After taking the national college entrance exam, many will finally get to enjoy a relaxing summer vacation. But for some, the end of the exam is the beginning of shouldering more responsibilities.

Zhou Liangyu, who graduated from No 15 Middle School of Wuhan this summer, is one such student who felt this new pressure. He volunteered to fight on the frontlines of flood control.

Without any experience, he encountered many difficulties. The 18-year-old took charge of patrolling a 300-meter embankment along the Yangtze River in mid-July.

"There was a time when the rain drenched his clothes when he was on the first night shift from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. He patrolled the embankments every half an hour," Yang Zhifa, the team leader of the flood-control group, told Changjiang Daily. But "he never made any complaints, even though he was the youngest member of our team."

"I won't leave the dike until the floods recede," Zhou said.

To lighten his family's burden, he worked on a construction site with 150 yuan paid per day, later increased to 200 yuan. "I come from a rural family. My parents are getting older, so I want to do something for my family," Zhao said.

In the eyes of Zhao's father, doing such physically demanding work is exhausting, but it does provide real-world working experience.

Making money during this special summer may be one aim, but for Liu Yu, 17, from Yantai Development Zone Senior High School, Shandong province, it can also be a way to prepare for her future career. She spent three hours every day tutoring a would-be senior 1 student. To teach grammar, Liu had to absorb much more knowledge and make it comprehensible.

"I dreamed of being a teacher. I realize how important it is to be responsible, patient and compassionate to students," Liu said.

Finishing gaokao is not a destination, but rather the start of adulthood. Students will now begin their life journey taking responsibility for society, family and themselves – and create the future they wish to see.