Sha Lei, a reporter for Xinxiang TV, enrolled in China Central Radio and TV University (CCRTVU, now the Open University of China, OUC) to study Chinese Language and Literature in 2011. During his time at the university, Sha Lei had to balance both work and study. He not only had to uphold his responsibilities as a family member, but also had to maintain his interview and editing work as a reporter. In spite of the difficulties facing him, he did not give up. Thanks to his excellent willpower, he successfully completed his study with outstanding results across all his courses.

Sha Lei has always firmly believed in the old saying that "good, better, best, never let it rest, till good is better, and better best." Based on this, he overcame the time conflict between work and study, putting what he’s learnt into practice and improving his professional skills. For example, Sha Lei made continuous coverage of a kidnapping story over several days, collecting detailed materials, in the hope that he could help reunite the kidnapped children with their families. In order to learn about the psychological state of the criminals, he visited jail to interview them on several occasions, studied relevant law tomes, and discussed with his tutors, trying his best to help the criminals turn over a new leaf. Furthermore, since he started editing, he has enriched his knowledge of literature and improved his editing skills under the guidance of the tutors. To expose the speed limit and traffic problems affecting the roads in Xinxiang, he used unconventional interview techniques to study the traffic situation.
Sha Lei has received several awards for his news coverage in Xinxiang. After being reviewed by the experts from Chinese Radio and Television Association (RTA), one of his features won third prize for excellent TV legal programmes. He also won first prize in the annual Henan province press awards (radio and television).
While studying at Henan RTVU, he realized that he should intensify his efforts in learning Chinese language and literature. Having long been engaged in the television news industry, he had found that there was always something new to learn. He had a clear idea of what to learn and why, so every semester he would work out a detailed study plan and search for all the necessary learning materials required for each specialized course through the online education resources provided by CCRTVU and Henan RTVU. During his study, he consulted with his instructors and professors for any difficulties and questions in a positive manner. Thanks to the available online course materials, face-to-face instruction from the tutors, and his own diligence, he achieved good results for each course. He also realized that he needed to enrich his knowledge within the scope of the modern information society. He actively cooperated with the instructors and was responsible for his own work. He was passionate, and demonstrated strong work ability. He attached great importance to the improvement of his comprehensive quality. He was good at learning and ready to absorb new knowledge. With this kind of inspiring and innovative spirit, he was able to make good use of what he had learnt. He always set a good example in class and created a harmonious working atmosphere. He adhered to the principle of “serving the students”, always putting the interests of the class and classmates first. His contributions have been unanimously recognized by his tutors and classmates.
Open and distance education is a new type of education that has arisen from the current state of ICT development, with students and learning at its core. It is a major means of constructing a lifelong learning system within the knowledge economy. During his time at Henan RTVU, Sha Lei found that this new form of study improved his learning ability. He is now proficient in computer operation and his editing level has greatly improved. With his new skills he was able to put theory into practice, and access advanced knowledge online. Through his hard work, he has achieved excellent results in multiple assessments, and was highly praised by his leaders and colleagues.
During his study, he was always ready to help others and actively provided service to students, regardless of his personal gain or loss. He studied hard and actively cooperated with and assisted the teachers in their work. He never failed to live up to the expectations of his tutors and classmates and always excelled academically. Each time his classmates were confronted with difficulties, he was always ready to help them. If some classmates entrusted him with certain task, he always tried his best to complete it. In this way, he has established a harmonious relationship with his classmates and won their trust. They often came to him for help, and he was always ready to help them solve problems. He gradually established his reputation as a key figure in the class. Most of the tutors, students, and colleagues thought highly of him. When his classmates were ill, he would visit them and take them medicine. He sometimes fetched and kept teaching materials for them; helped them through any difficulties in their study. He always notified classmates of the latest developments, including study, examination, fees, and registration issues. Before the exam, he would sort out the materials and distribute them among the students, helping them to get good results. Once he got the exam results from the class tutors, he would inform his classmates as soon as possible. He was willing to do anything as long as it was within his capability. He believed that it was a kind of fate to meet with his classmates from all walks of life in this campus. He felt honored to have the opportunity to meet and help the other students. He hoped that this valuable study experience would help his classmates to improve their personal quality and quality of life. Though sometimes it caused him trouble and took time, he still had great fun being a member of the class.
He was dedicated to his study and worked with a light mood. He gained both knowledge and friendship during his study. Although he held an ordinary post, he devoted himself to his work with a strong sense of service and dedication. He was amicable and strove hard to do practical things for his classmates and colleagues, winning their trust. He made full use of what he’s learnt into work, and made prominent contribution in his position. In the future work, he would conscientiously continue doing well with his work, studying more diligently, aspiring to blaze new trails, and making his due contribution to the news career!