Imagine going to classes from 7 am to 5 pm, taking a short break, and then having an evening study session from 7 pm to 11 pm. That is the life of an average Chinese high school student. Compared to an American student, Chinese students are more academically focused and sleep-deprived.
To many Chinese students and parents, education is the only way out of a life of poverty and hardship. As a result, students from a young age are forced under palpable pressure. From junior high school (the equivalent of 6th, 7th and 8th grade), students face competition to perform well on one standardized test (中考; zhōngkǎo) to get admitted into a prestigious senior high school. Applicants list their high school preferences beforehand and are offered admission based on scores.
Senior high school is subdivided into three main sections: an elementary stage in Senior One, a transitory stage in Senior Two, and the college entrance exam preparation stage in Senior Three. The main curriculum includes Chinese, arithmetic, English or other foreign languages, biology, chemistry, ethics, history, and technology. At the end of Senior Three, the equivalent of 12th grade, students are required to take the 高考, which determines which university the student will attend. This year in senior high school is marked with extreme stress and sleep-deprivation in students, as their ultimate goal is to get accepted to a top university.
Above are students taking the most important test of their lives, the 高考.
Overall, Chinese and American students are both subject to tremendous pressure in the quest for acceptance to a prestigious university. As an American high school student in an extremely competitive environment, this is increasingly relevant to me. To all students, hold on and good luck!
Sources
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/education.htm
i never knew how different chinese schools were to american schools! it really makes you think about how you would be like if you were in these schools!