The cold weather of winter gave way to the warmer spring. But nothing makes me feel like I do when March, and the beginning of a new semester and school year, arrives. It is in March when I renew my goals and plans for the year. It is around this time when the campus is full of energy from the crowds of students full of hope for the exciting new world of university life, along with the mild winds and soft sunshine. The campus is more like a keg party without any alcohol. This is the milieu I’ve been in love with since I started working here more than a decade ago.
    There is no such thing as this ‘new’ world, though. Freshman soon realize that their romanticized view of campus life is not so easy in reality. The daily routine of studying English, managing grades, and preparing ‘specs’ for getting a job awaits. A survey found that eight out of 10 college students are obsessed with “spec” improvement and suffer from depression, stomach disorders, sociophobia, among other conditions.
    The campus life of today is nothing more than the ‘prolonged fourth grade of high school’ to get a decent job. Universities as ivory towers are dead. Universities are turning into factories just to produce highly-educated working machines with tons of certificates.
    When reality finally sinks in, there are two different ways they take to deal with it.
    The first way is that they immediately start ‘spec-seeking’ with determination. Young students of that resolution are all in the competition for more and better ‘specs’, meanwhile missing out on romance and experiences that they deserve to have.
    The second way is they just follow the everyday rhythm of life. They are very busy at part-time jobs or tutoring, studying, and actively involved in campus life. They occasionally peep into spec-seeking life but not for long. But living a busy life, spending (wasting?) time without any destination doesn’t guarantee anything. They suddenly realize time does fly by. 
    But both of these ways are not ideal; there is another option. An option that balances the dreams you might have with the obligations it takes to get there. Let me share what I think you should do to achieve your dreams during your undergraduate time at university.
   ‘Love, Travel, Goals for life’
    Love changes everything. Love feels great, but sometimes gives you excruciating pains, too. You can learn many aspects and attitudes towards life from love experiences. I strongly recommend finding someone to love before you graduate. I’ve heard that young people give up on ‘love’ for fear of wasting time, energy, and money. But you can’t numb those feelings without numbing everything. When you give up on love, you also lose joy, happiness, and the pleasure that you deserve to have.
    Second, Travel to many places on your own. Many believe that travel is about meeting new people and expanding social experiences. This may be a part of it, but I believe travel is a collection of introspective experiences that give you chances to get to know yourself more. If love gives you lessons in human relationships, travel gives you opportunities to learn about yourself. You can find what you like and dislike, and you can observe yourself from a distance when you face a difficult situation. That experience gives you a chance to understand yourself more but also gives some room for comprehending others.
    Third, find your goals in life. A majority of students choose their majors based, not on their dreams, but on their test scores, many find out later on that their major is not for them and usually choose to change schools ― either to apply for a spec position or because the school does not match their dreams. The number of students who choose their major according to their Korea SAT scores outnumbers the students who follow their dream from the beginning.
    Reading is the best way to find a goal. It doesn’t necessarily mean study your major or concentrate on self-development, and self-help style books for a better ‘spec’. Read all kinds of books. These days, unless we find ourselves in very unusual circumstances, we’re reluctant to read. We usually play mobile games, search the internet or squander time in a million ways with our smart phones. As a specialist in digital communication and media, I deeply believe that you can find the light of your dream through reading.
    Instead of forcing yourself to get higher grades and specs, you should give greater opportunities to reading various books, playing sports, engaging in romantic relationships, and traveling a lot to develop your own point of views of yourself and the world. 

 By Han Seon, Research Professor, The May 18 Institute