What kind of mental and psychological preparation should college students do to join the army?

Editor's note

The conscription work in the first half of this year has already begun, and a large number of young students with "dreams of joining the army" and "serving the country" will join the hot barracks and start a new life journey.

In addition to ideals and enthusiasm, what preparations are needed for college students to join the army?

This journal specially invites military experts and grassroots chief officials to express their views on the mental and psychological preparation required for college students to join the army.

Special Guest

Cai Weibin: Political Commissar of the School of Military Basic Education, National University of Defense Technology

Wang Jinxia: Researcher of the Academy of Military Political Work, Academy of Military Sciences

Shasha: a battalion commander of a rocket brigade

host

Our reporter Liu Xiaobing

College students enlisting in the army is a call of the times

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Host: In recent years, the proportion of undergraduate soldiers in the army has increased. What are the more prominent characteristics of undergraduate soldiers?

What changes did it bring to the army?

Cai Weibin:

College students are an active and vital force in society. Attracting more college students to participate in the practice of strengthening the army is an important measure to improve the quality of soldiers, is a need to accelerate the transformation of the army, and is also necessary to achieve the party's goal of strengthening the army in the new era. Strategic considerations.

In recent years, especially in the past five years, more and more highly educated talents have entered the barracks, and the quality structure of military personnel has been optimized.

In 2016, the number of online applications for college students across the country exceeded 1 million; in 2017, more than half of the enlisted recruits became the main recruit; by 2020, more than 70% of enlisted recruits will be recruited.

Behind the changes in the data, it reflects the continuous popularization of national higher education, the improvement of military service regulations, and the general increase in citizens' awareness of national defense.

Wang Jinxia:

The recruit group with university students as the main body has three distinctive characteristics: First, the desire to serve is generally strong.

In order to encourage young people of the right age to enlist in the army, various localities have increased their propaganda efforts and introduced generous policies, which has created a phenomenon of "entering the army".

Second, the overall physical condition is better.

Due to the large number of people in the army and the increase in selectivity, and the armed departments generally carry out pre-commission training for one week to half a month before joining the army, some people with weak physical fitness and poor adaptability are promptly eliminated, and the recruits are physically recruited. The overall conditions are good.

The third is higher overall quality.

Many college students and soldiers not only have high cultural literacy, but also have specialties such as music and dance, driving repairs, and network use.

Shaojia:

I have worked in the missile engineering unit of the Rocket Army for 19 years. I have grown from an ordinary soldier to a battalion commander. I have personally experienced many high-tech equipment and equipment continuously entering the construction position. "A witness who plays an important role in the transition.

Undergraduate soldiers are quick-thinking, have a strong cultural background, strong receptive ability, and are full of creativity and imagination. The troops have been strengthened by their large numbers of innovative forces.

It can be said that college students have integrated their personal ideals into the practice of strengthening the army, which has added a strong impetus to the modernization of national defense and the army.

Choosing to join the army means choosing a different life

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Moderator: Military camps are very different from university campuses. As soon as they leave the campus, they enter the camp. What kind of mental and psychological preparations should college student recruits do?

Wang Jinxia:

College recruits gathered from all corners of the country to the barracks. When the curiosity and freshness of the barracks slowly faded over time, in the face of changes in living environment, lifestyle, interpersonal communication atmosphere, and intense and hard training, some college recruits would feel Not adapting, produce bad emotions such as tension, anxiety or depression.

Therefore, before joining the army, we must prepare for the following aspects: First, we must adjust our limited knowledge of the army.

The reason why many college students choose to be in the army is inseparable from the military image created by military-themed film and television works.

But the idealized military life in film and television works does not exist in reality.

Therefore, college students must first abandon those unrealistic illusions.

The second is to have a clear understanding of "the difference between troops and universities," and make adjustments to the response model.

The university and the army are two completely different management models. In universities, they often focus on doing things and studying. Individuals are informal, free and undisciplined. As long as they don’t go beyond the standard, no one will interfere too much. The army emphasizes discipline and teamwork. Problems such as informality and freedom will seriously affect the overall image and combat effectiveness of the company and class.

The third is to start physical training as early as possible.

Physical fitness is the basis of individual training, and the requirements are higher than that of ordinary people. If you don't adapt and drill in advance, you may feel uncomfortable.

The fourth is to improve the ability to take care of themselves in life.

University dormitories and military barracks are completely incomparable in terms of cleanliness. Therefore, college student recruits should learn all kinds of housework skills as soon as possible, so as not to be caught off guard after enlisting.

Cai Weibin: When

college students choose to join the army, they have chosen a different life.

Judging from the growth of many outstanding college students and soldiers in these years, there is always a strong spiritual force driving their success. This spiritual force can be summarized in three aspects: First, firm ideals and beliefs.

From the very beginning, we should establish the correct pursuit of value, figure out the basic issues such as "for whom," and "how to serve as a soldier," as soon as possible, and establish the lofty ambition to dedicate ourselves to strengthening the country and rejuvenating the army.

The second is the profound feelings of family and country.

In 1935, the famous educator Zhang Boling asked three questions at the opening ceremony of Nankai University: Are you Chinese?

Do you love China?

Are you willing to China?

The questioning words were earnest, reaching the soul, and inspired a large number of young college students to take the pen to join the army and defend the country.

Today’s world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. Today’s China is at a critical stage of moving from rich to strong. It is urgently needed for young people to inherit the spiritual bloodline of "taking the body and worrying about the country", join the torrent of the times and grow into Can be the "back wave" of the task.

The third is selfless dedication.

In order to "belong to the happiness of millions of people," bleeding, sweating, and dedication without complaint and regret are the salient characteristics of the military profession.

Yuan Yuan, a female college student soldier who was not a stewardess and a gun commander, came to Tibet with the original intention of "going to the most difficult place". A "flower of the sand field" blooming on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Shaojia:

From "the proud man of heaven" to an ordinary soldier, there is bound to be some psychological gap in the change of identity.

When I was the deputy battalion commander, there was a college soldier named Duo Deng in the camp. He was a young Tibetan from Ganzi, Sichuan. He was also a minority. I was impressed by him.

"At the beginning I chose the army, and I specially selected a missile fighter, but why did he become a pickaxe in the mountains." With the "missile dream", Duo Deng had a sense of loss when he first came to the engineering unit. Spent in a muddle.

Seeing his situation, I exchanged heart-to-heart with him many times, so that he understood that every post is an important "part" of the army and a "screw" for winning.

The change in thinking made Doden become practical and hardworking. In the second year of his enlistment, he became a deputy squad leader and was named an outstanding soldier.

Grow into talents in overcoming difficulties and accepting tests

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Moderator: College student soldiers have a high starting point and strong overall quality. However, when encountering difficulties and trials, they generally have problems such as weak resistance to frustration and insufficient mental toughness. How should they face and overcome these weaknesses?

Cai Weibin: I

believe that when most college students choose to enroll in the army, they have some mental and psychological preparations, but this kind of preparation should focus on enduring hardship.

In my opinion, college student soldiers have to endure the "three kinds of suffering", namely, "the pain of heavy tasks", "the pain of training and tempering" and "the pain of discipline and restraint."

Since we came to the barracks, soldiers are our number one identity, and we must study "warriors" as a degree.

It is necessary to have the original intention of "training for war", and display your own ingenuity in the position of preparing for war.

You must have a "zero-start" ordinary mind, learn from the beginning in the military university, and learn more from the squad leader and veterans in the operational performance of weapons and equipment, the development of daily styles, and the methods and skills of physical training. For advice, only by actively adapting to the environment, studying hard and practicing skills, can you become shining real gold.

We must have the perseverance to "nail nails". At present, military construction has accelerated the pace of mechanization, informatization and intelligent integration, and has provided a broad development platform for high-quality college students.

However, if the troops are only regarded as "experience stations for the addiction" and "gilded processing lines," it will be difficult to play their due role in the troops.

Every position in the army is a battle position for victory, but the criteria for victory are endless. You need to endure loneliness, hold on to the ordinary, and endure hardship.

Wang Jinxia:

Here, I provide some specific ways to relieve emotions for college students and soldiers.

First, allow yourself to have different emotions.

Don't feel irritable, worried, or nervous as if you are facing an enemy.

At this time, you can make some positive physiological changes, such as the simplest relaxation method, first start with your hands, clenched your fists, clenched to the tightest state, hold for a few seconds, and then slowly relax and experience the feeling of relaxation.

Hold your arms tight and repeat the above actions, then your legs and feet... You can also use the emotional processing box method to freely write and draw feelings of worry, anxiety, and tension on paper, and put them into a small box Or in the box, throw it away every day to express and release emotions.

Second, we must use a positive attitude to face the new environment and take the initiative to adapt.

Take the initiative to stop negative self-suggestion such as "I came here because I made a mistake", "What if I can't adapt to the environment here", and give yourself more positive suggestions such as "This is temporary" "I can solve this problem soon" .

The third is to establish close comrade-in-arms relations and build a real-world interpersonal support system.

A harmonious and friendly relationship with comrades-in-arms helps recruits adapt to life in the barracks and pass the "psychological weaning period."

Facing comrades from all directions, we must understand, listen, and respect others more in our interactions, and establish a close, stable and safe comrade-in-arms relationship based on differences in interests and personalities.

Fourth, we must vent bad emotions in time and be good at seeking help.

You should learn to vent your emotions through appropriate channels and methods.

For example, writing a diary, exercising, listening to music, communicating with good friends, etc., can regulate emotions and maintain mental balance.

If you encounter a problem that you can't solve, or you always can't regulate a certain bad mood, don't close yourself or try to deny this situation. Instead, ask for help from your comrades, monitors, instructors, etc., and work together to find ways to solve the problem.

Shaojia:

When I was a company commander, there was a sentimental college soldier named Wang Xiaolong in the company. When he first came to the army, he couldn't bear the hard work of fighting day and night in a cave with no sunlight.

On a night shift, he "has a pick", ran to my room and resolutely asked to leave the army. After repeated persuasion from me and the instructor, he temporarily let go of this idea.

Later, in the process of following the construction of the work team, he saw that both veterans and soldiers of the same year were struggling, so he asked himself, "Is there any reason not to work hard?"

After the "Thinking Pass" has passed, the "Training Pass" will easily pass.

Since then, Wang Xiaolong has completely changed. He is struggling to do dirty work, urgently and dangerously, and because of his outstanding performance, he is now a company instructor.

It can be said that he is a model who has grown into a talent in overcoming difficulties and accepting tests.

Therefore, for college students who want to join the military camp, you may face the exhaustion of physical training and the burden of professionalism, but as long as you stick to the original intention of serving the motherland when you joined the army, the hard work of the army will make your youth bloom. More gorgeous flowers will appear.