KU’s main building in September vs December
Here we are, my final blog post. Hard to believe it’s already been four months since I came to Korea. My semester is officially done 😭
Deciding to come on exchange has been one of the best decisions I think I have made so far. The experience really is invaluable. Cliché I know, but in this case, I feel like there is no other way to describe it. Not only will I walk away with a bunch of new friends from all over the world but I’ll also go into the future with both greater cultural and self-understanding. Exchange has challenged me yet also taught me important lessons like self-discipline and how to adapt to new environments as well as people.
경복궁 (Gyeongbuk Palace) at night
As an introvert (ISFP if you’re wondering 😆), I made a promise to myself to try, TRY and be a bit more outgoing as one of the main purposes of exchange, at least in my view, is to meet new people, and make new friends. I’m happy to report that I believe I have succeeded. Definitely not as much as others have but it’s enough for me. I’m proud of the efforts I made to meet the people I now call my friends <3. The number of photo booth photos I have 🤩
Coming on exchange I had this idea that this would be the time when I could just play every day and not worry about anything academically. While this was true to a certain extent, I did come to realise that just playing without doing any work at all was not entirely possible. It’s still university, there are still tests and assignments, and some of the content will be hard. So yes, I played hard but I also worked hard. While it’s not there yet, exchange has brought me closer to finding my perfect balance.
Gotta find the balance that works for you
Do I think exchange has changed me? Yeah. It’s made me realise that I am indeed in fact a lot more independent than I thought I was. With no break in the middle of semester (something I was very not used to), I admit, the thought of not seeing my family until next year or not having the familiarity of my support system physically with me did scare me. However, I found that it was actually easier than predicted. Between university and hanging out with the friends I made here, there wasn’t much time for me to dwell on it. Not saying I didn’t miss them because of course I did but I found myself not lingering on the thought as much as expected.
On a less serious note…❄️SNOW❄️!!! Being in South Korea since August, I have experienced the heat like I’ve never experienced before as well as pouring rain. Now it’s -10 degrees and snowing! Yes, I’ve seen snow before but not like this. For a born and raised Aucklander, this is pretty exciting.
Thank you all for reading and following me on my exchange journey at Korea University in South Korea, hope you had fun! To those of you who are considering it for the future, hopefully, I’ve been able to provide some insight on what exchange can be like to help you decide. Happy Holidays everyone and happy new year! Byeeeeeee.
P.S. Watching the FIFA World Cup in Korea was something else all together ~~ wild.
