More than 300 female university freshmen from 80 institutions across the capital took part in a series of checkups on Sunday to see if they are physically and psychologically qualified to be soldiers.

It was the first time female freshmen students were eligible to join the PLA, said He Meilin, a press officer from the Beijing Municipal Military Recruitment Office.

In previous years, only students graduating from high school at the age of 18 or those at university aged between 22 and 24 were eligible to apply for a place in the armed forces.

"The employment environment in Beijing has been relatively good this year, therefore, the number of graduating students who will apply for military service will decline slightly," He said. "So, we have expanded the scope to attract more students."

The main two reasons why freshmen students would want to interrupt their studies are a need for money and a desire to experience the military spirit, He added.

Luo Qing, 18, from Hunan province, is a freshman at the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology. It took her only one day to make the decision to quit school temporarily and join the military, because it will alleviate her family's economic burden.

"If my parents don't need to pay my 6,000-yuan tuition per year, it will be a big relief for them, and my younger sister at home can have an easier life," said Luo, who majors in clothing design.

"I am going to miss the school and my classmates so much but it is the right decision and I won't feel regretful."

She said she also thinks serving in the military will make her more courageous and independent, which are qualities she will need in her post-military life.

University students who sign up for military service can continue their studies at their former university after two years on duty.

In addition, they will get an 18,000-yuan subsidy each year from the Beijing municipal government while enrolled and will qualify for a one-time student grant of between 24,000 and 67,000 yuan.

This year's checkups came in two parts - physical and psychological.

The psychological tests included measures of students' intelligence quotient, mental health and logical ability. While almost all candidates were healthy psychologically, some failed the physical checkup, said He.

The main reasons for failing the physical were poor eyesight, being overweight and disorders of the bones and joints.