A Taste of Failure Fuels an Appetite for Success at South Korea’s Cram Schools - NYTimes.com →
The students here were forsaking all the pleasures of teenage life. No cellphones allowed, no fashion magazines, no television, no Internet. No dating, no concerts, no earrings, no manicures — no acting their age. All these are mere distractions from an overriding goal. On this regimented campus, miles from the nearest public transportation, Min-ju and her classmates cram from 6:30 a.m. to past midnight, seven days a week, to clear the fearsome hurdle that can decide their future — the national college entrance examination.
Koreans are way too obsessed with college. When my little cousin was only around 4 or 5 years old she already started going to these after school tutor classes to learn english and other stuff. I couldn’t believe it. But my aunt explained that it’s the norm in Korea.
