What to Do at CNU?

   Money talks! That seems to be the reigning theme in this era especially with the IMF generation. Since the IMF crisis, the ghost of neo-liberalism looms larger and larger. Endless competition for money and jobs paying a high amount is taken for granted. The list of best selling books for the young generation in their 20's reflects this: How to Make Money in the 20's, Investment Strategies for the 20's Generation, Financial Tech for the 20's and the list go on. A book, titled 88 Man Won generation, paints a dismal picture for the current college year generation. According to the book, only 5% of college graduates get the job they long to have. The rest ends up working as non-regular pay workers. This group's average earning is calculated to be 88 Man Won per month, a lot less than college students’ expectation for a normal life. Highly coveted jobs are positions in large business corporations, in public corporations, in educational institutions, and in professional fields. Since the openings are scarce, most of the college students try eagerly to outperform others to obtain the jobs; necessary "specs" for the qualification are English proficiency, licenses proving the abilities to perform work using various computer software, overseas internship, volunteer social service, diplomas showing additional abilities or experiences and so on. Unlike the old days, the students on campus nowadays are too busy to equip themselves with such specs. Competition seems to be the nature of college life.
   A significant question, however, arises for the divide between the top 5 % and the remaining 95%. The criterion used for this divide seems to be the amount of capital earning. Is it the only criterion or is it even a good criterion? A basic assumption for such a divide is that quality of life is determined by money; the better you get paid, the better quality of life you enjoy. This assumption is a delusion. The real life of the top 5% income level may be far from the kind everyone desires; 15 hours working a day operating under a chain of work and meetings. The life of the remaining 95% may not be as dismal as the average numbers suggest. This group has so many different people whose life satisfaction level varies a great deal. In fact, many people are happily belonging to this group.
   Income is undoubtedly an important factor for quality of life. But it is only one factor of many whose importance has been proved to be less influential in a developed society. In a developed country like the OECD countries where Korea belongs, the quality of life, or happiness, is not determined by the income level, but by the kind of activity the person is doing. Psychological research has found that hereditary factors such as optimistic personality determine 50% of happiness variance among people. You cannot do much about this portion because it is hereditary. But 40% of happiness is determined by the activities people are doing. This is an encouraging fact. People feel happy when they are doing activities they chose to do willingly to meet their aspirations, motivations and curiosities. Money may help but is not the most critical factor. If you have to spend too many hours to earn money, you would not have the tendency to feel happy at all. The last 10% is affected by the circumstantial events such as winning the lottery or loss of close friends.
   I do not think there is anything wrong with 88 Man Won generation as long as they pursue their own quality of life. I would encourage you to find activities that have intrinsic value to you and to pursue those activities. You may not know what those activities are at the moment. If you want to live a happy life, get yourself involved in various activities in college. When you get engaged in fierce competition with others, step back and take a breath. What really counts is not winning but learning while working. Learning is the most intrinsically satisfying activity to each and every person for it serves to enrich life. Life is a series of activities of performance. Kim Yeon-ah, the beloved 18 year-old figure skater, said "I am skating not to win the first prize but to satisfy myself." Fortunately, most of the "specs" can serve as an example to enrich your life. Engage in activities for the specs not to win over others but to find who you really are and what you enjoy doing. You may just discover that CNU is an excellent place for such activities. We assure you to take a pride in CNU. Welcome 5200 new freshmen!

#280 Editorial

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