As I arrive back in Beijing for the fourth and final year of my undergraduate studies, I am excited to see what awaits me in the final stretch of my university life. As keen as I am to take on the challenges of the new academic year, I cannot help but reminisce the past year of exchange that just flew by as well.
Flashback to a year ago, I had just received a confirmation email from the esteemed South Korean university, Sungkyunkwan University, that I had been accepted into their exchange program. I was ecstatic, but there was still a part of me that was wondering if this was the right choice for me. My course mates around me had picked exchange destinations like Switzerland, Paris, or Norway, countries far away with vastly different cultures from that of my Singaporean origin. Why had I picked an exchange country so much closer to home? Such doubts lingered in my head for a while, but it wasn’t long before I would prove myself wrong.
Upon entering South Korea, I knew that I had made the right choice. I had grown up watching Korean entertainment content, being immersed in their culture, albeit through the screen of my laptop or phone. This time, I was finally here in person. Furthermore, I had the chance to further immerse myself in their culture by having the opportunity to study in a top university in South Korea. Sungkyunkwan University was an extremely unique school. The school had amazing facilities and amazing professors that never hesitated to help out exchange students like myself. This made my experience that much smoother, as the learning culture was also a little different, and this shed light on the importance that South Korean students place on their education. Not only is Sungkyunkwan University the oldest university in all of Asia, filled to the brim with rich history and cultural architecture, they were also located at the top of a hill in Seoul. While this may initially seem like a hassle, this made for an amazing view from our school, overlooking the view over all of Seoul from the rooftop of one of our school buildings. In addition, the courses that I took during my exchange also align well with my thesis focus. The knowledge that I had gathered while taking these modules in South Korea will eventually prove to be useful to my academics and my thesis that I will have to write my final year.
The view in Sungkyunkwan University in the morning and at night.
While on exchange, I was not only attending the classes and courses taught by the school. I was simultaneously juggling an online digital marketing internship from Singapore along with my schoolwork. My busy school schedule and internship commitments kept me busy and on my toes, but this turned me into a student capable of managing my time well and effectively, thus allowing me to continue enjoying South Korea despite my many responsibilities. On some weekdays, I would be busy revising for my tests and attend my online meetings with work clients in between classes. Other days, I am out with friends visiting the hottest tourist spots. My academic priorities and internship tasks did not stop me from travelling around and exploring other cities in South Korea as well. Busan’s beaches were incredibly beautiful and were lined with a plethora of cafes to enjoy a nice afternoon coffee with my friends. Jeju had the freshest seafood my family and I had ever tried, and the food was made better with the perfectly cosy weather. I even got the chance to visit the Korean Demilitarised Zone, the border between North and South Korea, where we got to learn about its deep history.
The view at Haeeundae beach with friends and at the cultural village in Busan.
Jeju seafood and Seogwipo Waterfall with family.
At the observatory facing the Korean demilitarized Zone.
With all the amazing Korean delicacies, I also had to ensure that I kept myself fit and healthy. To remain active, I joined the school Ultimate Frisbee team in Sungkyunkwan as well. The weekly practices were a perfect way to keep me fit, and to help me constantly imporve my frisbee skills, a sport that I had picked up in recent years. This club formed the backbone of my social interactions in Sotuh Korea. I was fortunate to meet many local South Korean friends here, all of whom were extremely friendly. I even got to practice with the players of South Korea’s Ultimate Frisbee national team! Our weekly practices helped us to make so many local and international friends, all working together to improve on our frisbee skills.
Screenshot from Instagram of some of the pictures with the frisbee club.
Our frisbee team aside, we also got the chance to make many other friends from other countries as well. By attending the school sports festival, the school orientation, organised school trips, I managed to make friends from countries like Lithuania, USA, Canada, France as well. With these friends from all over the world, I made sure not to let my exchange go to waste and planned to do all sorts of amazing activities with them. With one group of friends, we managed to hike up one of the tallest mountains in South Korea, Bukhansan, an experience that was simply out of this world. Being my first hike, I did not know what to expect, but what awaited me was a rollercoaster of emotions. As we scaled the mountain, we saw many others also taking on the challenge, and we felt encouraged. The higher we went, the thinner the air got, and the terrain got harder and harder to climb, and soon, it was starting to prove a challenge to climb it. With much difficulty and with the help of my friends, we finally made it to the top, and the scenery from the top of the mountain was stunning, which made the difficult climb worth it. However, this was just one of the few items on our bucket list. We also tried on traditional South Korean clothes, ate several live octopus, watched a Korean baseball game, went for a picnic by the river, and played games in the snow during winter.
From left to right: Bukhansan with friends, Picnic at Han River, Korean Baseball Game
As my exchange came to its end, I felt appreciative and satisfied with the time that I had spent in South Korea. It was truly a once in a lifetime experiences, and I gained many friends from all over the world, friends that I promised I would meet again. Looking back on the past year, I knew that I had made the right choice to go on exchange, especially to South Korea at Sungkyunkwan University. I learned a lot about the South Korean culture, the Korean Language, and I tried so many different Korean foods. Most importantly, these memories that I made with these friends truly helped forge my experience in South Korea.
My photo wall in Korea to remember all the memories I’ve made with my friends.
Fast forward to a year later, now, I am physically back in Beijing, but I will never forget the beautiful memories that I have made during my exchange in South Korea. The exchange has allowed me to grow into a more independent individual, one who can juggle his schoolwork effectively with his internship responsibilities, one who has learned the importance of friends and family no matter where you may be, and one who can genuinely say that he thoroughly enjoyed his year of exchange. I can now tackle my final year of university with one regrets whatsoever, and am now a more capable student, with more friends to support me through my journey, and with more experiences to help me overcome the difficulties I will face down the road. Based on my rich experience filled with academic achievements, while simultaneously pursuing an internship, and memories with my friends from all over the world, I am thankful for the experience given to me by Renmin University, and I sincerely hope that you will consider me for the scholarship application.