Su Wan's Secret Love (Oneshot)

Introduction to Chinese Schools

This context is extremely extremely crucial to understanding the short story...

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In high school, Chinese students begin preparing for the competitive 高考 (gaokao, National University Entrance Examinations). Somewhat similar to the SAT for American students, seniors take this test in the summer. The results determine which Chinese university test-takers will attend the following year. The test tests everything that students learn in high school. The last year of high school in China is junior year; junior year is the most stressful year because everything goes into studying for the Gaokao while taking the mass amount of tests for school. You can only take the Gaokao once, when it is nationally held. If you fail it, you have to wait until next year to take it, and study by yourself at home to prepare yourself for that exam.

A day in the typical Chinese high schooler's life starts from 7:00 am and ends at 11 pm, if the student takes school cram sessions/school evening sessions. Chinese schools usually start with about an hour of reading, before jumping into classes.

When applying for universities, Chinese students choose up to about five (?) universities that they want to hear back from. If none of those universities accept the student, then they either retake the Gaokao or skip college.

Typically, if you don't get into the same university after high school, you may never see each other again. In high school, you have the same classmates for all three years of high school, so you often develop a very close bond with each other.