I had the desire to become an exchange student studying abroad and to make Chinese truly ‘my language’. I have been learning Chinese for many years, but I have always thought that it would be completely different to learn it in Chinese-speaking countries compared to learning it in Korea. After completing an exchange student program at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan last semester, I found out that it was completely correct. At the university, I really enjoyed my exchange school life and I was able to adapt quickly and had fun every day. Classes were difficult, but everyone I met was kind, and Taiwan is a great place to live. In the beginning, I was busy with school classes and adaptation, and after I finished adjusting, time flew by with various clubs, trips, and festivals.

A New Challenge, Dance Performance
    In Taiwan, I tried to challenge myself to do many things as I was given a new environment. Dancing, tennis, swimming, pottery, surfing, and scuba diving that I hadn’t done before, and I really filled my days with challenges. Among them, the most impressive activity was the “dance club” activity. The first time, I was worried because I had never danced before, but I decided to try a traditional Chinese dance. I practiced choreography with my choreography teacher and club friends every week, and at the end of the semester, I got to perform at a large concert hall. I could experience various things such as rehearsing four times, taking individual profile shots, group leaflet profiles, and video shooting.
    The first thing I thought while doing these activities was ”It’s really fortunate to have this kind of experience as an exchange student.” There are so many reasons why I chose to go on the exchange student program. If I had to pick one of them, I think it was an environment where I could take on a ‘new challenge’. I have heard the saying "If you want to change yourself, change the environment." I felt those words keenly in Taiwan. Only the environment changed, but I could find the answer through myself continuing to take on many challenges. Of course, the mindset to try new things in a new environment is your own.

Mine Made with My Own Hands
    The pottery club was also a new challenge in Taiwan. In the pottery club, students can learn the pottery-making process and make their own pottery. It was a quite pleasant experience to decide on the object I wanted to make and to plan and make everything from its size, shape, form, and structure. I really liked the part that I could make the shape I wanted, so I could make it suit my needs, and the part that I could design it myself was also really attractive. I finished my pottery by drawing my favorite ‘four-leaf clover’ and engraving my name on it. This pottery was brought to Korea and is still being used as my brush holder.
    Not only did I learn pottery making there, but also, I could make good friends. While making pottery during the semester, I made precious friends, and we still keep in touch by talking on the phone every Monday. Even in the pottery club, I think it was very meaningful to meet friends and make something. At the pottery club, I learned how to make pottery, and it also gave me the confidence to make anything I needed myself.

Learning Different Cultures
    While in Taiwan, I spent a lot of time with various exchange student friends. I experienced and learned a lot about the culture of their countries. When we talked about the differences between cultures, we lost track of time. That's why the cultural festivals in various countries make me feel more interested. I went to a Vietnamese festival with my friends and enjoyed the event by trying traditional Vietnamese food and games, and wearing traditional Vietnamese costumes and hats. Also, I had a great time watching a Vietnamese performance and participating in a program to write my name in Vietnamese.
  Experiencing the culture of a foreign country through festivals is a very effective way to have a good impression of a country. So, it was a fun program that I was very thankful for, and that made me think that I’d also like to actively participate and properly inform people about Korea if a festival about Korea is held.

Turning Point in My Life
   I am proud that I spent my exchange student life in a meaningful way. I gained a lot of experiences and improved my language skills. I can say it was the ‘turning point’ in my life. My first experience of living abroad taught me a lot: How to adapt and live in a new country, how to learn a language, how to share my heart with friends who live in a completely different culture and who speak a different language, how to accept new things and not be afraid of challenges. I also learned that my behaviors represent Korean people, and that is why I thought I should do even better with the thought of being a civilian delegation. I feel happy that I had an unforgettable semester, and I feel grateful to two universities for giving me such a great experience.
   Lastly, I would like to strongly recommend becoming an exchange student to anyone reading this. You may be afraid of living in a foreign country where your language is not communicated and the culture is different, but if you can experience meeting a new world in college life, I think it is worth experiencing. I will end this article with the hope that all of you will meet a new world through overseas experiences that suit you, and experience and feel many things in it.

By Ahn Jae-eun, Senior, Dept. of Chinese Language and Literature