Korean Lifestyle, Exam & Drinking Culture Of Korean Students

South Korea is always in talks about its studying culture, schools, and Universities. Korean lifestyle of students is completely different from students around the world.

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As once they are in high school everything changes. Studies get intensified, hours get longer and longer along with time. For most of the students who are career-oriented this period of their life is crucial as they will be entering into universities and needs to sit for the entrance exam soon. Students contribute approximately 60 hours a week studying, and then graduate college only to get hired by reputed companies. This is how their daily life is.

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Thousands of high-school senior students sat down to take the most popular & highly competitive entrance exam of their life., i.e, Suneung, or the College Scholastic Ability Test.

After studying for whole school life, students devoted their last 3 years, spending extra hours of study daily. Almost they study without any break from 18 hours a day.

Students are being told since their childhood that Suneung is the most important exam in their life. Teachers emphasize that if they couldn't pass the exam, the rest of their lives would be a failure because this particular test is the first and last step to a successful life.

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This particular entrance exam is the way to secure a job in the Government Sector, Even if one doesn't want to enter the government sector still they need to crack the exam to enter the best universities like Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. These 3 are called "SKY" and are the most reputed university in South Korea. Students aim for SKY so that they can be degree holders and earn a handsome amount. Education is a means to the moral right for South Koreans.

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The concept of this entrance exam came in the 19th century. Japanese colonial used to rule over Korea. Only 5% of people were educated. Only elite class people were allowed. This is also one of the reasons why government focuses more on “shared standard of education” and equal rights. This passion for education benefited South Korea in a good way. Putting consistently atop the global school rankings.

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Life before entering the university & cracking the most difficult exam of a student's whole life is never easy. But once students enter the campus it becomes a bit easier as they can have freedom of studying as well as enjoying their life. Korean universities are very famous for their drinking culture. underage drinking isn't allowed. Usually, the alcohol consumption capacity of Koreans is pretty high. Especially the younger generation.

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Students have full liberty to drink and usually are heavy drinkers. This is the most important part of Korean culture and Korean society accepts it too. The reason why Koreans consistently drink alcohol definitely has to do with the stiff work and school system. Soju & Makgeolli are the most popular alcoholic drinks among students as they are easy to digest and considerably cheap to be afforded by everyone. While non-alcoholic drinks like Banana Milk, Sikye (traditional Korean rice drink), Coffee Milk, and Milkis are quite popular.

The drinking culture in Korea holds a heavy wattage this is the reason they have so many drinking games as well. Night-outs and parties are incomplete without wasting your friends completely making them drunk playing these games:

• Soju Bottle Cap Flick:

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To play this game simply twist the long strip that extends from the bottle cap until it’s near to coming off, and then flick the strip. The one that flicks it off has to take a shot as a punishment.

• Higher-Lower Game With A Soju Bottle Cap:

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If you never tried soju or paid much attention to the cap, then from now onwards you should. Well to play this game one player need to check the inside part of the soju bottle cap there's a number hidden to play this game. The player will give a number scale and others have to guess the number whoever guesses the right number becomes looser and had to take the shot.

• Never Have I Ever:

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Players will sit making a circle and spin the bottle, then towards whom the bottles point out he/she needs to answer a question if they don't give the answer or lied they will take a shot.

 Group of players will take changes to sing a Korean phrase, 안녕 클레오파트라 세상에서 제일 가는 포테이토칩, which means “Hello Cleopatra, this is the best potato chip in the world”. While turning the shift from one person increasing their pitch and if any one of them fails they have to drink. It is mostly played by k-pop idols on variety shows as well.

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Every country is unique in its own way. Korean lifestyle differs from age group to age group. Student’s leads different lifestyle while adults live differently. Korean dramas, K-Pops, etc. might show a different vibe but the reality is always different. A student usually spends most of the time studying in school days for longer hours while in college days they get some freedom. But freedom comes with conditions too. And people who drink are not always bad. Korean lifestyle sometimes became difficult. Still, South Korean cultures are best in their own way.

Author - Barsha Das.