Having studied in Seoul National University for the summer, my experience there has been unforgettable! My day consists of two classes: international management in the morning and Korean language class in the afternoon. It was in these classes where I had the fortune of meeting people from all different parts of the world, each with their own unique culture. We were also fortunate enough to have Friday’s’ off which gave us the opportunity to explore more of South Korea! This included weekly field trips on Friday organized by the international summer program team however I did not attend as I had been to those places already.
When it came to classes, international management involved weekly group presentations and frequent group discussions. The group discussions were great as I was able to engage with my classmates more and expand my knowledge on different cultures, whereas the group presentations stayed the same. This allowed me to get to know my group members more on a deeper level.
As a result, I now have a clearer view on what international management is. I have now learned the nuance within international management which often involves different cultures intertwining rather than existing separately. This has made me appreciate cultural differences more and given me the tools to apply this knowledge to my future endeavours. I feel like a more culturally aware person as a result. Being able to take a Korean languages course in South Korea itself was such a wonderful experience as it felt very authentic.
Though Korean was challenging to learn, I managed to go from knowing basic phrases such as “hello” and “thank you” to being able to make maintain simple conversations when purchasing items at the store. Both of my professors in international Management and Korean language were also very nice as they led the classes effectively and answered all of our questions.
After finally finishing my summer school program in SNU last month, I am currently spending this month learning more Korean. Between the summer school program and the Korean language course I’m doing now I have been able to explore more of Seoul and truly experience their culture. This involved going to a concert which I found fun and exploring the city