Study methods take a whole new turn

Throw out the misconception that Asian students are competitive and study 20 hours a day seven days a week with their heads buried in textbooks memorizing every word, every phrase, every formula because  a school in central China's Hubei Province has taken studing to a whole new level and hooked students up to intravenous drips to improve their memory and performance in exams. Xiaogan City No. 1 High School said each student was subsidized 10 yuan (US$1.6) by the provincial education bureau for amino acid drips ahead of National College Entrance Exams.

These folks believe the intravenous drips will improve memory and allay anxiety. Since these exams determine where a student goes for post secondary education, nothing is out of the question to get good marks. In many cities parents rent hotel rooms next to the exam centres to keep their kids relaxed and able to study up to the last minute. This includes providing massages and yoga sessions just before the exam.
 

Photographs posted on microblogging site weibo.com last Friday showed almost 30 senior students  hooked up to intravenous drips in their classroom. Web users claimed this proved this technique has becomes a tradition ahead of the National College Entrance Exams.

A school official, surnamed Xia, said students volunteered for the drip, and in order not to disturb their exam preparations it was administered in the classroom.

Here's a great quote - Sun Zhongshi, an expert with the State Food and Drug Administration, said there was a danger of cross-infection as a classroom was not the appropriate environment for giving intravenous injections, and was skeptical of the benefits of amino acid.

So you saw it here first. Next time your son or daughter has to write an exam, just hook them up to some intavenous solution and voila - you'll have a doctor or lawyer or architect on your hands in no time.