Blossoms of March: Voices from Exchange

     The learning that begins in SSU’s classrooms does not stop at national borders. In places where language, culture, and daily life are unfamiliar, exchange students live each day as both “students” and “outsiders.” ST met with students who have been sent—or will soon be sent—to various countries to ask why they chose to leave, what they hope to learn, and what this experience will come to mean in their lives.

     Hi! I’m Da-hee, an economics major who is going to France as an exchange student. I decided to apply for the exchange program because I wanted to live abroad on my own for a long period of time and experience things directly. When it came to choosing a country, many people around me focused on places that are famous for their majors or academically advantageous. But for me, the French language itself was the biggest attraction. In Korea, I felt tired of repeating the same routines in terms of lifestyle, studying, and at some point, I even felt like I had lost my sense of direction. Through this exchange experience, my biggest goal is to grow into a stronger person by meeting new people, living in a new environment, and facing unfamiliar difficulties. The most difficult part of living abroad is definitely missing Korean food. There are many foods, like tteokbokki, that simply don’t exist here. When it comes to making foreign friends, sometimes just making eye contact or starting with a simple greeting naturally leads to a longer conversation. To students who are thinking about becoming exchange students, especially those who are already in their senior year like me, I want to say that this is a chance you can only have as a university student. I really believe it can become a strong motivation in your life. So don’t hesitate—go further and challenge yourself.

     Hi! I’m Yong-han from the Global School of Media, and I’m going to Japan as an exchange student. Honestly, the direct reason I applied was because my course registration completely failed. Since that happened, I thought, “Why not finally do what I’ve wanted to do since entering university?” So I decided to seriously prepare for the exchange program. I chose Japan because I had traveled there several times and really fell in love with its culture and atmosphere. I had also been studying Japanese diligently, so Japan felt like the most natural choice for me. In preparation for the exchange program, I’m really glad that I maintained good grades, and I worked hard on my language test scores as well. My main goal for this exchange experience is related to my future career. I ultimately want to work overseas, so I applied for the exchange program with that in mind. As part of my preparation, I really want to try a short-term internship at a game company. I think this experience will be very meaningful for me because it will help me get used to overseas employment and living in a local environment. The most important item I plan to bring with me is my electric guitar. I started learning how to play it a few months ago and have been enjoying it a lot, so I want to continue practicing even while I’m in Japan. From this experience, I want to tell others that even if you think you’re not fully ready, it’s better to apply than to give up. 

     Hi there, Soongsilians! I am In-Sung Chun, a graduate student admitted to the IT Convergence Major in 2021. Through the SHP(Soongsil Honors Program), I am spending this semester at the University of California, Berkeley. My interest in American technology and culture, sparked by visiting the International Consumer Electronics Show 2024 in Las Vegas with departmental support, led me to pursue this exchange program to study in a new environment. UC Berkeley is renowned for its Computer Science programs, so I plan to take courses related to AI and data analysis and network with people in those fields. For example, I participated in the Stanford x DeepMind Hackathon in February and plan to visit Boston University’s research lab in March. Since I prepared my grades and English studies beforehand, preparing for the SHP wasn’t particularly difficult. In the U.S., people often initiate small talk first, so it was easy to make foreign friends by attending as many school and club events as possible! And there was this recent meme about six-seven—it was hilarious and fascinating to see everyone get excited and cheer whenever someone rolled a six or seven. Are you a Soongsilian, interested in challenging yourself with an exchange program in the U.S., where the environment is lively and networking is thriving?

     Hello! I am Aylina Diyarova, a fourth-year School of Business Administration student who is studying abroad in Hungary this semester! Last year, at the International Day event hosted by the Office of International Affairs at SSU, I met and talked with various exchange students from abroad. Through those conversations, I decided to explore my career path via an exchange program. One of the friends I met then was from Hungary. Hungary’s culture and country left a deep impression on me, so even though it was an unfamiliar country, I chose it. I have always loved learning new languages. Being fluent not only in my native Kazakh but also in Korean and English, Hungarian sounded incredibly appealing to me. So, I’m currently trying my best to use Hungarian in my daily life and understand Hungarian culture. One fun Hungarian cultural tip: According to my friend, Hungarians are really good at drinking, so you should absolutely never challenge them to a drinking contest! Anyway, since I dream of a career utilizing my business major, I’m excited to take another business course in Eastern Europe and build diverse professional knowledge! Even if the language is not familiar, why not challenge yourself if it is a country you’ve always been curious about? 

Seo Jun-hee(Web Editor)

20231933@soongsil.ac.kr

Kim hee-nu(Planning Editor)

heennx@soongsil.ac.kr