After the Gaokao: Write to Yourself, One Year On
The days between the big exam and the results move slower than the three years before them. Every year around this time, students come here to write: some address the self who'll be refreshing the results page in a month, some the self standing at a university gate in September with a suitcase, and some don't dare imagine anything at all — they just pour out three years of pressure and doubt, and mail it one year ahead to see if it still stings. These letters all share one thing: the writer thinks they're betting on an outcome, but when the letter is opened a year later, they discover that the thing that felt world-ending truly did pass. Below are real letters students chose to make public. If you've just walked out of the exam hall, or you're waiting on a score that feels like it decides everything — write it down. The you who already knows the answer will want to hear from the you who doesn't.
How to write this letter
- Write down the uncertainty exactly as it is: your estimated score, the city you're hoping for, what scares you. That suspense is the best part a year from now.
- Spell out your plans for every outcome — what you'll do if it goes well, and if it doesn't. Future-you will see how brave you were.
- Thank someone: the deskmate who studied with you, the parents who walked you to the exam, the teacher who never gave up on you. You can show them the letter in a year.
- Set one challenge for your first year of university, then check back in twelve months whether you kept it.
Real letters from the vault
999 public letters你
果然是没有好好上课好好预习吧也没有好好刷数学题吧也没有好好学习英语吧那你考的上才怪
n3616
2019.09.21
for future xinky part.42
第四十二天，这天跑断了腿，体育考要命啊 直到现在，都还是疼3.28 21:24
过去的星奇
2017.03.28
写给未来的…
还有240多天了 不知那时候的自己如何？只想告诉未来的自己，不抛弃，不放弃！
孙嘉辉大人
2015.08.29
你还好吗
高考结束了无论你在哪 都要明白 你的人生才刚刚开始 你前途无量 你生而优秀
n1607
2016.07.31
写给未来的…
对不起,高考没能陪你.考完了放松了可以多笑笑了 你笑着很美的
n1357
2016.02.12
想你了 我高考完就来找你了
要不要复合 我找你好几天了 我来找你好不好 我们一起去山东青岛看海好不好
小琪
2026.06.19
给2022年大四刚开始的我
现在是大二刚开始 不知道大四刚开学能不能收到保研信息 哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈
n5968
2020.11.29
喂，你成年了。
今天你十八岁了，还活着吗？我就是想看看我是不是能以一个成年人的身份去死。
n2759
2018.04.02
高考后
不管考到什么 这2年来的努力实在是太令人震惊了！ 加油 奔向更美好的未来
n1488
2016.05.18
至初入中考考场的孙歌
必须是地理生物都九十在这单枪匹马的战争我希望你可以获胜祝中考顺利
孙歌
2022.04.05
给肥仔一封信
考上理想大学每天刷五个小时题和资料不打开其他app考上没有呀死肥仔
huang
2021.12.30
李新源
哈喽 李新源 你现在已经考上本科了吧 王者应该还没打上 要努力呀
n7975
2022.05.27
Frequently Asked Questions
When should the letter arrive?
Three popular picks: results day (about a month out — opening it feels like a reveal), the first day of university in September (new city, old feelings), or exam day next year (a full year, the sharpest before-and-after).
Should I include my estimated score?
Yes. Whatever happens, looking back at that guess — and the nerves behind it — is the most honest part of the whole letter.
Can I write to someone else instead?
Absolutely. Lots of students write to a graduating deskmate or a secret crush — just add their email or phone number and agree to open your letters on the same day next year.
After the Gaokao: Write to Yourself, One Year On
Write yours