I have office hours for my freshmen students every Monday evening from six to seven. At this time, we talk about a variety of topics. From English pronunciation to the pressures of university and their beloved siblings, I learn a lot about my students. There is no doubt in my mind that they are teaching me more than the other way around. What strikes me the most is their sincere honestly and willingness to share. Everything is on the table including where they’re from, their dreams and even their fears. I also explain myself and try to explain my experience in the most accurate way possible.
One topic that struck me in our latest chat was their parents. I assumed it would be a fruitful discussion about them either missing their parents or the joys of being away from home. Instead, another feeling arose. This was anxiousness and doubt. A lot of their grandparents have either passed away or are aging into their last years. At the moment, their parents are taking care of them. However, in less than a decade, a lot of my students will take on this burden. With the economic pressures from the one-child policy heavily falling on single children, and the tradition of filial piety obligating them to care for their aging parents, the one-child policy generation is facing a massive responsibility.
