A professor at the Jiangsu University of Science and Technology has given an unexpected homework assignment, asking students to write their last wills as if they were about to die, the Jiangsu-based Modern Express reports.

Professor Jiang Chunlei told the students to pretend they had been diagnosed with brain tumors and had only three days left to live.

The assignment was designed to teach students to cherish their lives and not waste time, said Jiang.

Most students said they were willing to do the homework. A student named Li Mengyuan said it dug out her innermost thoughts: "It made me look at myself and urged me to cherish the future, as well as the people around me."

A girl named Li Menglin said it was "weird" and that she couldn't do it.

Jiang admitted the homework is controversial. "It's a totally new teaching method, which is difficult to accept," he added.

Jiang said the idea came to him when a student at the college was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had only three months to live. "I want students to understand death and value their lives through this unique assignment," he said.