My son is a jukensei right now, preparing for the most difficult tests of his life which will determine which high school he ends up going to. Ever since my son decided he wanted to attend a high school with a good science program, we've been visiting different schools in our part of Japan to see which one would fit him the best. He's been studying like crazy, at his desk for several hours a day then attending juku (cram) school until 10:30 pm every day. Watching him prepare for these tests over the past year has been an educational experience, and I've learned a lot about my son as well as Japan as a whole. This Sunday is the first of his important tests, for a high school in Tochigi Prefecture which we've selected as his suberi-dome or "stop the slide" school, e.g. an easier school that he can enter if he's unable to get a high enough score on the other two school he'll try for. Wish us luck!
Godai from Maison Ikkoku, the patron saint of all test-taking students.
7 comments:
I remember the feeling quite well, even though it's 4 years from the last of entrance exams I took. I wish your son all the luck with his tests. And with studies too.
Thanks, he's done a great job so far. Hope he does well on the tests.
Didn't know where to leave a comment where you would hopefully see it so I posted it here....
My name is Brian Swanson and I live in Illinois. I am actually an aspiring English teacher who is dieing to teach in japan. I have bought so many study books,japanese culture books, and even books about people who have gone to teach in japan. One book by the name of "learning to bow" by an author who's name escapes me right now unfortuneately is about a teacher from america who goes to the Tochigi prefecture to teach english and American culture.. so as soon as you said your son was looking for a school in that prefecture, all of the pages of that book came rushing back to my head.
I hope your son gets into the school he wants and I just want to say, while you may not know it.. you personally are one of the people who inspired me to take this path in life and I cannot even begin to thank you.
Thank you so much,
Brian
Hey Peter. I'm a former Tochigi-ite (I was a CIR on the JET Program in Imaichi, which is now Nikko). Any chance your son is looking at the Kougyou-Koukou in Imaichi? I wish him the best.
"suberi-dome"...interesting! In the US we'd call that a "safety school". (Of course, we'd use it referring to colleges, not high schools...)
Brian, thanks. That's great, hope teaching in Japan works out for you. It was for for me, hope you can make it over here. I liked teaching because you get to meet so many people with your students.
Clark, cool, Tochigi is a lot like Gunma, e.g. a nice rural area with some good stuff, a lot simpler and quieter than life in Tokyo. The school is Sano Nichidai High School in Sano.
John, heh, I have been in Japan too long, I would never have known that word. I also didn't know how to say "Kyoiku-mama" ("education mother") in English. (The term is apparently "helicopter parents.")
I hope your son will pass all exams successfully! Good luck! =)
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