What students are thinking about today

By Michael L. McManus

Today’s college and university students are tomorrow’s global leaders. How do they think about the world today? What are the stresses? What are the rewards? How much time do they spend on line each day? In order to shed some light here, I surveyed recently a group of 50 students at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), mostly sophomores and juniors, about half of the group male and half female. Mostly Korean students, except for a very few internationals.

The first question asks, “What are you thinking about most of the time?” The major theme of the answers is: jobs, future employment, career destiny, some worries about getting through the daily grind of homework and exams. Less than half think of study abroad.

I asked, “What are you looking forward to?” Career was the main response. These students are very serious about career, and finding a good first job. It is the most paramount thing in their minds.

A similar question, “What are the happiest three things in your life?” Family is number one, followed by meeting a good romantic partner. Also mentioned: travel, music, shopping with parents, and food!

And, “what do you worry about?” The main answer was overwhelming… getting a job. There is also worry about passing key exams and graduating on time.

I always like to ask this question because it brings out such deep emotions: “What is the one thing you are most proud of about your country?” Here is the list in order of what most people said: Korea and Korean people; economic development; cuisine, mentioning "kimchi’’ most often; security and safety; sincerity; respect for the older people.

As to studying in Korea, students see these advantages: learning in one’s own language; ease of access to media; closeness to family and friends (comfort).

Nearly half of the students have studied abroad in either high school for one year or at the college level for one or two semesters, mostly in the United States. All those students valued the experience. About one third of the total students speak of a wish to have further study in the international realm.

Graduate school enters the picture for about one third of the students, though it may be a bit early since most of the students are only half way through their undergraduate degree program at HUFS.

Perhaps, the most interesting question was “How many hours per day do you spend on line?” This is amazing. It is very important to say here that this includes smartphones. There are two basic groups that the data form in this survey. One group, we shall call the “low users,” and the other group, the “high users.” So, what are the numbers like? The first group forms a range of between one hour per day to two hours per day. The second group is somewhat astounding, ranging from 5to 15 hours per day. The overall average is 4.5 hours per day, more than most national averages. Again, keep in mind; this includes time on smartphones calling and texting. The students reported that communicating with friends and homework take up most of the online time per day.

What does all this mean? First, it is but one point in time survey of a limited number of university students, but a sample that probably is somewhat representative of the larger population of Korean and international students studying today in Korea. The data serve to simply paint a picture with some fuzzy edges. Yet, there are some distinct patterns here. Stress and test stress is one of them, and it emerges as a reality that probably will not change in the near future. Students care about their performance and worry about it. The stress comes through in several of the questions.

Job search and career destiny are on the minds of most students all the time. This should not surprise anyone. Being liked and accepted by family and friends is big, and having a sweetheart shows itself as a need and time consumer. Only one of 50 students mentioned North Korea, and that was the wish for unification, not as a fear.

“Happiness” is closely associated with career issues: first, finding one’s purpose, second a job to match, third, a longer life of comfort. Korean students, in my estimation, are not unlike students anywhere in developed countries, wanting the best. This generation has been well conditioned by its parents to expect hard work. As I read through these remarkable comments, I see a strong influence of a Confucian society that would make Confucius proud. These students are prepared to take responsibility in society and in the world.

Michael L. McManus is founder and president emeritus of the California International Business University (CIBU) in San Diego, and currently guest professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Seoul. He writes bi-monthly for The Korea Times and can be reached at mcmismism@aol.com.