“I definitely feel like it was a life-changing experience”

Student of New Media Art// VMU Bilateral Exchange studies in Republic of Korea, Sungkyunkwan University

Describe how you value your experience abroad.

I definitely feel like it was a life-changing experience that I would not trade for anything else. I am glad I decided to participate in this exchange program. I met people from all around the world and found out a lot about other cultures and languages. Sungkyunkwan University Seoul campus had a great atmosphere and a lot of different facilities. Korean students were very welcoming and helpful, they allow exchange students to join the clubs and usually try to offer language support. When it comes to entertainment, there are so many different kinds of karaoke rooms, pc rooms, museums, palaces, beautiful parks, galleries, and different kinds of cafes.

During my time here and the entire preparation period I had to come out of my comfort zone numerous times, and studying abroad definitely helped me to trust and believe in myself more. I feel like I changed a lot in quite a short period of time and it is funny to look back now and remember how scary some things looked to me back then. Being alone in another country on my own made me grow faster and I am very happy to see the results. I am no longer afraid of doing what I want, I am more motivated than ever and believe I can reach my goals and overcome any obstacles.

What surprised you the most in the beginning?

I was mostly surprised by the energy of the people, all students seemed to be very open and welcoming. Also, the number of extra activities, as there were various clubs you could join. Besides the university, I was amazed by the very fast, efficient and convenient transportation system, variety of food and mixture of modern and traditional architecture.

Did you have a mentor abroad? In what kind of matters did he/she help you?

All exchange students were assigned a Korean buddy, who introduced us to the rules and life at Sungkyunkwan University, showed us around the campus and assisted us whenever we had any problems or questions related to our university life. My buddy helped me to look for contacts of my professors during the course registration week and helped me navigate around the campus. She would also always inform us about any upcoming events, trips for exchange students, changes in restrictions related to Covid, and etc.

How well did you feel integrated abroad?

I feel like I adapted to the new environment pretty quickly. I did not feel excluded or very different from others, I felt very comfortable and safe. The majority of people were very nice and welcoming.