Students express frustration over delayed college entrance exam

By Park Sae-jin Posted : November 16, 2017, 09:42 Updated : November 16, 2017, 09:42

A student studies for an annual college entrance exam in a temporary shelter in Pohang hit by a 5.4-magnitude quake.  [Yonhap Photo]


A 5.4-magnitude earthquake which hit the southeastern port city of Pohang shattered the hearts of many students who have studied hard for years as education authorities fearing aftershocks put off a nationwide college entrance exam for their safety.

After careful consideration, the education ministry pushed back the College Scholastic Aptitude Test by a week to November 23, although the quake did not cause any severe damage outside Pohang. Some 593,000 students were to take the test on Thursday at 1,180 schools.

"I've been preparing for this exam for almost 10 years. I am so angry and I will not study anymore until the exam," Jeong Taek-geun, a student in the central city of Daejeon, told Aju News.

Like many other students, he has studied hard for years just to earn good marks in the college entrance exam because the annual test would determine which university they will be granted into. Public stereotypes that judge people by their academic background are strongly reflected in the syndrome.

Many students try to keep the best of their physical and mental conditions weeks before the exam, controlling their diet and following strict study timetables. It is common for female students to take birth control pills ahead of the crucial day to shift their menstrual cycles.

Considering enormous efforts they have put, many students expressed frustration but they largely agreed that the delayed exam was inevitable. "I am so frustrated but I think it was right to postpone the exam. Safety should come first," F240, an internet user who identified himself as a third-grade high school student, said in a post uploaded onto Clien, an online community.
 
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