As the pandemic worsened in Wuhan, Sun became very anxious, she said.

On Jan 23, Wuhan was put under lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. That meant Sun and her grandmother could not return home.

"Although I was scared, I had to make myself adjust quickly to the new situation as the gaokao was approaching. I did not have time for anxiety or other negative feelings," she said.

The university later announced that it would cancel the interviews due to the pandemic, but the lockdown in Wuhan meant Sun and her grandmother were stranded in the capital.

Sun's mother is a nurse at a Wuhan hospital, and she was taking care of patients infected with the coronavirus.

"We would talk via cellphone every night-me reminding her to stay safe and take the necessary precautions at work and her reminding me to take care of myself and work hard for the gaokao," Sun said.

She and her grandmother returned home in mid-April after the lockdown was lifted on April 8.

"The city was very different from when I left in December. Although the lockdown had been lifted, everyone was still wearing face masks and the streets were a lot quieter than before," she recalled.

After Sun returned home, her entire life was concentrated on the gaokao. She got up at 6:30 am and went to bed after 11 pm, having spent the whole day studying.

She returned to school on May 6. Seeing all her classmates working hard for the big exam reminded her that she had to work even harder and not waste any time in the final days, she said.

"Both the pandemic and the gaokao are major challenges for students like me. Challenges are not all bad as they make you stronger," she said. "Spending so much time studying every day is very tiring, but I think I will cherish the experience because it marks the entry to adulthood."

During the height of the COVI D-1 9 outbreak, Tang Yulin, from Huaihua, Hunan province, spent most of his time alone, taking online courses at home.

His father was one of more than 42,000 medical professionals who traveled to Hubei to assist in the fight against the coronavirus.