Who would study psychology unless they had some issues?!
Chapter 199 - 197: Mentorship System

Chapter 199: Chapter 197: Mentorship System

The tutor system, also known as the tutor responsibility system, originated in the 14th century at Oxford University and Cambridge University. Under this system, freshmen can either choose their own specialized tutors or have them assigned by the school. A tutor is responsible for a few or up to a dozen students, mainly guiding their studies, papers, and intellectual lives.

The relationship between the "tutor and student" is closer than the typical "teacher and student" relationship, and it even aligns more with the domestic understanding of the "master-apprentice" bond, which is why it is sometimes privately referred to as the "master-apprentice system."

In a sense, this system offers significant benefits for students, especially those from ordinary backgrounds.

Because even the most average undergraduate institutions have tutors eligible to guide graduate students, and these tutors possess abilities at the middle or upper tier of their industries; even locally or in surrounding areas, they hold considerable social status.

Some tutors even operate at a level that students might never encounter again once they graduate.

For example, during Nan Zhubin’s undergraduate days, his teachers included a prison political cadre lecturing on "Criminal Psychology," a chief doctor from a psychiatric hospital teaching "Abnormal Psychology," and the founder of a Psychological Consultation Center lecturing on "Group Psychological Counseling," among others.

In school, they are uniformly "teachers." Once they step outside, they become "leaders," "bosses," etc. In the classroom, they can generously impart their knowledge; in society, students may struggle for years without getting a chance to present a report to them.

Under the tutor system, students from ordinary backgrounds can establish a "master-apprentice" relationship with these former big figures, second only to "kinship," acquiring true knowledge; if the chance arises, they can also join the industry’s core circles, gaining connections and networks.

The well-known "protect the sky with half a son" and "high plant" are representative among them.

However, everything has pros and cons.

Nan Zhubin looked at Huang Xin in front of him, reading the expressions on his face.

[Nasal wings expanding, muscles around them contracting and wrinkling, eye corners twitching.]

[It’s a physiological "anger."]

[But this anger was fleeting, and his body didn’t exhibit a posture corresponding with the emotion.]

[His voice and tone were also calm.]

[This indicates a separation between thought and body.]

[His physiology still reacts, but his thoughts have become accustomed, or should we say—numb?]

Huang Xin’s expression at the moment demonstrated another attitude of the student group towards the tutor system, or "master-apprentice system."

"Numb anger."

The root cause is because—the master’s power over his apprentice is too immense.

Leaving aside the need for a tutor’s signature to publish papers and thereby graduate smoothly, a tutor’s power permeates every aspect of a graduate’s life: determining final grades, applying for various scholarships, signing for taking holidays or going home during Chinese New Year, etc., etc.

Hence, choosing a tutor is a gamble of sorts for graduate students. If you encounter those inept tutors—

In the best-case scenario, students might have to help with cleaning the tutor’s house, walking the dog, taking care of children, assisting the tutor’s spouse with personal work, helping the child complete homework, etc., essentially becoming a private assistant.

With a bit of bad luck, it means working under high pressure 24/7, being taken to the tutor’s private workshop for unpaid work, possibly only getting a short break of the seven days starting from Chinese New Year’s Day, turning into a pure labor animal bringing their own food.

At worst, it might involve academic fraud to take the fall, covering financial loopholes, or even sexual exploitation, etc.

Hence, when Huang Xin slowly uttered the three words "tutor system," Nan Zhubin couldn’t help but feel a jolt in his heart.

His eyes narrowed.

And Huang Xin, however, took a turn.

He looked at Nan Zhubin and slowly said, "You may not believe it when I say it, but I really like consultation."

Nan Zhubin nodded, "I believe you."

Because he observed the micro expressions when Huang Xin said these words.

But at this moment, Huang Xin merely smiled and then began to speak on his own.

Or rather, he began to vent.

Huang Xin shook his head, "Unlike Liu Pan, I came from a village; I had no connections. And unlike you, during my undergraduate, I already knew that I didn’t have any exceptional talent."

"When I first studied psychology, I just wanted to be a psychological consultant. On the one hand, after I went to study in town during high school, my psychology teacher greatly influenced me; on the other hand, I thought psychological consultation was very lucrative."

"I knew nothing about the outside world, had no plans, so when I graduated, I missed the golden employment period, muddling through losing the status of a fresh graduate, and could only join the fall recruitment with people from society."

Nan Zhubin listened silently, not surprised by Huang Xin’s current narration.

Nan Zhubin had previously received consultation from young individuals who just left their student status, and what Huang Xin narrated was much like theirs.

However, this wasn’t a consultation, so Nan Zhubin remained silent.

And Huang Xin had clear thought and definite goals, not needing Nan Zhubin to guide the conversation further.

He continued on his own, "While in school, I already accumulated over a hundred hours of consultation time under my undergraduate supervisor as oversight; I found that I indeed liked consultation very much, and I had some talent in it, though not much, but still existent. Therefore, after graduation, I chose to be a psychological consultant as my profession."

At this point, Huang Xin’s tone was emotional, even carrying a sort of chant.

He seemed to be reciting some poem, "You know, Nan Zhubin, the most fulfilling moment in my life before age twenty-two was the first month at work when I did a consultation for a client. She said to me—after my consultation, she felt like she had been baptized, her mood was much better, and she had clarified the confused issues from before. She said it was her best day in a long time."

Nan Zhubin nodded slightly, as he had similar experiences.

What Huang Xin said is also the drive that motivates most young consultants to continue consulting.

"I like consultation and have some talent in it; now what I like and excel at can even help others," Huang Xin sighed, "At one point, I thought it was the most wonderful thing in the world."

"Therefore, even when beginning with a monthly salary of only over four thousand, I still persisted."

Huang Xin’s gaze became momentarily vacant, suddenly withdrawing from the previous emotional exclamation, as if returning to reality.

Nan Zhubin observed Huang Xin’s expression change, and couldn’t help but continue, "And then?"

"And then?"