Students at the No 1 Senior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University in Shanghai return to school for classes on April 27. Schools designate the first class for students to be about psychological health.[Photo by Cao Zichen/For China Daily]

Qin recalls that the highlight of her first day back in school was hearing the principal speak about the need to be brave and self-disciplined in the face of challenges such as the pandemic and exams.

Qin says she and most of her classmates have had to readjust to life back in school following a prolonged period away. She even went to see a counselor in early February when everyone was quarantined at home.

"I was expecting to go back to school after one month of winter break. While classes did resume on Feb 17 with four online courses per day, it was hard for me to get used to studying at home without the presence of my classmates," she says.

"In the beginning, my pace of learning at home was slow. But the situation improved after I spoke with the counselor. I also realized that I could use the time I saved on the commute between home and school to do housework, improve my relationship with family members or read books that I usually don't have the time for."

Qin says she also felt anxious about the government's decision to postpone the college entrance exam, also known as the gaokao, by a month to July 7 to 8.

"I was very anxious because I know the weather might be uncomfortably hot and this might affect how I perform. But after reflecting on this, I think we're actually lucky to have an extra month to prepare for the exams," she says.