As millions of domestic university students gear up to compete this weekend in grueling entrance exams at graduate schools across China, a female student became popular on social media for seemingly consuming a whopping 800 packets of instant coffee – in order to deal with exam stress.
The university student is seen studying for the upcoming graduate school exams at a library. /Screenshot via Wechat
A senior university student in central China's Henan Province has become an instant hit on the Internet after she said to video news site Pear Video that she spends 12 hours a day to study for graduate school entrance exams.
It comes at a cost of consuming three to four packets of instant coffee a day – totaling up to 700 to 800 packets in one year, according to the student.
The unidentified undergraduate describes how much coffee she drinks to power through her studies. /Screenshot via Wechat
The Chinese undergraduate has offered a nerve-racking glimpse into what it's like to prepare for graduate schools, and sparked empathy among netizens about the cutthroat reality students in higher education face to compete for yet another bottleneck exam after passing the gaokao, China's college entrance exam known for its fearsome competitiveness.
Weibo user @Lai020709 commented that highschool students faces no less stress from school work. /Screenshot via Weibo
Weibo user @posimistic comments that she can relate to the senior as they're both preparing for grab schools. /Screenshot via Weibo
In recent years, the competition for grad schools continues to intensify as a growing number of Chinese university students look to advance their degrees after graduation.
The number of people registered to take part in the grad school entrance exams has reportedly broken the previous records in many regions, according to Xinhua.
In 2018, over two million people, about 18 percent more than that of 2017, took part in China's grad school entrance exams, Xinhua reports. The number is likely to rise again in 2019.
In other schools, students can be seen making room to study in any room possible, such as in the hallway and sitting on the stairs. /Screenshot via Wechat
What is the motivation behind the increasing figure of college students hoping to advance their degrees?
According to a survey by Chinese media, some common reasons why undergraduates decide to get master degrees include enhancing their resumes, changing from a previous field of study and career paths, or avoiding the stress of job hunting in the real world.