The Chonnam Tribune has published this page to share the voices of foreign students at Chonnam National University. For this issue, we interviewed new international students about starting fresh to study abroad and what they look forward to during their university lives. We could listen to voices of students from various nations and majoring in diverse fields. -Ed.

Q: What are the reasons you chose to study abroad?
A: When I was in secondary school, I went to an exchange program in Sweden and experienced the difference in the educational system and facilities compared to Tanzania. Experiencing this different study environment made me become more interested in studying abroad. Plus, I was able to earn the Global Korea Scholarship to study here in CNU which is a great opportunity.

Q: How was your first year in Korea in 2023?
A: I learned how to interact with people from different cultures as I met students from all over the world. Furthermore, it was my first time living in a foreign country away from my family. When I used to live with my parents, my parents did everything for me such as buying clothes and toothbrushes. But last year I had to do everything myself and this whole process made me very mature.

Q: What is the impression you have of Korea so far?
A: The working spirit in Korea is on another level. Most people in Korea are hardworking and are very dedicated to their work. Plus, it is really interesting how no one steals other people’s items not just because of the security level but because this is just their culture. Similarly, the safety level is so high that I have no worries sleeping without checking my front door.

By Han Seung-hwan, Editor