this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2024
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[–] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 29 points 10 months ago

So the American equivalent is pretty much going to the ivy League then going to work at FAANG or a law firm or finance firm that only hires from the ivies.

That stuff all exists in the US and it's certainly something many Americans aspire to as evidenced by the whole college admissions coaching industry.

What you're seeing out of Korea is presented as though ALL families are basically telling their kids that they'll be disowned if they fail to achieve these lofty heights.

The reality is that there are a ton of more accessible universities throughout the Korean peninsula that kids attend and they end up with reasonable jobs living reasonable lives, current situation of unaffordable housing and rampant debt notwithstanding.

I would agree that many if not most Korean students spend significantly more time studying than their American counterparts. I will not agree that it's universally effective to do so.

Source: Lived in Korea for four years in the nineties and eventually married into it. Though I will admit some of my experiences may be outdated as I haven't been keeping up with latest trends.