Most of the Korean students have one big day in November. On every first Thursdays in November, Korean students who want to go to college should take the CSAT in their third grade in high school. It is not too much to say many Korean students live the whole 3 years in high school only for that day. I graduated from a boarding high school. Naturally, we were not able to spend the nervous time right before the CSAT with our loved family. Instead, we have precious friends who went through everything together for 3 years and supporting teachers and juniors. Every CSAT days, they prepared a lot of things for the third graders with full supporting and affectionate hearts.
The Juniors make a beautiful balloon road for the third graders. Early in the morning, the juniors get up at 5 a.m. which is an hour earlier than usual and go outside. Then each person carry one balloon and stand in two lines making a space between the lines where seniors will walk down. With the balloons they are holding, two lines make a colorful and cheerful balloon road. Some juniors hold Korean traditional drums which will work as a metronome when everyone chanting and singing.
Meanwhile, teachers also get up a lot earlier than usual and make their way into the school cafeteria even before the dawn. As soon as they arrive at school, they pack lunch for the third graders. Lunch is not served at the place we take CSAT so every student should have lunch with their own. The teachers and cafeteria ladies prepared our lunch. Around the end of packing lunch, the third graders begin to get down to the dorm cafeteria to eat breakfast. Then the teachers go around us eating breakfast, make some cheerful and relaxing comment. After the breakfast time, All the third graders get the lunch set packed by our warm-hearted teachers. With two hands full, they start to walk down the balloon road.
From the start to the end, balloon road is full of acclamations. Juniors chant and sing for the seniors wishing them luck. Walking down the road, the third graders can watch a variety of shows juniors prepared. Some dance, some mime and some play Korean traditional instruments or violins. That is truly awesome and seniors feel they are sincerely supported by juniors. As soon as all of them walk out of the gate, the entire show ends.
I love the way my school do on every CSAT days. All members of the school prepare the event wishing that every endeavor that students make for three or more years would not come to anything. I hope this affectionate event for CSAT takers will continue forever in my high school.
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