“Why aren’t you studying?”
A question every high schooler has heard at least a thousand times, either from the constant reminder from their parents or even themselves, debating when they should finally start studying. Past high school, many have moved on from having their mom or dad telling them to do their work, with now having the new responsibility to remind themselves.
Yet, there are still countless people that still do not know how or what they can do to find themselves to start studying. It is important for any individual, if that is a student in high school or college, or someone who just wants to get back to studying, to understand how to make learning sustainable, not something you would hate doing.
But there are some that don’t have a choice. Studying 10 to 14 hours a day is considered normal, and a step needed to be taken in order to achieve the life their parents and future depends on.
Picture this. After 12 years of intensely spending 60 hours a week studying Chinese, Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, you are finally sitting down to take one of the hardest exams that will determine your entire life—from your future job, friends, to your whole marriage.
Out of 13.5 million students that took the exam in June 2025, Xu Yifang was one of the 3,700 that got into the extremely low acceptance rate of top university, Tsinghua University. This ultimate test, Gaokao, is known for being one of the most difficult standard exams in the world, with only the top 1% getting admitted to the top-tier universities.
All just based on one score.
The Gaokao is structured to test students on three core subjects: Chinese, Mathematics, and a foreign language, most commonly chosen is English. Along with that, students get to choose three other topics to be tested on that are based on the career pathway they plan to pursue.
Typically, Chinese high school students follow the hard-core schedule of attending classes starting around 6 a.m. to ending at 6:15 p.m., which includes their 30 to 40 minute breakfasts, lunch, and dinner breaks. After leaving school, students then attend their evening tutoring sessions to focus on intense test-review coaching from 6:30 p.m. to wrapping up around 10:30 p.m..
Taking after-school tutoring sessions are viewed as a standard procedure for parents to provide, and students to attend every day. It is known for families to spend a huge portion of their income on the preparation for Gaokao, from many spending around typically $4,200 to $5,600 USD, while students aiming for a spot in top universities spend even more through private one-on-one tutoring, ranging from $17,400 to $43,500 USD.
However, Xu Yifang didn’t follow the typical path of enrolling in those after-school tutoring sessions that everyone naturally took on. When revealing her exceptionally high score of 694 out of 750 without attending private coaching lessons, the news spread like wildfire all over social media.
With a relaxed home environment, Yifang just completed the homework assigned by her school teachers.
As the daughter of two teachers at a local school and swamped with their own schedule, they raised the constant reminder for their daughter to care for her mental health first.
Three tips Yifang shared for success in studying are to make sure to review and summarize material properly, discover your own optimal study method, and maintain a stable, relaxed mindset. Keeping a balanced state of mind by taking care of your health and acting on these suggestions are one of the possible and healthy, effective approaches to achieve success in both studying and life.
What are some of your favorite ways to start and stay focused while studying? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU.