The Daily Life Of A North Korean Student

I wake up at seven a.m. It's a Saturday, and I have an hour before my high school begins. I have to stay in school for sixteen hours, six days a week, with only Sunday to spend my freedom. Yes, we have two Saturdays off, but the second one doesn't come until next week, so I have no choice but to wait.

I quickly eat up my soup for breakfast and start to get ready for school. We have strict uniform policies. Both girls and boys are expected to wear a white fitted long sleeved shirt with collars beneath a sharp blazer. However, the girls wear black skirts while the boys have long sleeved pants and ties. Failure to obey these rules can be resolved with punishment. It may be corporal, but this form of punishment starting to disappear in schools. However, it still isn't surprising to see the "magic wand", or the disciplinary stick our teachers use in case someone tries to bend or break the rules.

When I go into the classroom, I am required to leave my outdoor shoes outside and go to my class in my school slippers. This is because it is considered dirty to wear something that belongs outside. 

Class passes. I have my lunch. Afterwards, I use the computers located in the classroom itself. Yes, computers can be found in our schools. Internet access is not available, as it is only permitted by special authorization. 

It's soon dinner time. I eat dinner at the school itself with the rest of my friends. By midnight, all my classes have finally ended. It's time to go home and get my rest, which is exactly what I'll do. Tomorrow it's time for me to find a tram nearby and travel the country I live in. Maybe I'll be able to visit Sci-Tech, a new science museum that just opened up near our city. It would be great to wear a nice pair jeans tomorrow, but of course, I can't. Many Western attires, including jeans and piercings, have been banned from North Korea by Kim Jong Un. Unfair, for sure, but I've learned to live with it. 

But now, it's time for some rest. Many busy days awaits me.