Gaokao Testing

            Every June in China high school students take a college entry exam called the gaokao. The gaokao test is the only way into a Chinese university. Students can do nothing else because they have to study so hard for the test. The test puts an insane amount of pressure and stress on the students because getting into a university and getting a good job relies solely on this exam.  Therefore, it is not fair that so much is riding on one single test for these students.

            The gaokao test puts too much pressure and stress on students. For instance in the article “China’s Cram Schools” by Brook Larmer it states that “the gaokao is like the SAT or ACT, but it’s more than twice as long and the stakes are much higher… the test is the only thing that matters for admission to Chinese universities.” The test is so important and students want to do well on it, but it causes them so much stress and makes them work super hard. The exam is the only thing that matters for getting into a university, so if students fail or don’t get a good grade on them they can’t go to college; because of that they won’t get a good job. Another example of the stress the gaokao puts on kids is, “teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the gaokao nears.” Students can get so stressed and overwhelmed by the exam that they commit suicide because they can’t handle it. The test causes students to do so much work and put so much pressure on them that they can’t handle it. The work is overwhelming and obviously doesn’t have a positive affect on the students.  Students should not get to the point where they take their own lives because of a test to get into universities.

The gaokao is the only way that students can get into universities in China. For instance in Larmer’s article it states, “manual labor would be their fate too, if they failed to do well on the gaokao. Yang and Cao would have to join the ranks of China’s 260 million migrant workers, who have left their homes in rural china in search of construction or factory jobs.” Students know what will happen to them if they don’t pass the test, and they don’t want to have to work in factories or on construction. Because of this the students also stress themselves out and put too much pressure on themselves. If the students don’t do well on the test they can’t get into a good university, and if they don’t get into a good university then they can’t get good jobs and they will have to work in factories or construction, traveling from place to place for work. Another point the article makes is, “there is no alternative to the gaokao; a few points either way could determine whether he qualifies for a degree that could change his life—or nothing.” If your test result is a few points off from a passing grade you fail and you can’t get the same opportunities that people with a result of one or two points higher. People who pass get the opportunity to get a degree and have a good job, but if you don’t pass you have to do manual labor for the rest of your life. Parents don’t want that for their kids.

On the other hand, these tests give students from rural backgrounds opportunities that were never an option for them before.  For example the article says, “the students at Maotanchang, most of whom come from rural areas, the gaokao offers the promise of a life beyond the fields and the factories.” By taking the test people from rural places can have jobs other that farmers or factory or construction workers. Another more positive example from the article is, “in 2013, more than 9,000 Maotanchang students—about 80 percent of those who took the exam—scored high enough to enter a university.” That shows that student’s hard work does pay off and that they can succeed when they take the test. But, the gaokao test puts too much unwanted stress and pressure on the students.

Overall, it isn’t fair that so much rides on a single test for many Chinese students because it puts too much pressure and stress on them and it is the only way for teens to be accepted into universities and for them to get a degree and succeed at a job of their choice. If the students fail the test they will not get into universities and then they can’t get a good job. If you don’t go to university you have to become a migrant worker. These tests aren’t fair and students’ admission into university shouldn’t be based off of a grade on one single test.

"Between Shades of Grey" book club essay

            In 1941 the Germans and the Soviets in Russia went to war. The book “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys shows the story of a girl in Lithuania named Lina who was taken along with hundreds of other people to various work camps in Europe by the Soviet’s. In the book Lina’s mother stays strong in tough situations for her children and has hope that one day their family will return home.

            Throughout book Lina’s mother tries not to seem worried that the NKVD are taking them away. For example when the NKVD come to their house the mother says to Lina, “It’s a misunderstanding. Lina, are you listening?” (Page 6) The mother doesn’t seem worried about what is going to happen. Or at least she is trying to keep her children from being worried. Another example is when the bald man says, “We’re all going to die” the mother says “Nonsense!” (Page 14). She is trying to make her children feel better about their situation and what they are experiencing. The mother doesn’t want them to think that they are going to die or that something bad will happen to them. The mother may also be reassuring herself that they are not going to die and that her children will be ok.

           In the book Lina’s mother always wishes and hopes to return home to their house. For instance when the NKVD come to take them away the mother smashes all of their beautiful dishes, “We found our mother in the dining room, smashing all of her best crystal and china on the floor… ‘Don’t cry, darling. We’ll get much nicer things.” The mother wants to come home and have nicer things than before. But she doesn’t want to leave her old stuff behind to get ruined by people. Another example is after the mother died Mrs. Rimas asks Lina if there is anything left in the mother’s suitcase that she brought with her “I pulled Mother’s suitcase from under the board she lay on. I was wrong. Inside were fresh, clean clothes. A light dress, silk stockings, shoes without scuffs, her tube of lipstick… Mrs. Rimas brought a hand to her mouth. ‘She really intended to return home’… She kept them, to return to Lithuania in a clean set of clothes.” (Page 320). The mother got really sick and she was freezing. She could have put the clothes that were in her suitcase on anytime, but she chose not to because she wanted to have clean clothes to return home in. This also shows how strong the mother was because she kept believing that she was going to go home after all this was over.

            Overall, throughout “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys Lina’s mother stays strong and keeps believing that they will return home. The mother keeps her emotions hidden so she doesn’t worry her children and gives them hope that they will all get out of this together. The mother also tries to give her children hope in that they will return home and be riunited with their father. She stays strong for her family and for herself.