Hands-on experience instills steel, empathy in students

Most of our daily learning gives immediate feedback, she said. But farming follows the unchangeable rhythm of nature — after spring planting, you have to wait through a long growing season before you can harvest in autumn, she said.

"Now, when I have three meals a day, I carry a deep sense of awe and gratitude. That kind of conservation mindset, born from firsthand experience, is something classroom lectures alone can never give."

She also noted the different mental state.

"Classroom learning is all about rational thinking and abstract knowledge — a mental drain," Zhi said. "Working in the fields is immersive: the feel of soil under your feet, the shape of seeds in your hand, the warmth of sunlight on your face. Away from complex theories, your mind actually relaxes, and you find a rare sense of peace."

Reviving 'Red memories'

Miao Hanzhe, a master's student in integrated circuit science and engineering at BUPT, led a team deep into the Jinggangshan revolutionary area in Jiangxi province for a labor practice project.

There, he identified a problem: outdated exhibition boards and monotonous explanations were failing to engage young people with the region's revolutionary heritage.

So Miao and his team designed an NFC chip-based "Red memory trigger device". Visitors can tap their phones against the device to instantly play micro-lectures and revolutionary stories, bringing static exhibits to life.

They also developed a digital study tour mini-program, putting Jinggangshan's historical sites and stories in the cloud.

The experience helped Miao see that true learning means rooting professional knowledge in the needs of the country and society. He is about to graduate and join a tech company focused on communications and chips, and is determined to tackle key technological bottlenecks and serve the nation through science.

At Beijing International Studies University, labor education is taking students into rural villages.

Zhao Mingzhuang, an undergraduate student majoring in international economics and trade, recalled spending over two hours bent over, sowing seeds in a village in Beijing's Yanqing district.

"By the time I straightened up, my back ached so much I could barely stand. That's when I truly understood what 'labor' means," she said. At lunch that day, she finished every grain of rice in her bowl. "Not a single grain left. I've learned to cherish things."

Li Junjie, a Japanese major at BISU, took part in corn-threshing. Watching the farmers, it looked easy. But when he tried, his hands hurt and his back ached within minutes, he said.

"Thanks to the local farmers who taught us their techniques, we got through it. I used to think labor was far away from me. Now I feel it's right beside me. I learned not just to cherish food, but to respect every person who lives by their own hands."

RUC has made labor education a one-credit compulsory course totaling 32 hours — eight hours of theory and 24 hours of practical work. In 2025 alone, the university offered 20 campus-wide courses, from coffee-making and traditional printing to auto repair and plumbing maintenance, plus 55 college-level courses. A Song Dynasty (960-1279) brocade accessory-making workshop attracted over 200 students within one minute of registration.

RUC English major Zhuang Zhanwang took a plumbing course. Over two days, he learned to install faucets and fix leaks, then shadowed maintenance staff on actual campus repair calls.

"I learned basic skills that will be really helpful for independent living," he said. "But equally important, I got to understand the work that maintenance staff does every day. I have a lot more respect for them now."

He also spent a full day at RUC's Tongzhou campus woodland, building insect enclosures, pruning branches, turning soil and planting vegetables.

"It was a bit tiring, but I was very happy," he said. "Seeing everyone work together and seeing the finished products — it felt very rewarding."

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn