High School Nation

Today is the day that graduating High School Students have been dreading since their heads popped out of their mother's womb. It's test day here and as I write these kids are stressing out like never before. (Yesterday my teacher's class told me about girls puking in the bathroom while some boys sat at their desk plucking out their eyebrows and eyelashes in total frustration.)

Their future lives come down to this one day. This test affects (or is it effects?) which University they get into and here that's all that matters. Once at university it's very difficult to fail out and the good jobs tend to go to kids from the top three schools with very little regard to their actual scores. This is why there are so many cram schools and why I have a job here. Parents want and demand their kids do well on this test. Many mother's can be seen hanging outside the school all day waiting with flowers and gifts for their kids when they emerge zombie like from the school.

Because it's test day most government employees are told to come in at 10 o'clock so that the streets aren't clogged and so that students can make it to school on time. (Sleeping in never felt so good.) I even heard a rumour that flights into Gimpo airport are rescheduled to arrive after or before the listening portion of the test but I think this is an urban myth. It's a very big day. The news will carry the answers to the test later on tonight so students can figure out how they did. It's no coincidence that suicide rates also reach their peak around this time of year.