Tsinghua welcomes new freshman class

Fu Haoyue finally became a registered freshman at Tsinghua University on Wednesday, starting college life in one of China's most prestigious universities with her twin sister. [Photo/CFP]

Fu Haoyue finally became a registered freshman at Tsinghua University on Wednesday, starting college life in one of China's most prestigious universities with her twin sister.

"I arrived today with my parents and sister. The campus is beautiful and filled with history," the 19-year-old said.

"I won't be bored for the next four years," Fu said, adding that she can't wait to start school and make more friends.

Among Tsinghua's 3,560 freshmen, Fu and her sister are not the only twins - according to the university, six more pairs of twins entered Tsinghua in 2014.

The number of new students at Tsinghua increased in 2014, with students majoring in science and technology accounting for more than 80 percent of enrollment. The ratio of male to female students is 2 to 1.

Yu Han, director of the admissions office, said that the youngest new student was born in 2001 and will study in the computer science department.

Among the new students at Tsinghua is Ye Shiwen, the swimmer who won two gold medals in the 2012 Olympic Games. She will be a law student.

Since 2012, Tsinghua has required students to finish their registration alone in order to increase their independence and encourage social skills.

Tsinghua draws a yellow line in front of the school arena to separate students and parents, and students enter the gym alone with documentation. They usually spend two to three hours completing the registration.

In the arena, students line up for registration and senior classmates offer help transferring luggage or introducing them to the campus.

Other universities also encourage students to complete registration by themselves.

Tongji University in Shanghai has used a yellow line to separate parents and students. It started the practice in 2012.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn