Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

The list of what students are going to what universities came out today. A few made it into second-tier unis (e.g. Kyungpook, PNU) and most into third-tier ones (e.g. Daegu-dae, Kyeongnam). It just makes me wonder what they really gave up three years of their lives for. Pretty well all the ones with some academic university got into *a* four-year university, so what really was the point of driving them so hard in the faint hopes that some might get into a university in Seoul? I'm still certain that if, starting in grade one, teachers really taught for knowledge rather than tests for a more limited amount of the day by the end of grade three they'd do just as well or better and in the mean time had a much more enjoyable adolescence. One of them didn't make the cut for flight-attendent school and so she's going into foreign literature studies at Keimyung National University - if that gives you any idea of how reversed some priorities are over here.

So how did your HS students do this year?

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

One got into KAIST, another got into Kyeonghui, and one made it into SNU.

branchsnapper · Joined: 21 Feb 2008

I don't see your point, YBS. Since two of mouse's students got into the big league, does that make it all worthwhile? What would?

We all know the faults with the education system here. What it does do though, is effectively drive people, by means of harsh competition, to conform to the needs of the economic system (without making them very creative) and most of the positive, convenient things about Korea derive from that.

gangpae · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Busan

Your school probably doesn't have enough well-to-do parents who can forward the necessary 'appreciation' money to facilitate the application process at a big university.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

My cousin went to Kyunghee and majored in PhysEd. After University, he went on to work at a leading Investment firm in KOrea, and he makes really good money.

PhysEd major.

How did he get a job in investments? His English is near native because he went to elementary school in the US, and he was a Katusa in the Korean Army.

You tell your high school students that English can make a PhysEd major into a rich investor.

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

A couple of our English majors got into Yonsei last year.

Having said that, it is such a waste of youth for them to be so blindly devoted to something that so few of them will achieve. It's like those kids who hardcore play basketball or hockey or whatever. Yes, you're good, but less than 1%, will make it to the "majors."

talltony4 · Joined: 09 Aug 2004

Interesting point YBS.

I think it's quite a subversive idea. Basically, figure out where you stand as a student at the start of high school, and study accordingly. I don't think many 16 year olds would have the maturity to pull it off though. So they either conform, and study like crazy, or drop out entirely.

If Korea follows the path of the western democracies, and I think it is, career earnings for plumbers will soon be way above university grads anyway. Will more students take your advice then?

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

branchsnapper · Joined: 21 Feb 2008

It's great when ajummas do that. Much better to entertain a two year old with some English than bully them with homework later on. Two year olds can't do much but they can learn language, so why waste it?

Having said that, why must they show off bad pronuciation in the kid's section of the library at full blast?

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

It's one of the only ways a Korean who was not already born into wealth can get ahead.

branchsnapper · Joined: 21 Feb 2008

I've tried to look up a ranking of social mobility across countries before but I can't find one. Do you know of one? How low is Korea?

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

If I had to guess, I'd say low.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

I work at SNU.

I have a lot of students (both male and female) that say,

"One day I really want to be a good husband/wife/father/mother".

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. They consider hard work part to be one of the necessary evils in their life, and at the end of the day, when their evil work is done, they still know that family is what matters.

I say good for them.