How do Chinese freshmen spend their winter vacation? Well, some people might answer, killing time at home playing computer games, or watching TV, or travelling somewhere, because they'll say it’s too short a time to do anything concrete.

However, at Jilin University this year, some first-year chemistry majors had to do something completely different -- they were encouraged to go experiment with food at home and post their accomplishments on Wechat, a popular social App in China.

In explaining this action, Cui Zengduo, an advisor in Chemistry College of Jilin University, said that his students will face some unfamiliar challenges in the exercise, since, “The task -- to cook for their family during the New Year holiday -- is designed to let them gain some life skills, because, they’ll have to earn a living by themselves in the future, but they can also express their gratitude to their parents for everything.”

This is not just empty talk because Cui knows what all teachers know -- there are seldom opportunities for young students to get any life experience because their lives are completely controlled by the national school exams and their parents' high expectations -- not many parents would encourage their children to do chores before they are successfully admitted into the college.

China’s education policymakers have long admitted the shortcomings of the exam and have taken some steps to try to introduce a more balanced education system, but in reality, the majority of high schools remain score-based -- meaning that students have to spend long hours for study in order to survive in the tough competition, particularly to squeeze into the first-tier universities, such as Jilin University.

Most students are also the only child in the family, whose parents pin high hopes on them to get a better score as a mean to secure a job in a foreseeable future, so that they can do everything they can to let their kid study, leaving no space for him or her doing housework.

So, when these students had just finished China’s tough competitive national college entrance examination and were, to some degree, standouts, they need to keep up as the Chemistry College student advisor put, "One essential question concerns what they should get from a colleague education, and I believe, independence, affection and cooperation are quite important."

And the students responded quickly to their advisor’s appeal, with one of them, Hou Jue, who tried some online recipes for Coca-Cola wings and double-layer steamed milk, commenting that she was impressed by her cooking skills, then adding, "I’ve realized that I’m good at making presentable dishes and not just boiling instant noodles."

The participants also showed their skills by making some classic Chinese dishes such as dumplings, and sliced pork, and demonstrated a talent for making spaghetti, sushi, and salads.

Students post their Chinese and Western food on Wechat moments. [Photo provided to China Daily]

However, the final success is paid at a certain cost as Li Wanru, another participant got her finger burnt when touching chicken wings in the wok, and got her nail folded when breaking off corn cobs.

"At that moment, I totally felt at a loss and the kitchen was in a great mess. Fortunately, my mom turned up and gave me some tips so that I can make a poached pork slices in chili sauce in the end." Li tweeted.

Li posts her pieces of works on Wechat moments, receiving many quick responses from her friends.[Photo provided to China Daily]

While these freshmen were practicing their cooking skills, most said afterwards, they also learned to show respect for their family members. For example, Lu Yu, who made a feast for her parents, and who were really happy about what their daughter had done in spite of her having taken a lot more time than her peers.

"I’ve seen that I’m an adult now, so I need to take care of my parents who are getting older, as much as possible," Lu said.

This task has attracted more students who like the idea of doing cooking experiments in the kitchen, and having their final product appreciated by loved ones or classmates, tweeted and retweeted, bringing them a real sense of achievement.

One participant preparing dishes for Grandma. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In commenting on their performance, Cui proudly said,"they’re fantastic chemistry majors, who can do all sorts of things in the lab with precision, thoughtfulness and passion, and now, thanks to this activity, smart enough to apply that to cooking. And, most important, they’ve begun to learn to be considerate about others."

Cui retweeted one student’s tweet in which she took photos, every single step of the way, while cooking, with a detailed explanation.

"My student is a good cook," their advisor concluded, adding, "But she’s more than that, because she can do complicated experiments."