Time has flown by so quickly! It seems like only yesterday when we first introduced ourselves to each other, but now each of us is departing, one by one.
By the time I am writing this, some of my close friends have already left Busan. I am sitting here at a Starbucks nearby, just decided to update my digital spaces and have some moment planning the coming weeks.
Meeting individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds has been an extraordinary experience.
Learning from people hailing from different parts of the world has been a truly enlightening experience. I am honoured to say that these people are among my first international friends.
I haven’t really posted any blogs about GKS/KGSP (don’t know why I haven’t been writing things despite the fact that I have a lot to share). So, here goes!
I would say being enrolled in the Korean Language Program is a really vital part of settling in; I get to take my time to adapt to the environment change. Otherwise, I think I would feel immensely overwhelmed.
Before arriving in Korea, I assumed that I had a good understanding of the language and culture. However, upon my arrival, I realized that there was still much that I had yet to learn; you can say I went through a Dunning-Kruger Effect phase (lol).
Thankfully, my supportive teachers and friends helped me absorb as much knowledge as possible, which has been invaluable as I prepare to start my degree at Hanyang University.
I'm especially happy that I unexpectedly was able to pass the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) and achieve a Level 5, despite not having one when I applied.
I never imagined that I would make so much progress in less than a year of studying.
Looking back, I appreciate the time I spent with my classmates; taking group photos at museums and cultural events, such as when we wore hanbok, played traditional games, and even made rice cakes—these simple activities became so much more meaningful when done together.
The Completion Ceremony (수료식) was especially memorable. We heard speeches from our teachers, class presidents, and vice presidents.
Some of us became emotional watching the video we made for our teachers.
It has been an incredible journey here in Busan. With mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness, I enter a new chapter of my life in Korea!
I hope to continue writing more blog posts in the future, especially after I start my studies at Hanyang University.
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, feel free to email me at [email protected] or visit my contact page. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one!
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt, Citizenship in a Republic
