Butch Ireland/DaNy Nebraskan
Rapkin
Cultural, economic differences noted
Teacher learns in Japan
By Angie Anderson
Staff Reporter
College in Japan is a time of lei
sure between competitive high school
exams and a lifelong commitment to
a firm, a University of Nebraska
Lincoln political science professor
said.
Associate professor and department
chairman David Rapkin taught and
studied at Tsukuba University, 60
kilometers from Tokyo, from August
1988 to August 1990.
The Tsukuba campus on the sur
face appeared to be similar to any
American campus, Rapkin said.
But beneath the surface, the uni
versity played a different role, he
said.
“Japanese universities occupy a
very different place in Japan’s soci
ety than do American universities,’’
Rapkin said.
Japanese high schools arc com
petitive in preparing students for the
test that determines which college or
university they get into.
Rapkin linked the competitive
atmosphere to Japan’s high suicide
rate and the high number of students
with psychosomatic illnesses.
About 50 percent of Japanese males
and just more than one- third of Japa
nese females take the test and attend
colleges or universities, Rapkin said,
but these numbers are continually
increasing.
Once accepted to a university,
Rapkin said, the stress lessens.
It is not uncommon for Japanese
freshmen and sophomores to take 30
credit hours a semester and nearly as
many courses, Rapkin said. The large
class load, however, prevents profes
sors from expecting much from stu
dents outside of class, he said.
Socially, Rapkin said, Japanese
students lag behind the average UNL
student because high school students
in Japan spend most of their time
studying at night. There is not much
time for dating and parties, he said.
When the students get to college,
they are just discovering the social
See JAPAN on 6
Access to short-term loans
appealing to many students
By Pat Dinslage
Staff Reporter
The number of UNL students taking advan
tage of the quick availability of funds through
the short-term loan program is increasing each
year, a UNL loan official said.
Almost 3,000 students borrowed money on
short-term loans during the 1989-90 academic
year amounting to $1.4 million, said Caroline
Routh, assistant director for loans for the Of
fice of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
That compares to about 2,600 borrowers
-6 4
More students are beginning to
realize they can take money out
and pay tution and housing
Routh
assistant director of loans
Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid
-f f “
during the 1988-89 academic year, totaling
$1.2 million in loans.
“More students are beginning to realize
they can take money out and pay tuition and
housing,” Routh said.
Routh said she hopes the number of short
term loans stops climbing even though most
students arc “responsible borrowers.”
“I think we’re doing a belter job of educat
ing students to plan ahead, to think about when
school will start,” Routh said. “Once they go
through that first year, maybe they’ll do better
in June, July and August about thinking ahead
and maybe do some financial planning.”
To be eligible for a short-term loan, students
must be attending and registered for at least six
credit hours, have at least a 1.5 grade point
average and have no defaults on previous loans
with the university.
Entering freshman do not have to meet the
GPA requirement, said Dee Robinette in the
short-term loan office.
A student may have more than one short
term loan outstanding at the same time, Robinette
said. But the combined amount of the loans
cannot exceed $1,000.
Many students apply for the loans, which
range from $250 to $1 ,000, at the beginning of
the school year, Routh said.
“We have a lot of $250 loans because you
don ’ t need a co-maker (co-signer) on the loan, ’ ’
Routh said.
Students use the smaller loans to pay their
book bills or to pay their first month’s rent in
off-campus housing.
Students often borrow short-term loan funds
because they have not yet received their finan
cial aid and they want to pay tuition when due,
avoiding the $20 late fee, she said.
Another reason often given by the student
borrowers is that they prefer to make twice
yearly residence hall housing payments, sav
ing about $35. In September they don’t have all
of the nearly $1,200 needed, Routh said.
The short-term loans have a short process
ing time -- less than a week after application -
compared with other financial aid loans, Routh
said. The maturity date, or due date, for the
loans is between one and six months. The
annual interest rate on the short-term loans is 9
percent.
The money available for the short-term loans
is administered by the NU Foundation, Routh
said.
“Most of the money available for short
term loans is off the interest from bequests to
the foundation,” Routh said. “The principle
keeps earning interest, as well as the interest
the students are paying.
* ‘Students, by and large, pay off the loans on
time or even early. So when the next person
comes along, it’s (the funds are) there.”
The financial aid office has changed the
application information sheet for the 1990-91
school year, Routh said. The form clarifies that
the loan is due on the maturity date, not one day
later, she said. Many students have thought that
they had up to 30 days after the due date to pay
the loan without penalties.
But after the due date has passed, the inter
est rate on the loan rises from 9 percent to 12
percent, Routh said. The late fee has been
increased this year from $10 to $20. And after
a default, any future loans require a co-signer
who must be a blood relative or parent.
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The first time 1 saw a Macintosh, I was immediately
hooked. Ib> a work of art. I saw the student
pricing and my next move was obvious: get one.
“Some other computers a to chea|X*r, but theyie
a pain to learn, and working on them can lx*
a grueling experience. List year, a friend
bought another kind of computer against
my advice and has used it for maybe 15
hours.What a waste.
*
Why do UNL Students love Macintosh?
Ask them.
“Macintosh, on the other hand, is a logical
extension of the mind. It lets you concentrate on
what’s in your pa|X*r, not on how to get it on
pa|XT. You can^ftge professional looking
documents in minutes, and you lose die fear of
learning new pix grains lx*causethey alhvork
in the same way.
“Once \ou\v worked with a Macintosli,
there’s no turning back*
Computing Resource Center
Computer Shop
University Bookstore
Lower Level Nebraska Union
472-57S5 Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm