<p>Many of these students are book smart, but how many have the drive to succeed in the real world?</p>
<p>The problem with the Korean education system is really apparent. That's why so many Korean parents literally pour tons of money to send their kids to study in the US, Australia and Canada.</p>
<p>~ SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 : " We Asians Are Always The Best At Whatever We Do, Always."</p>
<p>Absolutely wrong!
I am an Asian too, from India's most literate state and India's most educated district.</p>
<p>The biggest flaw of our education system is that it spoon feeds some rotten facts and information without making us to think, which is quite evident from the statement made by `SSJ2MysticGohanX1000'. Had the education system made this person to think, question and analyse the very statement this person has made, he/she would have seen the hollowness of it.
How many Asians it took to discover gravity?
How many Asians it took to invent an electric bulb?
How many Asians it took to see the evolution at work?
How many Asians it took to make an aircraft?
How many Asians it took to invent computer?
How many Asians it took to invent internal combustion engine?
How many Asians it took to invent quantum mechanics (Yukawa may be one exception, here!) ?</p>
<p>The fact of Asians topping the US universities is that the Asians are there to get a degree at any cost and so they put in all their time and effort to study and memorise text, figures and formulae, whereas the Western students spent their time partying, enjoying and learning to be social being.</p>
<p>I have come across it many times in India that many highly placed so called intellectulas indulge in Western bashing without ever have seen or known the western systems, values or even people. Such tendencies may be attributed to the failure of the education system to help them see, understand and respect new and foreign ideas and people. And finally, it's about the failure to inculcate tolerance in the minds towards other fellow beings which I believe must reign high and must be an important aim of education.</p>
<p>Your comments and criticisms are welcome and are expected. Please contribute!</p>
<p>=== S H A B I N =========</p>
<p>You don't understand. Asian Parents have sok much pride in their son/daughters that not being number one crushes them. Even worse, they basically disown their child if they don't meet their expectations. You guys may say,"Rexrun467 doesnt know what he is saying". I do because I did live in korea and came here in 6th grade. The reason I moved here is because my parents never finished college and they COULD NOT afford the cost of these schools dat prepared us for the test. So we bailed early so that I can learn English faster and become a citizen faster. My mom and dad were always trying to do their best to make me happy so they said screw Seoul, you're going to a school in America where opportunity will be given. Until 10th grade i was whining, complaining, etc. dat i wasn't living in Korean and couldnt get good classes in 9th grade. Then in 10th grade, i found out my cousin was basically kicked out of the house after he bombed the test. Then, my mom told me it was better to study here than Korea. so i started working really hard. </p>
<p>my point of the story, study in America. (my cousin now lives with us, he's transfering to UCSD) Yea, thank God someone adresses Asia's tough competition and schooling</p>
<p>If Asians can only study and memorize, what about the</a> many inventions and innovations by the Chinese before anyone else?</p>
<p>"How many Asians it took to invent an electric bulb?"</p>
<p>But more importantly, how many Asians does it take to screw one in...?</p>
<p>;-)</p>
<p>Why doesn't the Korean Gov. simply invest in the "lesser" schools to make them better. </p>
<p>In the US, there are dozens, even hundreds of schools that are prestigious. Its not like there's only HYP and Southwest Texas Baptist College for Boys etc. Even if you don't get into HYP, there's still Emory, Vandy, UCLA, UMich, UVa, U of Ill, ND etc. Life will be okay. If i were a Korean parent, I would send my kids here.</p>
<p>SHABIN, well said! I remember I was turned off completely with all these rotten memorization, useless learning, until I came to America and did particularly well because American teachers prefer students not to memorize but to analyze and think through things.
These sort of exams are very similar to most nations in Asia, Europe, etc.. except USA. However, if you look at America in the last 200 years, they seem to have an edge over other country, why? The system over here wants everybody to do well, late bloomers, etc..the Community College kids, while school in other countries favor early bloomers. Einstein was not considered early bloomer, he did not bloom until at least 17 if I'm correct?
So let's not copy what's not working in the other country and ruin this country also. I noticed certain ethnic Asians are particularly brand name concious when it comes to education and this thread confirms it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why doesn't the Korean Gov. simply invest in the "lesser" schools to make them better.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>never quite got that myself. in The Times ranking of the 200 best in the world, i counted 6 japanese universities, 3 in korea, 1 in india, and 5 in china. i don't get india and china especially. two of the most populous countries and only a handful of prestigious universities to serve their populations. (shrug)</p>
<p>actually, as a korean, i think korean government should leave ****ing colleges to do whatever they want. Let them set their own standard for admission, rules, whatever.. seriously.. the competition to get better students will enhance qualities of many colleges.</p>
<p>~intelliot: * If Asians can only study and memorize, what about the ** many inventions and innovations by the Chinese before ** anyone else? *</p>
<p>Intelliot, you are right. There have been many inventions from Asia.
- Magnetic Compass
- Rudder of boats/ships
- Grinding Machines
- Lifting Machines
- Architectural developments
- Mathematical developments</p>
<p>** But none of these inventions, and it's inventors, have been the result of the current educational system. ** I hope that you may agree with this statement.</p>
<p>=== S H A B I N =========</p>
<p>
[quote]
Unlike the students from India, I believe that the American education system makes you to think, analyse and criticise which is finally what education is all about.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not that I'm defending the horrible system of mental torture used in many countries such as Korea, India, etc., but quotes like these seem to me like hollow apologies for the relative failure of American schooling compared to other nations. I can't remember the last time American high school students ranked atop a list in reading, writing, math, etc. Sure, Hong Kong may have better high school students in every regard, but at least we Americans have kids who are open-minded, and creative, and can think for themselves. Lame-ass apologetic diatribe if I ever heard one. </p>
<p>And I find it offensive that some people attribute Asian dominance in academics due to their "robotic and monotonous" nature, while not applying the same standards to other high-performing groups like the Finnish. To me, it more than obviously reflects the old attitudes of the "Yellow Peril", of seeing Asians as a threatening horde of inhuman drones.</p>
<p>My son's best friend is Korean. His father got his MBA here and is now working in the US. They intend to educate their boys here rather than back in Korea. Both boys are top student and will do well, I am sure. I had talked about the education process in Korea, and the father told me that it is really a shortage of good jobs and decent entrepreneurial opportunities there. Because of that, a bright, outstanding student from a university other than one of the top tier schools is handicapped. There are not even enough good positions for those who do get through the top schools and are hired. And whereas here in the US, there are many routes to making a good living, things are much more limited over there. We actually value and commend the outlier, and many of them have become our top business people. In most fields it is the output and the quality that is much more important than where you were educated. In business it comes down to who can bring in the $. One of the things that really sets us apart is how entrepreneurs here can soar to the top, not just in earnings but in respect.</p>
<p>this korean college entrance exam story reminds me a lot about India and how applicants endeavor to get into IIT.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I think it's been said that approximately 20 students per year commit suicide due to the college entrance examinations. They also unfortunately added that they expect a rise in the trend as the process gets even tougher.</p>
<p>Yeah, I find it funny that American students complain so much about the SAT even though it's so much easier and worth so little compared to the entrance exams in Asian countries.</p>
<p>
<p>Absolutely wrong!
I agree 100%.
Having said that,
[quote]
How many Asians it took to discover gravity?
How many Asians it took to invent an electric bulb?
How many Asians it took to see the evolution at work?
How many Asians it took to make an aircraft?
How many Asians it took to invent computer?
How many Asians it took to invent internal combustion engine?
How many Asians it took to invent quantum mechanics (Yukawa may be one exception, here!) ?
[/quote]
To conduct meaningful research (which leads to most inventions) you need loads of $$$. None of the asain countries have enough money to even feed the people (except Japan) and you actually expect them to pay for scientific research?</p>
<p>Why is racism acceptable when it is from Asians to other races but not when it is from whites to blacks, for example?</p>
<p>Edit: Addressed at SSJ2goobedlyjunk.</p>
<p>Asians are not naturally smart....we are just the same as everyone else. </p>
<p>Our parents just push us and provide us with better opportunities. They send us to preschool, take us to libraries when we are 3, have us start working on math problems when we are 4, etc. At the two local libraries I go to, the most common demographic is the asian parent and an unpotty trained child.</p>
<p>Guys, SSJ2MysticGohanX1000 is a well-known troll from the engineering board. Please don't take his comments seriously or representative in any way of Asians. He just makes the rest of us look bad (assuming he even is Asian and not just trying to embarass us).</p>