If I were to describe my exchange experience in one single word, that word would have to be “awesome”. The idea and opinion exchanges across geographical borders, inter-cultural conversations coupled with wide opportunities of networking and unique cultural explorations on a foreign soil may sum up my whole experience of being an exchange student in Seoul National University for a semester. It can be well-analogized by a hotpot having a soup base which set up the cultural, geographical and even social context for the various different ingredients that will play different roles be it in magnifying, enriching, complimenting or mixing the flavors to obtain a final unique, pleasant taste and experience.
Academically, I have to say that I learned so many things in a semester due to my enrollment in various advance level courses which were tailored for graduate students and out-of-concentration classes i.e. Nuclear Engineering and Photography. The number of students attending most of my classes never exceeded 35 students and may go as low as 8 students which eventually lead to a very effective teacher-students interaction in terms of problems discussions and idea developments. As the result, my classes tend to be casual and extremely interesting and fun which was something I really cherish from my exchange experience.
On the other hand, personally, in a social context, I managed to network with various graduate and undergraduate students not only from SNU, but from various countless universities across the globe. Often, I engaged in a casual conversation with them and I was made surprised by how different an individual may think as the result of different cultural upbringing. Some believe in certain faith, some prioritize friends above others, some always respect their parents’ wishes and some aspired to establish a MNC. The experience of having such conversations was priceless and has matured me in a way in deciding my future. Similarly, in a cultural context, I had a very unique experience due to my involvement in many of the either pre-organized or impromptu cultural activities such as visiting a Korean spa establishment that never fail to make foreigners in a state of culture shock, exploring a student-street area that was full of bizarre restaurants, shops and recreational places, attending traditional events i.e. tea ceremony to today’s youth cultures i.e. baseball or soccer matches, K-Pop concerts and many more.
The experiences that I had in SNU were priceless and I would highly recommend this university for those seeking a balance between cultural activities and academic excellence. I believe the very key steps to have an amazing exchange is attitude. Open-mindedness and inter-cultural tolerance were very important as it may allow one to venture into a deeper, richer realm which may often be surprising and fulfilling. Stepping out of one comfort zone is crucial as well as one would have to always recall the reason behind the exchange which may differ; but often, to explore a new world. Thus, one shall not confine oneself to a certain social or cultural context for maximum enjoyment and experience.
To the great years ahead,
Cheers
Kelvin Anggara
P.S. The transcript just arrived like few days ago and I was so glad to see excellent results =P
Academically, I have to say that I learned so many things in a semester due to my enrollment in various advance level courses which were tailored for graduate students and out-of-concentration classes i.e. Nuclear Engineering and Photography. The number of students attending most of my classes never exceeded 35 students and may go as low as 8 students which eventually lead to a very effective teacher-students interaction in terms of problems discussions and idea developments. As the result, my classes tend to be casual and extremely interesting and fun which was something I really cherish from my exchange experience.
On the other hand, personally, in a social context, I managed to network with various graduate and undergraduate students not only from SNU, but from various countless universities across the globe. Often, I engaged in a casual conversation with them and I was made surprised by how different an individual may think as the result of different cultural upbringing. Some believe in certain faith, some prioritize friends above others, some always respect their parents’ wishes and some aspired to establish a MNC. The experience of having such conversations was priceless and has matured me in a way in deciding my future. Similarly, in a cultural context, I had a very unique experience due to my involvement in many of the either pre-organized or impromptu cultural activities such as visiting a Korean spa establishment that never fail to make foreigners in a state of culture shock, exploring a student-street area that was full of bizarre restaurants, shops and recreational places, attending traditional events i.e. tea ceremony to today’s youth cultures i.e. baseball or soccer matches, K-Pop concerts and many more.
The experiences that I had in SNU were priceless and I would highly recommend this university for those seeking a balance between cultural activities and academic excellence. I believe the very key steps to have an amazing exchange is attitude. Open-mindedness and inter-cultural tolerance were very important as it may allow one to venture into a deeper, richer realm which may often be surprising and fulfilling. Stepping out of one comfort zone is crucial as well as one would have to always recall the reason behind the exchange which may differ; but often, to explore a new world. Thus, one shall not confine oneself to a certain social or cultural context for maximum enjoyment and experience.
To the great years ahead,
Cheers
Kelvin Anggara
P.S. The transcript just arrived like few days ago and I was so glad to see excellent results =P
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