Things had been going energetically for the Chazen South Korea trip this week before a seemingly inexplicable spate of sleep deprivation stuck at least half of the attendees.
What started as a group of alert and energetic MBA students has gradually morphed into a smattering of passed out bodies and head-bobbling meeting attendees. Scenes of students passed out in offices, on public transportation, at meals, and in lobby waiting rooms have become commonplace.
Queried about the development of the phenomenon, tour Organizer Christina Park commented, “I think they’re studying too hard. Every evening after a light dinner and soft drinks, they go back to their rooms and study for their classes, or else read economist articles and informative Columbia Case Works studies about the country and its local industries.”
“Some of us were planning on getting together later to review Applied Security Analysis and its application to the Korean markets” said first year Zachary Keats. “We went to bed at 1 or 2 but some in of the group stayed up analyzing. The next morning they came to breakfast late and their eyes were bloodshot.”
- “Implication for Leverage” – A close up of what keeps Keats up late at night in Seoul
Christina Park further commented, “Most evenings the trip atendees study late into the night, some even neglecting to take care of themselves or to drink adequate amounts of water.”
“Korea has a very strong cultural emphasis on education, and the local highschool students even study at schools called ‘hakwon’ after their regular school gets out,” commented trip organizer Song Won Lee. “Some of the local students are in class from 8am until midnight. The CBS students on Chazen South Korea have quickly internalized these local customs.”
“Why, just this morning, Jordan Lang emerged from his room into the breakfast lounge with eyes bloodshot and hands shaking after a night of heavy studying.
He came in and discussed P/E ratios of some of the local companies, as he began eating an egg sandwich. He then fell asleep with the sandwich half eaten in his mouth.”
Thus far the condition has not had significant effects on the company visits, as the level of sugar and coffee injected beforehand serves to ward off any inattentiveness.
However, some of the trip attendees are concerned about the level of studiousness. “I’m slightly concerned that the students aren’t really getting a local experience here,” class of 2013 member Zachary Brown commented. “They came here to experience the local culture, go out, and meet local people… it would be a shame if they spent all of their time cooped up inside and focusing on overly academic presentations of the country.’ When pressured to comment further, Brown himself admitted that he had stayed up reading Samsung case studies the night before.
-ZB
Student travel with the Chazen Institute 