The article's comparison to the SAT is misleading. Whereas the SAT is a reasoning test, the Gao Kao is a series of subject tests (think SAT Subject Tests or AP exams). The three mandatory subjects are Mathematics, Chinese, and a foreign language. In addition, students select one to three additional exams, and this choice depends on what they hope to study in college. Prospective science/engineering students will choose from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; prospective arts/humanities students will choose from History, Geography, and Political Education.
students in China actually must apply to specific majors when they apply to college. for example, instead of applying to MIT, you'd apply for electrical engineering at MIT. it's also very difficult to change majors after you've been accepted into a particular one.
Oh, and the entrance test you take has nothing to do with the "major" you choose. I'm an IT student, and the entrance test to my university had 3 subjects: physics, chemistry and mathematics. Nothing else. And no, you cannot choose.
You have a bunch of extra curriculars under your belt? Oh, so you contributed to FOSS? Well, nobody cares. Because, "academics are more important for your future, kids".
Nor is this unique to China; the same is true in South Africa where you choose your major before applying to university and then apply specifically to that degree program, which has its own unique requirements, instead of applying to the university in general as you would in the US. And once you have started your degree you cannot (except in rare circumstances) take modules from other courses that aren't a part of your syllabus or jump easily between majors.
To my knowledge this is actually the way higher education in most countries works, with the US being a bit of an exception.
As I heard this explained once, this leads to students studying biology who wanted to study computer science but could not because they did not score highly enough. I don't know if that is a flawed system because even in America - you don't always do what your major prepared you for. Still, is "Undecided" a uniquely American college aspect?
In Belgium, all engineering students are put together first for three semesters of general introductory courses, after which students choose a major and a minor out of the classical engineering disciplines.
Comments
The article's comparison to the SAT is misleading. Whereas the SAT is a reasoning test, the Gao Kao is a series of subject tests (think SAT Subject Tests or AP exams). The three mandatory subjects are Mathematics, Chinese, and a foreign language. In addition, students select one to three additional exams, and this choice depends on what they hope to study in college. Prospective science/engineering students will choose from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; prospective arts/humanities students will choose from History, Geography, and Political Education.
"In addition, students select one to three additional exams, and this choice depends on what they hope to study in college."
Does that mean that a student must choose a major before they enter into college and stick with it throughout their education?
students in China actually must apply to specific majors when they apply to college. for example, instead of applying to MIT, you'd apply for electrical engineering at MIT. it's also very difficult to change majors after you've been accepted into a particular one.
Same here in India.
Oh, and the entrance test you take has nothing to do with the "major" you choose. I'm an IT student, and the entrance test to my university had 3 subjects: physics, chemistry and mathematics. Nothing else. And no, you cannot choose.
You have a bunch of extra curriculars under your belt? Oh, so you contributed to FOSS? Well, nobody cares. Because, "academics are more important for your future, kids".
Nor is this unique to China; the same is true in South Africa where you choose your major before applying to university and then apply specifically to that degree program, which has its own unique requirements, instead of applying to the university in general as you would in the US. And once you have started your degree you cannot (except in rare circumstances) take modules from other courses that aren't a part of your syllabus or jump easily between majors.
To my knowledge this is actually the way higher education in most countries works, with the US being a bit of an exception.
That's pretty much true for any country outside the US. Even in England, you apply to a programme in a college and not to a college.
As I heard this explained once, this leads to students studying biology who wanted to study computer science but could not because they did not score highly enough. I don't know if that is a flawed system because even in America - you don't always do what your major prepared you for. Still, is "Undecided" a uniquely American college aspect?
In Belgium, all engineering students are put together first for three semesters of general introductory courses, after which students choose a major and a minor out of the classical engineering disciplines.