Chinese media recently reported on the inspirational story of Tang Shangjun, a young man famous for taking the college entrance exam for 16 consecutive years, and on his 17th attempt, he successfully passed the entrance exam to South China Normal University (Guangzhou, Guangdong).
Tang Shangjun is expected to enroll on September 1.
Talking about the reason for persistently pursuing his exam career for 16 consecutive years, Tang shared with Southern Metropolis : "I think my life must have a university experience to be complete." This time, he is determined to try his best to complete 4 years of studying at the school.
Tang Shangjun was admitted to the Guangzhou Campus of Chengdu University. For him, Guangzhou was not a strange place. "Many people from my hometown went to Guangdong to work. In 2014, when my family was at its most difficult, I also went to Guangzhou to work as a factory worker. It was not too different from my hometown," Tang recalled.
In the past few days, since the announcement of admission, Tang Shangjun has been carefully preparing for his new journey. He applied for a student loan, bought necessities such as toothbrushes, slippers, towels, and prepared photos and identification documents.
Even though he knew he could buy these things when he got to school, Tang still wanted to prepare them in advance and pack them neatly in his suitcase. "These little things aren't that heavy," he explained shyly.
"Besides, I don't want my suitcase to be empty and look like a tourist," Tang replied humorously.
Before leaving for college, Tang Shangjun spent a lot of time taking care of his 77-year-old mother. He also went to the mountains to replant young eucalyptus trees that had died from the heat.
Eucalyptus is a common tree in the mountains of Guangxi, has strong vitality and grows quickly. Tang shared: "The seeds I planted when I started university, 4 years later, when I graduated, will become big trees."
The image of Tang Shangjun planting a tree before leaving for college symbolizes his new journey - a small seed that will grow and mature over the next four years of college.
With determination and thorough preparation, Tang Shangjun was ready to embark on the journey of his life, fulfilling the university dream he had pursued for the past 16 years.
