Korean students are known for their high achievements. One of the main reasons that Korean students do so well in school is that they are devoted to their study routine.
After school, an American student is likely to do their homework, but they will also devote time to friends, family, and activities. Korean students barely socialize for fun, as they spend most of their time after school studying.
Are you curious to know more about Korean students’ study routines? You’ve come to the right page. Today, we’re going to break down what you should know about how Koreans study and if this type of routine will help you get better grades. Keep reading to learn more.
A Korean Student’s Day At School
The education system in South Korea is very competitive. This puts a lot of pressure on Korean students to always deliver their best performance.
For that reason, they study a lot more than students in other cultures. Let’s take a look at the timetable for a typical Korean high school student.
- The first class starts at 8 am (this varies depending on the school).
- Classes will be approximately 50 minutes each.
- There will be a 50-minute lunches break, as well as a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break.
- Afternoon classes run until 4 or 430 pm.
- Students will spend approximately 20 to 30 minutes cleaning the classroom.
- Some students will attend a night school class or extra class after hours.
- There will be a break for the students where they can return home to eat dinner or grab dinner at the school.
- After dinner, students will attend private school, tutoring sessions, or return to the school library to study.
- Most Korean high school students finish studying between 10 pm and midnight.
How Many Hours A Day Do Korean Students Study?
Results are very important to Korean students. Pair that with a very demanding education system, and you will see students that spend the majority of their days studying.
The average Korean student will dedicate 12 to 16 hours of their day to their studies. However, many Korean students will study more than that to stay ahead of the class.
The South Korean education system is very demanding, which keeps the students on the tip of their toes.
There is a very high level of competitiveness that drives these students to study as much as they can. Korean students have many things that push them into studying a lot, including the desire to attend a high-level university or simply beating their friends’ marks on the next exam.
Teachers and parents in South Korea are also known for pushing their kids to do better. This prevents the students from allowing themselves to fall behind.
When it comes to the education system in Korea, it’s very goal-orientate. Students can expect to be tested on their subjects of study frequently, so they want to always be prepared.
Not only is it custom for Korean students to spend the majority of their evening studying or attending a private school, but many of these students wake up early to get some studying accomplished before they head to school for the day.
What Are Tips For Studying Like a Korean Student
Korean students are known for their high achievements. It’s believed that this high level of studying has played a substantial role in helping to boost South Korea’s economy.
Whether you want to attend a school in South Korea or you want to be more disciplined with your studies, you may be wondering how to study like a Korean student.
Schedule Time
Korean students do really well in school, and it’s no surprise given that they spend the majority of their time studying. If you want to study like a Korean student, you will need to focus a lot of your time and energy on it. This means that you will need to be committed, but more importantly, you will need to schedule time in for studying.
If you were to examine the agenda of the average South Korean high school student, you would notice everything is mapped out precisely. This schedule includes:
- Wake-up
- Morning routine before school
- Before school studying
- Morning classes
- Lunch break
- Afternoon classes
- (Optional) after school class
- Dinner break
- Study or tutoring
- 1 to 2 hours of leisure time
- Sleep
Of course, your schedule will vary depending on what your lifestyle includes. It’s more common for American students to have after-school activities or after-school jobs that they are committed to.
If you do, you shouldn’t cancel these just to spend more time studying, as your school curriculum likely doesn’t require you to.
Find Like-Minded Friends
If you want to devote more time to study, then it can help if you have a friend or two with the same goal. Of course, this is something you can do on your own, but having a study buddy can help keep you motivated. This will help to keep you focused so you don’t get distracted by things that will seem more entertaining at the moment.
Want to know another reason why having a study buddy helps? Korean students are very competitive. Seeing who has the better results can keep both of you in a friendly competition that will boost your grades.
Test Yourself Often
If you were to spend time around Korean students studying, you may notice that they don’t rely solely on the notes they have taken. Korean students are very involved with how they study. A few hours of studying at night isn’t just reviewing everything in the book. Instead, they will take time to test themselves to ensure they’re understanding everything accurately.
Is Studying Like a Korean Student Worth It?
Once a Korean student is in middle school, their workload will begin to get heavier and classes will become a more competitive environment. However, once they transition to high school, the competitiveness of school gets even more intense. These students have to work very hard just to stay afloat in class.
South Korea has some of the best schools in Asia with the highest results. The students who graduate from these schools are able to attend good universities and obtain high-paying jobs. These high results have come at a cost though. South Korea has a very high rate of teen suicides and the number one reason is academic pressure.
Final Thoughts
Did you know that the Korean students’ study routine has these kids busy all day? The average Korean student spends between 12 and 17 hours each day devoted to their studies. They are usually in class for 8 to 8.5 hours, with a lunch break.
After school they will take a short dinner break, then they will head back to the school library or a private tutor for more.
The South Korean education system is very demanding. Students need to stay focused and spend a lot of time reviewing the material they’ve learned and testing themselves to make sure they can keep up.
Many Korean students are competitive with one another when they have study groups. On top of that, they have parents and teachers placing pressure upon them to do well in school.
