Who says gamers aren't good students? Top Chinese high school student loves Dota

One of the biggest problems for young Chinese gamers—young gamers everywhere, really—is the struggle to convince their parents that it’s possible to be a gamer and a good student. And to be honest, it’s not hard to see why the parents (many of whom have never played games themselves) are worried. The Chinese media is full of horror stories about gamers; feel-good stories are much harder to find.

Here’s one, though: Ningxia province’s top scorer on the gaokao—China’s all-important college entrance exam—is a gamer. His name is Luo Zhengling. And no, by “gamer” I don’t just mean he plays Angry Birds on his phone during study breaks. This dude plays Dota, and still managed to score a 678 on the sciences section of the gaokao, the highest score in the province.

The results of the gaokao can decide how the rest of your life goes in China. A great score like Luo’s wins you entrance to the country’s elite universities and sets you up for success. A poor score can keep you out of college entirely (millions fail the test outright).

Now, granted, it’s not clear exactly how much Dota Luo played, especially in the run-up to the all-important test this month. It’s possible he’s a total feeder. Even so, though, the next time your parents point to some kid who failed out of school as the reason why you shouldn’t play games, you can point to Luo Zhengling as the counter-example.

(via Netease Games)