KWANGJU: Conversations between men and women are forbidden at the school on the outskirts of Seoul, where security cameras watch the students’ every move.

There is no access to television, the Internet, mobile phones or MP3 players. Welcome to the monastic life of a boarding school for students dedicated to spending nine months preparing to retake South Korea’s college entrance exams, in the hopes of a place at the best college and a job for life at a top corporation.

“During study hours it’s difficult to go to the bathroom even if I want to. Waking up early in the morning is also hard,” said Um Hee-joon, 20. This year, the life-defining tests are on Nov. 8. South Korea’s exam hell is an annual event so full of pressure that many students are driven to despair.