How do asians study

I believe the problem extends from culture and value backgrounds of different groups. Luckily, issues that disadvantage college minority groups can change, and should change. I believe that providing a better education as well as promoting more studious environments and values among the minority groups from elementary school to high school is the true solution for diversity in college. With good policy making, these are all possible. We also might consider having diversity in physical attractiveness in the entertainment industry, because if you pay close attention to the industry often, you might notice that non-gorgeous looking people seem to be discriminated in getting lead roles in movies and such.

Ultimately, universities look for people that have the best potentials in being successful in society after graduation, so the reputation of the school would expand, as well as receive some alumni donations. So why do Asians study like crazy anyway? Getting into a good college is more like an end itself, rather than a means to an end, which is to get a successful job.

If I was still in middle school, whether I wanted to be a doctor or not would not have been a question either. These are just all assumed: if you can be a doctor, be a doctor, and if you can get a masters, get one. So the reason why many Asian groups value education and degrees comes from the ancient traditions in China. During the time, most people were only peasant farmers and could not afford an education.

The ones who did went for an education, which is pretty much a no-brainer even without the education. Once you score well on the exam and become a government officer, supposedly you will bring prosperity and honor to all your family and ancestors.

It has been that for thousands of years, and scholars were always the most looked up upon, as kings and emperors always listened to them think Confucius. In the US, things are a bit different. People look up to individuals like Bill Gates, who quit his degree at Harvard, started Microsoft and were able to pay his bills quite well, while having some extras for entertainment. In the US, being prosperous IS prestigious, excluding activities such as drug dealing etc.

At this point I shall admit that I have been talking in extremes and absolutes, and that a common idea of prestige and such is still shared among the cultures. It is impossible to talk about any group as a whole without making statements that are generic with tons of exceptions. In many Western countries, education is the means to an end. You go to school so you can get a better job with your better degree.

Many times you can evaluate is it worth the money to get that education and I have learned in my econometric class at UCLA, that according to some data, on average you only make around 46 cents more per hour after each year of schooling. Let me tell you this to be convincing:. A good amount of middle school students from Taiwan live like this this includes many many of my personal friends : they would go to school at AM.

School ends at PM. Then they have to finish after-school school homework, and then their real school homework, and then they go to bed. As far as I know, not that many middle school students live like this in the US. A few years back, students needed to go to school on Saturdays too they Westernized.

And in your 3rd year of middle school, you are forced to stay in school to study for your exam till 8PM every day. I remember those annoying tests that for every problem you get wrong, the teacher takes a big stick and hits you in the palm. It hurt like crap. Do the parents go to school and yell at the teacher? In the US culture, parents have more power than teachers.

But in many Asian cultures I know Taiwan best, but many other Asian friends confirmed the same thing , the teachers have more power than the parents and the parents are often apologizing. For many Asian students, getting into an university is where life ends. Then another life independent of their past starts once they get out of college.

However, there are some negative consequences to it, besides the high stress and suicide rates of students. Since getting into college is everything, once students from Asia not Asian students in the US, and no not ALL countries get into top universities, they start to slack and have fun all day, instead of really acquiring knowledge as they are there for.

Getting into graduate school is simply determined by another test at the end of college years. I know this because I every friend I talked to who grew up in Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea all said in middle school and high school, they were extremely stressed and suicide rates were higher. Once people get in college, what people do all day is slack off. For that reason, when it comes to universities, students in the US actually study harder than those in Asia yea, amazing right?

Even after all that partying. This is just some thoughts based on the observations I have in society and an attempt to explain the origins of it. If you happen to disagree with anything and have better insights about things, feel free to criticize this and enlighten me.

Politeness is appreciated but sometimes too much to ask for from Anonymous Commentors, so trolls are welcome too. Have a great time! Every week I hop on a conference call to teach, answer questions, and give feedback to members of Octalysis Prime.

If you want to take your Gamification practice to the next level, then come join us. If you are interested in working with Yu-kai Chou for a business project, workshop, speech or presentation, or licensing deal, please fill out the form below. Your Name required. Your Email required. Your Organization required. Your Message. I can relate to this so much as an Indian! Also, is this also a phenomenon in other Asians where we study three or four grades ahead?

My parents were crazier and made me solve university calculus in sixth grade and Resnick Halliday in seventh grade. They said that the more I know than others the more likely I will be to succeed in national entrance exams. I have met Chinese people who said that their academic superiority is a sign of genetic superiority and that made me feel uncomfortable and inferior , so reading this article was such a relief. Considering that China had a nationwide test for millenia, it makes their achievements in modern exams like SATs and Gaokao seem more of a cultural inheritance than something genetic.

Pakistanis unit known around the world for many reasons. I grew up in Taiwan, and then came here to continue my study. I am currently studying at a very prestigious school in the US. I think that it is the culture that makes asian parents believe education is everything.

Getting good grades does help you in life ultimately, but the goal is to not kill yourself trying. The kids who are getting paid for getting Bs or Cs have a higher probability ending up in manual labor or working at the post office which is perfectly fine. Robyn If you were to come to Asia you would see the real picture. Not all Asians get straight As and I happen to be one of them.

First of all, I would appreciate milder language on my blog. But thanks for the comment and I hope you find better balance in your life. Do you think asian children like to study. Well for me I really like and envy the white people. Because they get to day dream, play all day with friend and interact with other people. But for asian kid I already looking at taxes about the age of 6.

During any holiday including summer holiday my parent force me to do more homework and more studying. My parent always comparing my marks with my cousins or family,friends or any strangers. Always telling me to get into Harvard university like all your older cousins and getting honours. And when i see my cousin and my parent, relative they said be to be a good example to your younger cousin telling them getting good mark and getting into top university is there future.

Therefore, while they might be high achievers overall, they have little or no time to build their people and social skills that are necessary for success. Another area Chinese students might fare worse in than their Western counterparts is critical thinking.

They grew up accepting that they are not allowed to question various facts, and that they have to think in a certain way. The censorship of the Chinese internet means that there are still no results coming up for Tiananmen Square on any search engine.

If you decide to search for it, however, you might get the secret police knocking on your door. Critical thinking then is an area where Western students might beat their Asian counterparts. Whether Chinese students are better at learning facts and preparing for exams is not the main question. To succeed in life you need more than a good degree; you also need ties with people and critical thinking skills.

You must be logged in to post a comment. By Shout Out UK. Different Education Culture Image: Wikimedia Commons Children in China are taught to investigate and take responsibility for their learning.

Grades Focus The more liberal Western education system looks at developing critical thinking as a main priority. Critical Thinking Another area Chinese students might fare worse in than their Western counterparts is critical thinking. China Chinese students Western education.

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We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Dr Jerrim suggested that this could reflect the quality of pre-school education or else it could be that these pupils have "higher inherent ability".

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