Students take heart from lessons in love

Colleges nationwide are responding to growing demand for guidance from young people. Zhang Yangfei reports.

On Oct 16, a classroom at Henan Normal University in Xinxiang was packed with students rapt with attention.

The class was so popular that all 100-plus seats were occupied and many attendees had chosen to sit or stand at the end of the room.

The topic was part of Social Etiquette, an optional course offered by the university, and that day's lecture focused on love and romance.

"What are your views on love? Anyone?" asked lecturer Liu Ying.

"It's a dream!" one student shouted, prompting laughter and applause.

Henan Normal is one of a growing number of schools offering courses on romantic relationships in response to rising demand from young people.

In October, China Youth Daily launched a survey of 1,028 university students nationwide. The results showed that 88.23 percent of respondents supported the introduction of lessons in love.

Of the respondents, 28.89 percent were in a relationship, 37.55 percent had been but were now single, 28.99 percent had never been in a relationship and 4.57 percent of replies were ambiguous.

When asked what they wanted from the courses, 55.54 percent hoped the classes would help to establish the right values, and 24.9 percent said lessons should help solve relationship problems. Meanwhile, 8.37 percent talked about improving communication skills and 4.47 percent expressed the wish that the classes would help them find a partner. More than 5 percent said the course was useless.

Other schools, including Wuhan University, Renmin University of China in Beijing and Tianjin Foreign Studies University, are offering similar courses. As they are optional and only provide limited seating, competition for entry is fierce.

Psychology

In addition to university offerings, related courses proliferate on the internet.

At least 12 different courses can be found via the keyword "love", including a free online course called The Psychology of Love.

It is offered by Wuhan University of Technology on a website operated by NetEase, a Chinese internet technology company that offers open online courses and also provides a number of paid courses.

The classes focus on a wide range of topics, including "The Law of Attraction: The Secret to Getting Your Crush to Fall in Love with You", "What Men Are Actually Thinking" and "Manage Your Love and Shape It Into What You Want It To Be".

The counters indicate that hundreds of people have clicked the "interested" button.

On Oct 16, a science-focused self-media platform (an independently operated social media account) called Cool Brain organized an open class called Better Love.

During the hourlong class, clinical psychologist Wang Zhan taught the difference between "like" and "love", and described the laws of attraction and ways to build positive gender relationships.

Livestreamed on WeChat, the course garnered more than 1,200 views.

The audience submitted questions such as "What should I do if I am not sure what he or she thinks about me?", "What if we chat happily on WeChat but feel awkward when we meet in person?" and "How to move on from a relationship if the other half has already disengaged?".

Wang, a member of the International Association of Applied Psychology, has taught the courses in many medical schools.

He said one of the reasons the classes have gained popularity in recent years, especially in universities, is that today's young people have a different way of pursuing love than previous generations and also have a stronger understanding of science.

He said university students nowadays have had comprehensive scientific training at school and are more willing to turn to professional psychologists for help.

To solve relationship problems or simply indulge their curiosity, the fastest way is to join a university course.