GHRM MBA Alumna Esther Shares Her Incredible Exchange Student Experience At Seoul National University, South Korea

GHRM MBA呂欣(Esther)韓國首爾大學交換經驗-不畏疫情，意外融入文化大熔爐

韓國與台灣的地緣相近，在經濟與文化方面交流頻繁，互為重要的貿易夥伴。雜誌與各商業週刊也常有韓國與台灣相關的貿易、科技、經濟還有各項賽事報導。在韓國讀書費用高昂，能以交換學生的名義至韓國首爾大學讀書，見識韓國高壓的教育，既能省下在韓國讀書昂貴的學費，又能到當地上課與當地學生以及其他各國交換生交流，是非常難得的經驗。首爾大學的校園清幽且校地面積廣大，有超過五個圖書館與學生餐廳，提供學生完善的學習環境，更是培育了許多名人。

在疫情期間出國是個重大決定，因為疫情衍生出很多繁瑣的程序與費用，但是很慶幸撐過了層層難關、順利出國。在去韓國交換之前我不會韓文，也沒有熟識的朋友，很有挑戰性反而讓我躍躍欲試、脫離舒適圈。當時全球各地很多城市因為疫情緣故都封城，所以這學期選擇到韓國交換的學生數量非常多，可以稱之文化大熔爐。在交換過程除了學業，總共去了除了首爾以外的十五個城市，我們互相交流、一起旅行，不同文化與生長背景的聚在一起常常會發生很多趣事。

Exchange programs are an excellent opportunity for students to experience an entirely new way of life. It was an immense pleasure for me to get the chance to visit Seoul National University (SNU) as an exchange student. Before coming to SNU, I didn’t know any Korean at all. I was very impressed to see how hardworking the Korean students were in general and the amount of effort they put into academics. Naturally, the courses were intense. Having some classes with local students sometimes was honestly very competitive. I was discouraged after the midterm, but the challenges encouraged me to stay motivated and work harder throughout the semester. 

The process of learning to navigate new administrations and pedagogical styles, living alone in a new environment, making new friends, I sometimes wondered if all of this was worth studying abroad during the pandemic period. But when I booked and planned the next adventure with friends in Korea, I made lifelong friends from all over the world during our time there and genuinely enjoyed our experiences. 

Besides, their exchange student group, SNU Buddy, was incredible. You get to integrate with local and other exchange students from all over the world. The local students tried hard to put together fun events so that everyone could mingle together. Thus, we still needed to be cautious of the risks of getting infected, but none of us regretted seizing the opportunity to study in Korea.