<p>My mom was telling me about this article in the newspaper written by a woman a few years older than her, during the times when China's colleges were just reopening (1976, I believe). This woman and her friends had been relocated to the countryside as workers, and found out about the reinstatement of the college examinations two months before the actual examinations. For those of you that don't know, these exams are comprehensive tests of all the subjects covered in HS (and middle school?) and some of these people had been out of school for years; for the first year 50-60 percent on the sections could land you in college. When they mentioned to their agricultural supervisor that they wanted to take the test, she was vehemently against it. Refused. Luckily, they had two and the other one was sympathetic. They studied every night, through half of the night, huddled around one candle. On the night before the test they set out through the snow and hiked all through the night to get to the testing center. The youngest (and one of the brightest) among them got sick on the way; she told them to leave her but they didn't because they thought she would die (well duh she would die) and managed to drag her to the center, but when she got there she was delirious and couldn't take the test. They had to drag her screaming out of the testing room. Well, her friends all passed and now they're in their fifties, and they have homes and cars and families, and this last girl who missed her only chance? She lives in a home for old people (dirty, rundown places) and she peddles herbal flowers by day to gather enough money to send her son to college.
I have more stories too... one of my uncles studied in the middle of the summer wearing a rubber raincoat over his body and rubber over his face except eyeholes to fend off mosquitoes, and these are HOT summers, to get into college... ^.^ I've also heard that if you don't have a degree you're basically forced to retire at about 40, with no benefits--there are younger, livelier workers to replace you--</p>
<p>what exactly is the "asian syndrome?"</p>
<p>and though the story is inspiring (up until the point where the woman's life was ruined after she was unable to take the test) how does it provide insight into the asian syndrome?</p>
<p>Do you think people who had that kind of experience, or whose relatives did, might be highly focused on education?</p>
<p>I've heard stories like that from other Asian countries; only certain people ever get the chance to apply for higher education. It really puts the American application experience in perspective!</p>