2008 Woodie Awards
International students discuss differences in education, studies
Elijah Turan
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Students and staff who have come to Lorain County Community College from around the world discussed differences in teaching and learni8ng in other countries in a group interview on Sept. 25.
Sumin Sim, Kyoungho Kang and Freddy Park, Korean-born LCCC students, speak about the Korean university entrance examination.
"All Korean students who want to enter the university must take the exam," Sumin said. "If they do not do well, they cannot take it again until the next year."
To prepare their children for the examination, many Korean parents spend large sums of money on private tutors.
On average, a private tutor may charge around the equivalent of $300 for eight hours of instruction, according to private tutors in the country.
"The examination is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," Kyoungho said. "The first part is Korean, the second part is math, third is science and society, and the fourth is English."
"It was too stressful," Sumin said, regarding the examination.
Kwaku Obosu-Mensah, an assistant professor of sociology a t LCCC, talked about his experiences as a student in the West African country of Ghana.
"The teachers do have a lot of power," Obosu-Mensah said. "It is almost like your parents are giving them permission to punish you on their behalf. It is a very rigid system."
He also commented on the competitive nature of the high school system in the country.
"So many people go to high school in Ghana; so few people are admitted to the university," he said. "It is highly competitive."
"At times, I would not go to bed until 3 a.m.; I would be reading. We used to drink coffee to keep us awake. Or stimulants," he said. "I remember after one exam, I was shaking."
As a sociology professor, Obosu-Mensah believes it is important to learn about foreign educational systems.
"Every country has a different system. Knowing about them can help you choose from the wider scope," he said. "It is best that we know what is happening in other parts of the world educationally."
Despite the demanding nature of the South Korean educational system, many Korean-born students speak fondly of their country of origin.
"We miss Korea sometimes," Park said.
Sumin Sim, Kyoungho Kang and Freddy Park, Korean-born LCCC students, speak about the Korean university entrance examination.
"All Korean students who want to enter the university must take the exam," Sumin said. "If they do not do well, they cannot take it again until the next year."
To prepare their children for the examination, many Korean parents spend large sums of money on private tutors.
On average, a private tutor may charge around the equivalent of $300 for eight hours of instruction, according to private tutors in the country.
"The examination is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," Kyoungho said. "The first part is Korean, the second part is math, third is science and society, and the fourth is English."
"It was too stressful," Sumin said, regarding the examination.
Kwaku Obosu-Mensah, an assistant professor of sociology a t LCCC, talked about his experiences as a student in the West African country of Ghana.
"The teachers do have a lot of power," Obosu-Mensah said. "It is almost like your parents are giving them permission to punish you on their behalf. It is a very rigid system."
He also commented on the competitive nature of the high school system in the country.
"So many people go to high school in Ghana; so few people are admitted to the university," he said. "It is highly competitive."
"At times, I would not go to bed until 3 a.m.; I would be reading. We used to drink coffee to keep us awake. Or stimulants," he said. "I remember after one exam, I was shaking."
As a sociology professor, Obosu-Mensah believes it is important to learn about foreign educational systems.
"Every country has a different system. Knowing about them can help you choose from the wider scope," he said. "It is best that we know what is happening in other parts of the world educationally."
Despite the demanding nature of the South Korean educational system, many Korean-born students speak fondly of their country of origin.
"We miss Korea sometimes," Park said.
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