The Smartest Kids In The World: And How They Got That Way

Kim had mixed experiences during her time in Finland, drifting between feelings of isolation and feelings of acceptance and awe. During the height of winter, she became nervous when her teacher assigned the culturally significant title Seven Brothers for reading. The book is the first major work written by a Finnish person and was published during Russian occupation; it features seven ruffian-style men who eventually teach themselves to read. Kim’s teacher gave her a children’s version about seven dogs, and Kim was grateful for her efforts to include her. At the same time, Kim made a few friends but marveled at the way that even the kids she deemed “stoners” still seemed eager to learn and always showed up to class. When she asked some classmates why everyone seemed so invested in school, they answered plainly that it would lead to a good university and career. While the answer was obvious, Kim knew that many of her peers back home failed to see it. When Ripley interviewed an exchange student who went from Finland to the United States, the student explained that standards in the US felt “soft” and that students were often handed the answers. Finland’s value in education is tied to its history, as education became a way for the country to modernize and succeed after independence.