%B9%E9%95%BF%E7%94%9F%E5%88%B0%E7%A4%BE%E4%BC%9A%E5%AD%A6%E5%8A%A9%E7%90%86%E6%95%99%E6%8E%88%EF%BC%8C%E5%A5%B9%E5%85%85%E6%BB%A1%E5%A5%BD%E5%A5%87%E5%BF%83%EF%BC%8C%E4%B8%80%E7%9B%B4%E5%9D%9A%E5%AE%9A%E5%9C%B0%E8%BF%BD%E7%9D%80%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%E7%9A%84%E5%85%B4%E8%B6%A3%E5%89%8D%E8%BF%9B

This episode features a woman named 芊芊草 who now works as an assistant professor in Hong Kong. The interview primarily details her educational and career journey, starting with her high school experience as a humanities student in Henan in 2006, her choice of political science at a foreign language university in Shanghai despite parental advice, and her eventual decision to pursue graduate and doctoral studies in Hong Kong due to a personal interest fueled by Hong Kong dramas. She also reflects on the demanding nature of academic life and shares a powerful memory of how a heavy-handed high school teacher negatively affected her academic performance, advising her past self to resist being emotionally manipulated (PUA).

The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, explains that the goal of the "Beyond the Gaokao" series is to create a diverse dataset of life stories to help current high school students broaden their imaginations about future possibilities.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《69号分享：高三被PUA，高考发挥一般，她在可选范围内选择了心之所向的学者路》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/69%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E9%AB%98%E4%B8%89%E8%A2%ABpua%EF%BC%8C%E9%AB%98%E8%80%83%E5%8F%91%E6%8C%A5%E4%B8%80%E8%88%AC%EF%BC%8C%E5%A5%B9%E5%9C%A8%E5%8F%AF%E9%80%89%E8%8C%83%E5%9B%B4%E5%86%85%E9%80%89%E6%8B%A9%E4%BA%86%E5%BF%83%E4%B9%8B%E6%89%80%E5%90%91%E7%9A%84%E5%AD%A6%E8%80%85%E8%B7%AF

This episode features the interview with an individual identified as "孔雀" about his life and career path. The interview chronicles his experience from his high school years in Sichuan, where he overcame a period of academic slump, to his decision to study computer science based on an interest in gaming, and his eventual career pivot into real estate marketing and planning after college. The discussion covers his transition out of the demanding real estate sector into the emerging domestic IP operations industry, motivated by a desire for better work-life balance and future opportunities.

"宫师姐Chelsea", the interviewer's stated goal for "Beyond the Gaokao" is to collect diverse life stories to help high school students expand their imagination about future career choices, without inserting personal bias or advice.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《68号分享：喜欢玩游戏而选计算机专业的他，毕业入行做房地产营销策划》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/68%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E5%96%9C%E6%AC%A2%E7%8E%A9%E6%B8%B8%E6%88%8F%E8%80%8C%E9%80%89%E8%AE%A1%E7%AE%97%E6%9C%BA%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%E7%9A%84%E4%BB%96%EF%BC%8C%E6%AF%95%E4%B8%9A%E5%85%A5%E8%A1%8C%E5%81%9A%E6%88%BF%E5%9C%B0%E4%BA%A7%E8%90%A5%E9%94%80%E7%AD%96%E5%88%92

This episode features an interview of a 2006 science exam candidate from Shandong who was interested in computer science but followed his parents' advice to study civil engineering at a university in Beijing. The interviewee reflects on his highly enjoyable college experience, despite not focusing on academics, and discusses his subsequent career in contract commerce within a major Chinese construction company. Although he expresses some regret about not pursuing computer science, he states he is happy and has no regrets about his life choices, which he feels were influenced by the limited perspective of his parents at the time. The interview also touches on the interviewee's current demanding work schedule and high levels of anxiety and insomnia due to work pressure.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《67号分享：对计算机感兴趣但听从父母意见读土木工程，他的四年大学非常开心》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/67%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E5%AF%B9%E8%AE%A1%E7%AE%97%E6%9C%BA%E6%84%9F%E5%85%B4%E8%B6%A3%E4%BD%86%E5%90%AC%E4%BB%8E%E7%88%B6%E6%AF%8D%E6%84%8F%E8%A7%81%E8%AF%BB%E5%9C%9F%E6%9C%A8%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%96%E7%9A%84%E5%9B%9B%E5%B9%B4%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E9%9D%9E%E5%B8%B8%E5%BC%80%E5%BF%83

This episode features an interview with "L", who shares her unconventional career path from being a science student in China to working in the art gallery sector in New York. The interview details her decision to pursue an Art History degree at a women's liberal arts college in the U.S. after simultaneously preparing for both the Chinese college entrance exam and American university applications. She discusses her experiences interning and working full-time at museums before pursuing a master's degree and ultimately transitioning to the for-profit art gallery industry, emphasizing the sales and public relations aspects of her current role. The conversation highlights L's principle of pursuing interests and her satisfaction with her flexible, non-traditional career trajectory within the often-small art world.

The interviewer, "宫师姐Chelsea", aims to collect diverse life stories for "Beyond the Gaokao" to help high school students expand their perspectives on future choices.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《66号分享：出国申请和高考两手抓的理科生，跟随兴趣进入女校读艺术史，从美术馆转战艺术画廊》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/66%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E5%87%BA%E5%9B%BD%E7%94%B3%E8%AF%B7%E5%92%8C%E9%AB%98%E8%80%83%E4%B8%A4%E6%89%8B%E6%8A%93%E7%9A%84%E7%90%86%E7%A7%91%E7%94%9F%EF%BC%8C%E8%B7%9F%E9%9A%8F%E5%85%B4%E8%B6%A3%E8%BF%9B%E5%85%A5%E5%A5%B3%E6%A0%A1%E8%AF%BB%E8%89%BA%E6%9C%AF%E5%8F%B2%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%8E%E7%BE%8E%E6%9C%AF%E9%A6%86%E8%BD%AC%E6%88%98%E8%89%BA%E6%9C%AF%E7%94%BB%E5%BB%8A

This episode features an expatriate designer in NYC, from her early love for drawing and rigorous training in art high school to her high achievement in the Chinese Academy of Art entrance exam, where she ranked eighth nationally for her major. After earning a degree in graphic design, she pursued a master's at Pratt in the United States and now works as a UI/UX designer in New York, sharing reflections on the demanding nature of art studies and her contentment with her career path.

The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, emphasizes that the collection "Beyond the Gaokao" of such stories aims to provide high school students with a broad and unprocessed view of diverse career possibilities.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 @breakbarriers 《65号分享：从小学画、艺考专业全国第八的她，从平面设计到UI/UX设计师，付出了、不后悔》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/65%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E5%B0%8F%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%BB%E3%80%81%E8%89%BA%E8%80%83%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%E5%85%A8%E5%9B%BD%E7%AC%AC%E5%85%AB%E7%9A%84%E5%A5%B9%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%8E%E5%B9%B3%E9%9D%A2%E8%AE%BE%E8%AE%A1%E5%88%B0ui-ux%E8%AE%BE%E8%AE%A1%E5%B8%88%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%98%E5%87%BA%E4%BA%86%E3%80%81%E4%B8%8D%E5%90%8E%E6%82%94

The episode features a woman named Kris, interviewed by Chelsea, also known as 宫师姐. The conversation centers on Kris's journey from a small county in Sichuan to Beijing for university, her decade-long career as a product manager in the internet industry, and her ultimate decision to transition to freelance work as an insurance broker and relocate to Chengdu. Kris discusses the motivating factors behind her life choices, including family ties and her desire for a self-determined life, and reflects on how her personality evolved from being unable to advocate for herself to becoming more self-assured.

The interviewer's stated goal for this "Beyond the Gaokao" series is to provide diverse life stories to high school students to broaden their perspectives beyond the stress of the Gaokao exam.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号 “撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《64号分享：用尽全力从小城考去北京的姑娘，放弃了互联网产品经理工作，她选择了回老家省会》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/64%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E7%94%A8%E5%B0%BD%E5%85%A8%E5%8A%9B%E4%BB%8E%E5%B0%8F%E5%9F%8E%E8%80%83%E5%8E%BB%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC%E7%9A%84%E5%A7%91%E5%A8%98%EF%BC%8C%E6%94%BE%E5%BC%83%E4%BA%86%E4%BA%92%E8%81%94%E7%BD%91%E4%BA%A7%E5%93%81%E7%BB%8F%E7%90%86%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C%EF%BC%8C%E5%A5%B9%E9%80%89%E6%8B%A9%E4%BA%86%E5%9B%9E%E8%80%81%E5%AE%B6%E7%9C%81%E4%BC%9A

This episode features "XY", who shares her winding career path from an initial placement in an English major to successfully transferring to a Mathematics major, earning a master's degree in Financial Engineering, and ultimately working as a Data Scientist before becoming a Product Manager in the tech industry. The interview explores XY's challenging high school experience, the strategic guidance from her father on choosing a career foundation in mathematics, and her current life balancing a demanding career with personal interests like learning Spanish and social dancing. XY emphasizes the significant role of luck and good mentorship in her professional success, stating that most of her progress has been due to fortune rather than wisdom.

The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, frames the interview as part of a larger project "Beyond the Gaokao" to collect diverse, unedited life stories to help high school students expand their perspective on future possibilities.

Originally posted on WeChat公众号“撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《63号分享：从英语转专业到数学，从金融工程到数据科学家再到产品经理》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/63%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E4%BB%8E%E8%8B%B1%E8%AF%AD%E8%BD%AC%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%E5%88%B0%E6%95%B0%E5%AD%A6%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%8E%E9%87%91%E8%9E%8D%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B%E5%88%B0%E6%95%B0%E6%8D%AE%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%A6%E5%AE%B6%E5%86%8D%E5%88%B0%E4%BA%A7%E5%93%81%E7%BB%8F%E7%90%86

This episode features "E," a Senior Vice President in M&A at a U.S. investment bank in Hong Kong. E, a former high school science student, recounts her compelling journey from being a celebrated high school "campus star" (校园风云人物) and student union president who held the academic freedom to choose between Tsinghua and Peking University. E also details her path from competitive university life, through consulting and secondary markets, leveraging a US Top MBA into IBD M&A. E emphasizes that all life choices are forms of self-exploration and that her core philosophy is to "Be tougher" and avoid self-doubt.

The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, explains that her goal for "Beyond the Gaokao" project is to collect diverse, unedited life stories to help high school students, especially those in smaller towns, broaden their imagination about future career paths and choices.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号“撞墙笔记” @breakbarriers 《62号分享：那个清北任挑的高中校园风云人物，从top2到投行banker，说要be tougher》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/62%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E9%82%A3%E4%B8%AA%E6%B8%85%E5%8C%97%E4%BB%BB%E6%8C%91%E7%9A%84%E9%AB%98%E4%B8%AD%E6%A0%A1%E5%9B%AD%E9%A3%8E%E4%BA%91%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%A9%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%8Etop2%E5%88%B0%E6%8A%95%E8%A1%8Cbanker%EF%BC%8C%E8%AF%B4%E8%A6%81be-tougher

The episode features the career journey of an individual who's a General Manager at a tech company in Shenzhen. He discusses his path from choosing a computer science major due to a love for gaming to realizing a technical route was unsuitable, eventually becoming a successful manager in China's competitive internet industry, currently serving as a department general manager with a high salary and managing a large team. He emphasizes the importance of understanding what one dislikes as a guide for decision-making and advocates for personal confidence and learning how to navigate the world.

The interviewer, 宫师姐Chelsea, clarifies her goal is to collect diverse, unedited personal stories to help high school students expand their perspective on future life choices.

Originally posted on WeChat 公众号 “撞墙笔记”@breakbarriers 《61号分享：因为玩游戏选了计算机专业，不走技术路线，内向的他从APM快速成长为GM》

And 宫师姐Chelsea's blog:

https://www.becomingchelsea.com/post/61%E5%8F%B7%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%EF%BC%9A%E5%9B%A0%E4%B8%BA%E7%8E%A9%E6%B8%B8%E6%88%8F%E9%80%89%E4%BA%86%E8%AE%A1%E7%AE%97%E6%9C%BA%E4%B8%93%E4%B8%9A%EF%BC%8C%E4%B8%8D%E8%B5%B0%E6%8A%80%E6%9C%AF%E8%B7%AF%E7%BA%BF%EF%BC%8C%E5%86%85%E5%90%91%E7%9A%84%E4%BB%96%E4%BB%8Eapm%E5%BF%AB%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%BAgm