University of Sheffield has also been number one in Student’s union for 10 years running which is amazing.

Why did you choose to study Korean? 

I chose to study Korean because I have been fascinated by the Korean culture after my sister introduced me to K-pop and Korean dramas. As time went on, I started to learn more about Korea as a country and the embedded culture and history which further made me interested in Korea. The option of year abroad was exciting because I had never lived by myself in another country and thought it was an excellent opportunity to challenge myself.

What attracted you to the University of Sheffield?

As University of Sheffield is a Russel group offering Korean Studies and Business management, I made my decision to go here. University of Sheffield has also been number one in Student’s union for 10 years running which is amazing and this made me more enticed to choose this university because attending university is not just about studying; it is also about joining societies and having fun. I was also attracted to this city because I am someone who likes a mixture of cities and green life which Sheffield has a lot to offer.

Has your course lived up to your expectations so far?

This course has definitely lived up to my expectations so far as my Korean skills has improved up to an advanced level (achieved level 6 in Korean language school) which means I can talk in Korean casually to friends and also do presentations in Korean without any assistance.  I have enjoyed every lesson and believe that I made the right decision in selecting my course.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

The teachers are all very helpful and approachable so if I ever needed help or wanted to ask questions I could do so without being nervous. They try their best to make the classes entertaining but educational at the same time with a mixture of videos and group activities, so I don’t think I ever had any lessons that were boring. Furthermore, the tandem partner programme was an excellent opportunity to enhance my Korean skills and make long term Korean friends.

How have you found learning a new language?

Learning a language is always difficult at the start especially if the characters of the alphabet are different too. However, as time went on, I got more used to Korean with the help of my teachers and learning language began to get fun and interesting. Learning Korean language is especially interesting since there is hanja which are Chinese characters, and also many loanwords from English. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of your studies? (hobbies, interests, societies)

My hobby is dancing and have been in the K-pop dance society performance team for 2 years where I performed in numerous University of Sheffield events such as International cultural Evening and competitions. I became the president last year (2019-2020) and taught K-pop dances to the members of our society and helped planned events such as Korea Day.

Do you know what you want to do at the end of your course?

Since I also study Business management, I want to work in the marketing field in Korea since I have an interest in Digital Marketing.

Questions about your year abroad 

Which University did you spend your year abroad at?

Sungkyunkwan University (성균관 대학교)

How different was the teaching and course structure compared to at Sheffield?

The main difference was that we were taught Korean every single weekday from 9am to 3pm and the teachers spoke in Korean only. The writing and reading were done in the mornings and, speaking and listening were done in the afternoon. We also had a lot more tests and presentations in Sungkyunkwan university to rapidly increase our Korean skills and confidence in speaking Korean.  The teachers were also very helpful in the university that I went to and we had a class KakaoTalk group, so teachers were still accessible after school hours.

What skills do you feel you gained from doing the study abroad year?

I gained a lot of confidence in speaking Korean from my year abroad since we were only allowed to speak Korean in our classes. Because of this, my Korean speaking skills also increased drastically since the teachers would always correct me if I said anything wrong. I also developed cultural awareness since I experienced first-hand the culture and the ways of living in South Korea. My adaptability skills also improved as England and South Korea are very different in terms of food, shops and traditions.

What did you do outside of studying? Travel? Take up a new hobby?

Travelling was the main thing I did outside of studying and I travelled all over Seoul, Jeonju and Busan, Osaka and Kyoto in Japan, and Jeju island with my friends.  It was an amazing experience, and each place were brimmed with their own history and culture. I also joined the ‘Girl’s hip hop dance society’ in Sungkyunkwan university where I even performed in their showcase. Other than that, I spent most of my time eating out, going to karaoke (noraebang) and hanging out in Seoul with my friends.

Can you tell me your favourite memory from your year abroad?

When I first went to South Korea, I was watching some street performances on the Hongdae streets when the MC asked someone from the audience to dance. At that time, I had never danced by myself in front of other people, but I gave myself a challenge and managed to speak in Korean and dance in front of numerous people filming me. It was a very nerve-racking situation, but this experience was exhilarating and also helped me with my confidence.