Breaking Free: An Observation of Foreign Education

Many experts claim that the quality of education in the United States has rapidly declined in recent decades. Many students who study in third world countries such as India and China have demonstrated a strengthening commitment towards their academic studies, while the performance level of American students have declined in recent years. These realizations came to me while viewing the documentary entitled Two Million Minutes. The film introduced several students from different backgrounds and evaluated their academic habits, as well as the cultural factors that influenced their studies. After viewing the film, many would claim that American students do not place enough emphasis on managing their study time effectively.

The film depicted two American students attempting to balance their academic studies with what some could perceive as social activities, and contrasted them with foreign students who expressed little or no concern with their social life. The driving point in this comparison demonstrated the difference in their academic values, and how the culture of a student in a third world country can play a role in their decision to dedicate more time to their academic goals. There were many examples of foreign students utilizing their education to battle economic uncertainty, whereas American students seemed to express less concerned regarding the impact of their education on their personal future and well being.

An entrepreneur interviewed in the film offered incredible insight concerning the trend of foreign students focusing their academic goals towards advanced technical degrees such as engineering or medicine: “The hunger isn’t there. Chinese and Indian kids are a lot more motivated to get into these fields and succeed because they’re fighting starvation, they’re fighting hunger.” (Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2008) This observation is a very important aspect of the film because it displays the gravity and importance of American students needing stronger ambitions to focus on math and science related subjects. Many professionals interviewed in the film claimed that American students lack the cultural drive and focus required for the United States to remain as an economic superpower.

In conclusion, the film expressed strong views in regards to the shortcomings of American students, and demonstrated its point very well by contrasting our academic norms with those of foreign students. After viewing Two Million Minutes, I also believe that the academic values of American students are of the upmost importance to our countries economic well being and survival as a nation.