With the 2017 Gaokao, China's college entrance examination, done and dusted, high school graduates-to-be have been itching to prepare for next year's test. And again, the top scorers' notes have become bestsellers.
In recent years, aided by booming e-commerce, the class notes of top Gaokao scorers in different provinces have been popular items in online stores.
Math notes of a top Gaokao scorer. /VCG Photo
The printed copies of handwritten notebooks, with solution approaches, formulas and summaries of key points, were worshiped by those eager to get a high score in next year's examination.
According to Chinese Business View, the class notes of a top scorer from Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province, sold for 39-50 yuan (5.7-7.3 US dollars) online for each subject, and the monthly sales volume could reach several thousands.
However, a question hovers over the flourishing business: are another person's notes really that helpful?
Liu Yilin, a 2017 Gaokao examinee from Xi'an, told Chinese Business View that she does not believe the top scorers' notes could really help others, but admits the neat and clean notes are encouraging and reflect the authors' seriousness in studies.
Printed versions of top Gaokao scorers' notes for sale in online stores. /Photo via Taobao.com
"They might sell the notes in the hope of helping the juniors, so as to save them time searching for the key points. But it would be better to spend time doing one's own notes," said Liu.
Some have taken a firm stand, opposing such activities.
"I absolutely object to selling class notes," said Ms. Wang, a teacher at a high school in Xi'an. "The popularity of the class notes actually reflects that most students have been trying to find shortcuts to success, which has been taken advantage of by businessmen."
She called on the students to think twice as to whether the notes are really helpful for their own studies.
On the other hand, experts hold a more inclusive attitude towards the phenomenon.
Math notes of a top Gaokao scorer. /VCG Photo
Bi Chao, an economics PhD student from Shaanxi Normal University, said that it is only another derivative of Gaokao, the most highly valued examination in China. Bi warned that some notes could be imitations or inaccurate, and reminded the examinees that while it is easy for the business model to be duplicated, replicating the learning methods is more difficult.
China E-commerce Research Center director Cao Lei was cited by Chinese Business View as saying that the class notes could also be viewed as a type of "sharing economy", as the top scorers learning methods and solution approaches might be easier to grasp than the textbooks.
"But it's only a reference. The students should consider the notes as one of the references rather than something to be relied upon for high scores," advised Cao.
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