Students in China

Education in China is really a different ballgame.  There's a pre-school nearby,  Each morning the grandparents take the little ones to pre-school, and then pick them up at 5:00.  Meanwhile both parents are working diligently to earn money.
Elementary age children spend a lot of time in music lessons, art, writing--creative things.  They do NO chores.  Their parents or grandparents do everything for them so they can study and be good students.
By middle school they are in school from 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM with a break for lunch and a rest in the middle.  Then they study until nearly midnight. They have “Tiger Moms” who insist on excellence and near perfection.   I'm not sure when or if they ever have much fun.
High school is even more demanding.  They are very studious and quite creative and artistic.  They memorize everything and read voraciously!  Their one main goal is to pass the national college entrance test which takes several hours.  That determines where they can go to college.

My university students go to school most days from 8:00 to 6:00. They have two 2-hour classes in the morning, and the same in the afternoon, with a 2-hour break for lunch and a rest.  Then they study until late, or perform in music groups, speech contests, etc.  They are rarely late to class and humbly apologize if they walk in after the bell rings.  Most score 100% on their vocabulary quizzes, and if they do less than 100% on their presentations, they ask for the chance to do it again and improve.  I hardly dare dock them 5 points, because it gives them such heartburn.  They are very thoughtful and interested in the United States.  They think college students have it much easier, which is probably true.

They live in very basic dorm rooms with a community bathroom and no privacy.  To shower they have to go to a public bath.  They suggested I stop by to see it, but Suggested I wouldn't want to stay long. There are no clothes dryers.  They hang their clothes out on the balcony/porch. Not sure if they have access to a washer, or use the sink.  There is no heat in the dorms, at least not yet.  They wear coats and heavy sweaters all day long, in and out of class.

I'm sure not every student is so conscientious, but they understand that education is the key to their future and a good job.  They are pretty addicted to their cell phones, and social media as they know it.  Some play pick-up sports, and video games.  I'm not sure when they fit those in.  Many MS and HS students go to extra classes on weekends to learn foreign languages and to be tutored to keep high performances.  It's a pleasure to have such diligent students, but it's heart-wrenching to see how hard they work with so few of the conveniences Americans take for granted (heat, cleanliness, soft beds, drinkable tap water, tv, instant Internet, fast food…)

Perhaps we should ship some of our high school dropouts over here to get a taste of “reality”.  How grateful we are for the abundance of blessings we have in America.

P.S.  I taught my students to square dance in my culture class.  There were as shy as 4th graders, especially the boys.  But they had a rollicking good time!