Some media reports say a university's library organized an event, called "Reading Life's Experiences", by inviting two lecturers to play "human books". The lecturers were to present their experiences and answer the questions of "book borrowers".

One of the lecturers, with rich experience on how to improve one's English skills, was from the Department of Foreign Language and Culture. Also on the team was a senior student, the president of the student union and a successful member of a board games bar.

It was therefore not surprising to see students eager to ask practical questions like "How to deal with the CET-6 English exam?" and "How to earn the first pot of gold?"

I don't want to criticize these students or have no intention of labeling them opportunists. I just wonder why a college library prefers to organize such a training seminar instead of disseminating practical knowledge among students.

Some would say it is because today's universities have been forced to change their position from a temple of knowledge to a quasi-market place. Thus every student should be ready to accept the challenges that they would face after graduation.

But the questions the students asked at the "Reading Life's Experiences" event suggest many of them were still dreaming of achieving success through the short cut. I think it's more important to teach students to keep an open mind and desist from acquiring instrumentalists' habits, for the latter can have a negative influence on their future life.

Xuan Dong, via e-mail