@vicar: yep, that's a widespread problem.

In my opinion, Chinese students in general (inc Uni Students) work pretty hard but very inefficiently. They never really get taught study skills and are just spoon-fed information to pass exams. They read books without applying the knowledge or taking notes. They recite things out loud with passion but without understanding in the belief that this leads to long-term memory etc. They therefore struggle when they get to Uni with its more self-study atmosphere and without nearby parental pressure to complete homework etc.

This is the point, it's not about working hard, it's about working smart. I read an accounting book for dummies that explained the 'busy fool'. The businesses that invest heavily and get very little in return.When I was a student some had to work harder than others, some appeared to do little and achieve the highest degrees. Here, it's all too often dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. The worst rarely fail and the best are not allowed to achieve their potential.

i think edu, globally, has become a bit of a race to the bottom. competition and league tables has led to the mcdonalds model of provision. it is no longer based on merit, or quality, it is about bums on seats for most, and a michelin star places for the super rich or super smart

making it expensive doesn't help.

state ed especially racing to bottom

@Alien
Sorry,last week I was too busy to post here.I had to go to classes at least 6 hours a day and

spent the rest of my time in library.So I can only answer you on sunday.
When I was an undergraduate student,I majored in Physics.There were 28 students majoring in Physics wity me.But only 4 students chose to study Physics by willing at the very beginning.The rest of the students(including me) studied Physics because they failed to be admitted to the specialty which they wanted to study and they were readjusted to learn Physics by requirement of university.
In China,the specialities of natural science such like physics,chemistry and math are called the 'byway of learning' because Chinese people think that majoring in these specialities is useless for a student to find a good job.An undergraduate student majored in Physics usally becomes a middle school teacher if he only finishs undergraduate course.Unfortunately,only a few students can be a teacher.Middle School Teacher Job is too few for too many graduate.This leads to a current situation that many students can not use the knowlege they learned at school to find an appropriate job.So,too many students don't study hard at school because they find that they only need a college diploma to bolster their qualifications.
If a student can find a jod or not depends on his college diploma,the learning process is going to be unimportant thing because he only have to finish the learning tasks.Finishing the learning tasks is totally different from get the ture knowlege.
Take my class for example,I want to be a science researcher so I work hard and study the konwlege well to become a Postgraduate to learn more physical knowledge.But many of my classmates are going to find a job early to make money so they only get enough knowlege to finish the learning tasks.They don't study for interest like me.So no matter the instructors or academic materials are good or not,a student can not get interested in what he is learning if he just want to get a college diploma.Only a few students maybe 2 or 3 change their mind and decide to learn the real knowlege of the physics during the college.I change my mind because I get interested in physics when I am learning quantum mechanics.But students who want to do scientific research like me is too few.
I am inspired by academic material.One of my classmates is inspired by his math teacher.But most students do not willing to learn physics.They are realistic and they don't have enough patient to study another six years.

truthful answer, from the horses mouth. most not interested in learning or working smarter, not even overwhelmed, the goal is the certificate and thats it. with no threat of losing that, why work hard?

Good for you 927 for grasping the opportunity to learn with an aim unlike those students only there for the certificate at the end not making use of their time. And, as is often the case, many of those leave on their high horses. Delusional.

@927 is right to aim for post graduate qualifications. Not only are they much harder to achieve, but employers recognize this. Post-grad qualifications show that you are able to really learn, work on your own, are not looking for easy options, and realize that you are not entitled to an easy life but you are willing to work for your future.