Time Travel: The Queen's Coronation

After the Spring Festival, school started. The remedial work of winter break had allowed me to make significant progress. I scored 112 on the weekly math test in the first week of school, ranking th out of students in my class—a good-to-average ranking. I was feeling a bit smug, but at the same time, I was hesitant about one of the most important decisions in high school: choosing between arts and science.

I used to dislike politics, thinking it was too dry, overly complex, and uninteresting, so I opted for science, even though I wasn't good at math, physics, or chemistry. But later, my science grades didn't improve, and I began to doubt my decision. I kept thinking, "I should have just chosen the liberal arts." Even if I didn't like politics, at least I'd get a higher score than physics. History and geography were subjects I was interested in, and my strengths were in them. I had no problem getting into the first-tier universities by choosing the liberal arts.

Now the opportunity is really in front of me, and I can choose again, but I still hesitate. Just like what Teacher Luo said, no matter what choice you make, there will always be regrets. I chose science before, and the results may not be so ideal. The final college entrance examination score was just the second-tier line, more than 50 points away from the first-tier line. Now I can choose again, will choosing liberal arts really make it better? I can't guarantee it. When I was studying, eating, and before going to bed, my mind was full of questions about liberal arts or science. There were two little people fighting in my head, representing liberal arts and science respectively, but neither side had a clear winner.

The reality is that more students choose science, so the liberal arts teacher had to encourage the top 200 students to choose liberal arts. The teacher's mobilization was effective. Lin Yi, who ranked first in the first monthly exam of high school, chose liberal arts. Even though I know that he did not get first place in the college entrance examination, but fell out of the top ten, I still applaud his courage.

Teachers often say that students with strong math skills have an advantage if they choose liberal arts, because the math in liberal arts subjects is relatively simple, which can give them a head start in grades. Perhaps Lin Yi saw this in him, but he's also very good in biology, often taking first place in biology! At this point, the villain in my mind thought science had the upper hand, because Lin Yi gave up his strength in biology and focused on his math advantage in liberal arts. This was a strategy, albeit a risky one. If the math were easier, everyone would score well, and the advantage wouldn't be significant. My strength was in Chinese, and I could maximize it. While everyone can pass Chinese, and even top students can get 110+, 130+ is incredibly difficult. I've been good at Chinese since I was a child, and my essays were always rated excellent, so why not take another risk? Ultimately, I still didn't want to study politics. The theories were too complex for me to grasp!

Teacher Zhang's words slowly surfaced in my mind. If you want to make money without a background, study computer science at a prestigious university. Computer science requires a science major to apply and study. Even though I've traveled through time, I know that the civil service exam is incredibly popular after the pandemic. Liberal arts majors are generally well-suited for this, and many are accepted, while science majors have limited options. But there's another issue to consider. If I choose the civil service route, I don't have the background. My parents are farmers, working hard in the fields. They don't have the connections to help me rise to the top. Even if I pass, I'll probably just be an ordinary civil servant, with the same overtime and endless paperwork to write. If I excel in the liberal arts, I can get into a prestigious university, and the aura of a prestigious university is also highly valued within the system, but without a background, I'll still be a laborer. So, I'd better choose science and make a lot of money. Without a background, I can only rely on my own abilities.

At this point, I made the same choice as before: to become a science student. Even though I knew the path to science wouldn't be easy, I still had to continue. I'd walked it once, I knew the path, and now all I had to do was clear the thorns.

I looked up the top universities in China for computer science programs. Jinghua University and Jingda University are definitely among them, but they're still a bit far away for me right now, so I'll have to look further. Jiangzhou University's admission score is 630+, Shaoxing University's is 620+, and Jiaotong University is 620+. These three are in the first tier. Sanchuan University is 610+, University of Science and Technology is 610+, and University of Science and Technology is 610+. The third one is in the second tier. Tongzhou University is 600+, Zhongnan University is 600+, and Hengnan University is 600+.

After listing my target universities, I set my own academic goals. I'd strive for 135+ in Chinese and 135+ in English, which was acceptable. So, let's start with a rough calculation for the lowest tier: 135 in Chinese + 120 in Math + 135 in English + 70 in Physics + 80 in Chemistry + 60 in Biology = 600. If I could get another ten points, I could push for the next tier. The key lies in these three subjects: math, physics, and chemistry, where there's a lot of room for improvement. Going from 450+ to 600+—those 150 points in between—is certainly challenging, but if God gives me another chance, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't seize it! I already knew the chain reaction of poor grades later on. While not the primary factor, it still had a significant impact. My then-interning colleague, Chen Wei, graduated from a key university. When we met our boss for the first time in the office, he instantly remembered him. He had no idea of our abilities, but he was the only one who caught his eye. The aura of a prestigious school is incredibly valuable in the workplace. When others don't know you, your university serves as a calling card and a network of connections. This incident made me very frustrated at the time, because I was completely ignored by my boss. As a student from an ordinary school, I was nothing in front of those from prestigious schools. Moreover, the treatment in the company would be divided into different levels according to the school, and even the halo of a prestigious school could help with promotion.

I filled out the subject selection intention form with full confidence. Even though I knew that based on my grades in the previous semester, I could only go to the key class and not the top class, I was already very satisfied. The pace of the key class is faster than that of the ordinary class, but with a God's perspective, I was confident.