The rule of four versus five

Asian students are among the most diligent, hardest-working students in the world.  They are generally driven to excel academically.  Those who go to the U.S. for education typically do very well because are disciplined and conditioned to excel.  In fact, a large portion of math and science students in U.S. universities migrated from Asia, particularly from China, India, and Korea.  In Korea, the drive for primary and secondary students to excel academically is especially acute.  Korean public education students work extremely hard.  Their primary goal is to perform well on college entrance exams in the hope of getting into their college of choice.  The chosen few who do particularly well are able to get into the elite Korean universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Ehwa Women’s University, and Korea University.  The Korean educational system is competitive to such an extent that Korean students often study up to 20 hours per day in order to stay ahead.  There’s an infamous saying in Korea known as "the rule of four versus five."  It states that students who sleep four hours per day will get into the college of their choice, while those who sleep five hours per day will not.  In addition to attending public schools, Korean students spend endless hours studying at private academies with professional tutors who grill them in a variety of subjects, particularly English.  Korean parents will spend thousands and thousands of dollars (millions of Korean won) to put their children through extracurricular training so that they can have an advantage when it comes to taking the college placement exam.

As an American, I find the Korean educational system both admirable and unsettling.  I really admire Korean students who work so hard to get ahead.  I also admire their parents’ dedication to putting their children through school, no matter how high the cost.  Korean parents are immensely supportive when it comes to making sure their children have the best educational and career opportunities.  At the same time, I am concerned about the unforgiving nature of the Korean educational system.  Articles like the one I recently read in the International Herald Tribune about student protests over the Korean educational system highlight just how unforgiving the Korean system can be.  Those who do not perform well face a far less certain future than those who do.  Their status in life, their career, the person they marry, and where they live are often determined by the outcome of a single exam.  Students can take the annual placement exam up to three times.  However, it is still very difficult for some students to succeed, even after testing multiple tries. 

Although the U.S. educational system is far from perfect, I believe it is preeminent in one critical aspect–it is much more inclusive, and it offers far more opportunities for academic and career success than does the Korean system.  Even some Koreans agree with me.  Those I have talked to acknowledge that the Korean system can be very harsh, and I meet many students who would prefer to pursue their education in the U.S.  This is only partly due to American academic curricula.  It is also because competitive pressure is much less intense in the U.S., and Korean students can take advantage of a wide range of academic and career opportunities in the U.S.  For example, they do not need to change schools in the U.S. if they change majors (they do in Korea).  They can attend school as non-traditional students if they are older or want to pursue unique educational interests.  There are far fewer non-traditional students in Korea.  A 55-year-old Korean grandmother would be hard-pressed to obtain her doctorate degree in Korea, whereas in the U.S. she can pursue her degree from any institution at any age, so long as she meets the entrance requirements.  The occasional story of the American octogenarian who earns his bachelor’s degree at a U.S. school is unheard of in Korea.

An American friend of mine is currently attending a master’s program at one of Korea’s top universities.  He sat in on a few courses before choosing his course schedule.  Two of his professors bluntly told him that he did not belong in their classes.  He did not conform to the norm, perhaps because he has a tenuous grasp of Korean.  He was finally able to find a niche for himself at that school and found a way to fit in.  He is one of the lucky ones, perhaps because he is a foreigner.  He would have been readily accepted by his teachers and peers if he had enrolled in a Korean language course.  However, because he chose to enroll in mainstream science courses, he met with resistance.  It’s an unfortunate reality of life in the Korean educational system.

The end of a cultural phenomenon

"Star Wars" is an American cultural phenomenon.  I still remember one evening back in 1977 when my family piled into our van and headed over to the drive-in movie theater to watch the first "Star Wars" installment.  I remember peering through the windows of the van at the huge screen, trying to catch the dialogue on the lousy speaker device that we hooked onto the van’s window.  I remember seeing Chewbacca for the first time.  I couldn’t figure out why George Lucas would cast Sasquatch in a feature film, but the image left a lasting impression with me.  At the time, Darth Vader, C3P0, R2D2, the Jawas, and the Tusken Raiders were exotic creatures; now they are an integral part of American pop culture.  I was dazzled by images of the Millennium Falcon zooming through space, dodging TIE fighters.  I thought the Death Star was very cool.  I still can’t figure out why a prehistoric creature was living in the Death Star’s trash compacter, but I won’t quibble over small details.  Or why Obi-Wan Kenobi disappeared when Darth Vader struck him down, while Darth Maul impaled Kenobi’s mentor Qui-Gon Jinn with a lightsaber.  “Star Wars” was an amazing tale (it still is), and the cinematography was ground breaking.  The movie’s plot was a simple story of adventure and tragedy told and retold in many other manifestations.  Nevertheless, it touched a chord with Americans at the time, and the movie went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time until it was dethroned by Spielberg’s “E.T.” in the early 1980’s.  It still ranks as one of the top five films of all time.

Fast forward to May 2005.  The sixth and final installment of the “Star Wars” saga, affectionately known as “The Revenge of the Sith,” will debut this week in theaters across the U.S.  I am fortunate because the American movie theater here will debut the movie on May 19th, the same day it opens in the U.S.  (“Star Wars” will not arrive in Korean theaters for awhile.  The time difference between Korea and the U.S. means that we will be able to see it about 14 hours before U.S. movie goers will.)  The movie debuted today in London and at the Cannes Film Festival.  A darker, more ponderous tale than were the previous two installments, the latest “Star Wars” film received muted critical acclaim.  The movie has been well received, although it may not do as well at the box office because of its dark theme and PG-13 rating.  The previous two installments, “The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones,” were generally panned by critics and suffered from declining box office interest.  This film will likely do better, and may be regarded as highly as the first three films were.  The film’s debut marks the end of a 28-year-run for the “Star Wars” saga.  It’s a bit sad to think that the film’s opening signals the end of an epic saga.  Although “Star Wars” will continue to live on in video, video games, action figures, Monday Night movies, and in comic books and books, the film series that spawned the phenomenon is coming to an end.  I wish that George Lucas would consider making a new set of films that start where “The Return of the Jedi” ended, however unlikely.  If “Star Trek” and “James Bond” can mutate into different iterations, surely “Star Wars” could.  I’m sure “Star Wars” purists would disagree.

I will try to catch “The Revenge of the Sith” sometime this week.  The movie will be very popular, and I may have to wait in line to see it.  It will be worth it, though.  The final “Star Wars” film represents the end of an era, and I have to pay homage to its conclusion.

My son's birthday

Although my son’s birthday was yesterday, we celebrated it today.  Because of the time difference between Korea and the U.S., his birthdate actually occurred this morning because time on the U.S. West Coast is 16 hours behind Korean time.  Early this morning, I woke up and remembered that fateful day when he was born.  Our lives have never been the same.  My first image of him was when he stretched out his hands and reached out for someone to hold him.  I couldn’t believe how strong he was for a newborn.  As a new father, I was a bit apprehensive about this new life we had brought into the world.  He seemed so fragile and breakable, and I was not sure how to touch and hold him.  It’s a feeling many new fathers experience when their first child is born.

Since my son’s birth I’ve matured as a father.  We now have a great father-son relationship.  This morning we drove around together running errands for his birthday.  We picked up a few groceries, some balloons, and his birthday cake, a Thomas the Tank Engine cake.  He was a great boy this morning and behaved well, in spite of the fact that his mom stayed home to finish preparing for his birthday party.  His birthday party was a great success.  About nine adults and five children attended.  My son received a number of outstanding gifts, including a wagon, wading pool, books, train toys, and a toy bus.  We gave him another toy train set, a Fisher-Price Geo Trax set.  It’s not Thomas the Tank Engine, his favorite, but it’s much cheaper and features a remote control.  He really loved it.  I put it together for him today.  We also received the outdoor playset we purchased yesterday.  The playset includes a playhouse with a slide and a swing set.  It’s still a little too big for my son, but he’ll grow into it.  Right now he can’t even use the swing set on his own.  He will sooner or later.  We’ll be in Seoul for the next two years, plenty of time for him to enjoy it.