Sample size n=1 but a friend of mine was in the top 3 of CS in Hong Kong university and thus got to go abroad for a year. He described that back home they had t

Sample size n=1 but a friend of mine was in the top 3 of CS in Hong Kong university and thus got to go abroad for a year. He described that back home they had to learn hundreds of specific 'best solutions' by heart and then regurgitate them on the test. He loved that he got actual challenges and got to work independently at the UK university where we met.