Accounting and Finance student Anne took part in the Summer School at Hanyang University, South Korea. During the summer, she developed her independence and cultural awareness.
I chose to do a Summer School abroad because I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to develop myself by being in a completely different environment to the one I’m accustomed to. Also, it would give me a chance to meet people from other parts of the world and connect with them. I particularly wanted to go to Hanyang University because when I researched the different institutions I could go to, Hanyang stood out and had the courses I wanted to learn.
Overall, the teaching was great because the teachers could communicate the information needed for the exam. The teaching material given was also great as it contains important information we can use in the future as well. I could tell by the way they taught that they had great knowledge in that area.
I have learnt and was able to experience the values and culture of Koreans. I have learnt to be more independent and become more aware of how important cultures are in various countries. I have developed more confidence in myself to speak and be around various types of people from different backgrounds. I’ve become more independent in the way I study and live my life because I was able to be in a completely different country where I didn’t know anyone and adjust to their culture. But also it gave me more motivation to study and work harder by being around individuals who had such high goals in life.
My number one advice is to just embrace the culture. The only way to fully experience and have great memories is to not be afraid to try things. One of the main reasons you are there is to develop yourself and find out about what makes that country different. Also, be prepared to have exotic food because if you are going abroad somewhere in Asia, the food will be nowhere near similar to British food. Lastly, be aware of the weather beforehand in order to bring the right clothing.
This experience relates to my future, to see for myself if I was capable enough to adjust to the environment of different countries, as I would like to work abroad in the future.
