I have been in Seoul for less than two months, and it has already been a whirlwind experience. I started my classes and have almost fully adjusted to the lifestyle here.
Each day, I get to experience something new. Although I have experienced some homesickness, the joy of studying abroad during my first year of college is worth it.
The most significant difference between the high school I graduated from back in Texas and Hanyang University is the academic environment. My professors are engaging, and the material I’m studying is intriguing.
My favorite classes are “Aesthetic Awareness in the Modern World” and “Business and Environmental Ethics.” These classes are discussion-based, and I love listening to everyone’s opinions and thinking deeply about the questions our professors ask.
My academic workload has not been too stressful so far. I study at my favorite café, Tom Tom’s Coffee, which is right below my dorm. Open 24/7, it is a peaceful, calm environment. I go there to relax and study for a few hours on the weekend or after class.
On Fridays, our whole group usually goes on different excursions. The first excursion we embarked on was to a motion-capture studio. I was chosen to be one of two students who were able to try on a motion capture suit that controlled an AI character on screen. When I moved, an AI character mimicked my movements. The whole experience was fascinating, and I hope to go back and experience it again.
Our second excursion was to an ecological park. We were tasked with controlling and removing some invasive plant species. The whole day was rainy and very humid. We ended up having to stop midway when it started raining too heavily. However, since we all worked so fast, we were able to clear most of the invasive plants.
I also had the opportunity to experience a Chuseok festival. Chuseok is a Korean holiday, and a small group of us went to see some cultural dances that are performed yearly during the festival. I loved seeing how intricate and precise the dances were.
Later that day, my friends and I visited a cat café for the first time. We were excited to see the cats, which were all friendly and cute.
I also got to experience a gaming café called PC Bang. Gaming cafés are common in Korea and popular with Korean students. It was such a unique experience, and I will be going there quite often while I live in Seoul.
Despite how amazing these experiences have been, I have struggled with homesickness. At the beginning of this trip, I felt confident that I wouldn’t feel homesick. However, since I have never traveled abroad alone, it has sometimes felt a little isolating.
To cope with this, I stay connected with family and friends back home via video calls. I have also made it a point to go out more by myself so that I can really immerse myself in the fun activities around Seoul.
Studying abroad in Seoul has challenged me to step outside my comfort zone in ways I didn’t expect. The whole experience has been very rewarding. While I’ve had to adjust to a new environment and cope with homesickness, I am learning so much, not just from my classes, but also about myself. This experience is teaching me resilience and adaptability, which are attributes I will carry with me long after I return home.
This post was contributed by Vanessa Kleinschmidt, a Global Ambassador for Fall 2024. Vanessa is a freshman psychology major participating in the Take the World by the Horns education abroad program in Seoul, South Korea.
Leave a Reply