The third student that I interviewed is one of our alumnae, Yu Yajing, who graduated from Chonnam National University (CNU) in 2011. She currently works for a Korean company in Shanghai, China. Yajing has a special story on her decision to head for CNU. With prior knowledge that Gwangju is known as the ‘culture capital’ of South Korea and with the encouragement of a professor who had once been a visiting scholar at CNU, she set her eyes on our university. That’s how she came to know CNU and why she decided to come.
At first, it was hard for her to adapt to life in Korea. She could not understand most of the courses which were taught only in Korean. Furthermore, she usually had to make decisions and do everything by herself. For example, after school she had to do daily chores like cooking and washing. It was a hard for her and it meant there was a lack of time to keep a balance between studies and her personal life. Despite these circumstances, the greatest help was the people around her in her school life such as her friends, professors and also extracurricular activity advisers who gave her encouragent. These people helped her lot. Even now, having graduated, she always thinks of them and misses them so much. Thanks to their generosity she had a meaningful life in Korea. Even though she is no longer in Korea, those relationships have lasted. She said that they were her most memorable and precious memories in her school days abroad.
Yajing has some advice for international students. “Don’t be afraid of making friends with students of other nationalities. Maybe sometimes you think that your Korean language is not good enough to communicate, but it is more than enough. Most people will understand you and be friendly to you. So trust yourself. Don’t waste your time—life at CNU will be your best memory for the rest of your life. Do more, look more, experience more, and make more memories, so that you won’t regret it after you graduate.”
Yajing is now taking a step towards her dream of becoming an editor of a fashion magazine. I hope her dreams come true. All the best, Yajing!
By Lee Yu-rim, Guest Reporter
[People]
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