Gaokao and the gap year
2015-06-25
There's been a lot of discussion on the blogs about gaokao and the gap year. Although I didn't grow up in China and didn't have to cram in endless hours of studying for the gaokao, if I had been one of those students I think I would be ready for a year-long rest! Obviously, every student is different. Some might be ready to press ahead into the college experience while others choose to take a year off. Personally, I think the gap year could be beneficial to Chinese students to have an opportunity to experience life outside of the academic classroom.
I teach at a university and most of my students are freshman and sophomores studying English. One of the things that surprised me when I started working with my freshman was how immature they were when compared with their American counterparts. Many of them had never been outside of their home provinces. Most had no vision for their future. But what surprised me most was their emotional immaturity as well. The freshman boys refused to talk to the girls in the class. I tried to get my students to mix and work together in groups, yet there was always a distinct (and awkward) gender separation. It reminded me of the behaviors of 6th grade students that I'd worked with in the US. Here were 18- and 19- year-old college freshman exhibiting traits that I was used to observing in 12-year-olds!
Although there's probably lots of factors that contribute to this lack of emotional maturity, I think a lot of it stems from the fact that high school students are expected to put 100% of their focus into preparing for the gaokao. They don't have many opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities or other events that allow them to develop normal social skills. If a Chinese student chooses to take a "year off" in between their high school and college years, it could give them some valuable opportunities to experience life outside of the classroom. Hopefully, their experiences could also help them get an idea of what they would like to do upon graduating. The majority of my students don't seem to know why they're English majors or what they're going to do at the end of their four years. However, my idea of what I would do in a "gap year" might differ greatly from what Chinese students would choose to do. If their gap year consists mainly of staying in their hometown, then it's probably a better idea for them to leave and go off to college where at least they'll have some new experiences.
Obviously the American education system isn't perfect. We have plenty of flaws. But I certainly am glad I didn't have to take the gaokao!
--Kelli 凯丽
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