Korean Job Discussion Forums

[phaedrus]

How much of a free ride is Korean university compared to Western university?

As entrance exam time is approaching, does it matter what happens in Korean university, or does only the entrance exam matter?

[the_beaver]

[sadsac]

For the majority of Korean university students, it's party time.

[ajstew]

I wouldn't say it's party time. Obviously, you can do that if you want, but your grades will probably suffer, especially since many universities have to have 30% of the grades in the 'C' range. I've heard from my students just recently, that they believed university would be a completely different experience than what it turned out to be. They expected it to be an easy going experience and found instead that they have a lot of work to do. My university could be an exception though, but the students insist that this is the way it is all over Korea. I find where I teach that it certainly seems like a highschool though, and I can understand why the students are disappointed by it.

[mindmetoo]

That's what I've heard. Korea and Japan are similar. Kids spend their childhoods and teenhoods studying like hell. University is 4 years to party before they marry and work desk jobs for the rest of their life. Surely science/engineering majors probably cut into social life but I would think for the majority of arts majors who will be slotted into chaebol jobs after it can be a 4 year bender.

[manlyboy]

I've heard it's a loss of face for a professor if a student fails. Consequently, students can get passes here when they would be failing in other countries.
My wife disagrees with the face thing, but she agrees about the free ride deal as she has studied both here and in the states.

[spliff]

I'm not allowed to give my students a grade below a D...even if I've never even seen them. Also, I am required to give 1/3 of each class a grade of B or above...even if they haven't earned it!

Whatever...I really onle care about and put effort into my privates!

[Pyongshin Sangja]

I had a student show up last week for the first time. That was October 7th. Class began on August 30th. He will pass. They all pass.

[Css]

All the uni students I know study a huge amount of hours..

[honeybuzz]

[peppermint]

I think it used to be, but that's changing. I know in their last year they spend a ton of time studying for company entrance exams

[hocbas]

[Real Reality]

To my knowledge, there has never been a single case in Korea where a Ph.D. candidate has failed to obtain his or her degree. Speaking as a Korean professor, however, I acknowledge that not all theses submitted are necessarily outstanding. In making an important decision for the award of a degree, we often ask ourselves, "How can you dare to fail a candidate?" This deep-rooted custom is derived from a combination of sentiment and manners and has tarnished university competitiveness as well as producing incompetent scholars and scientists.
Integrity of university professors article by Chung Yeon-ho
From the Korea Herald (July 1, 2004)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/07/01/200407010011.asp

"The customers gave minimal information to the ghostwriters, such as a title and table of contents, and the writers researched and found references," said prosecutor Park Seong-hoon. A professor who was part of an examination committee that accepted several ghostwritten theses said, "The quality of the theses was poor, but I didn't want to disqualify them. I never knew they were written by others." The prosecution suspects that at least 30 illegal ghostwriting businesses are in operation.
Ghostwriters investigated by Kang Joo-an
JoongAng Daily (March 17, 2003)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200303/17/200303170205221879900090409041.html

[Css]

[hocbas]