It is the people who make the course enjoyable. They are so helpful and friendly and always encourage student participation

Why did you choose to study Korean?

I was born in China but adopted by British parents so since a young age, I have been eager to discover more about my heritage. After voluntarily doing a DNA test, I discovered that a considerable part of my ancestry lies not only in China but also in Korea. At this time, I was already really interested in Korean culture after seeing it so often in the media (with the rise of the Hallyu Wave) so I decided to try and start learning Korean. I learnt the basics of the language through self-study and then started to have lessons with a Korean-native teacher over Skype. Because I enjoyed the language learning so much, I made the decision to pursue it at university. When applying for courses I initially wanted to do Korean with Chinese but at that time there was no such course available. I knew that I wanted to study not only one language but two, so I chose Korean with Japanese and I am so glad that I did.

What attracted you to the University of Sheffield?

Initially it was everything that the course had to offer, including the Year Abroad in a Korean partner university. I also attended an open day and fell in love with the whole campus and city of Sheffield. During that open day, I was also able to meet some of the lecturers and they were so friendly and immediately made me feel welcome. After attending open days at other universities (and comparing them to the University of Sheffield open day), I knew that Sheffield was the right choice for me.  

Has your course lived up to your expectations so far?

Even though I am only in my second year, I can confidently say that I am thoroughly enjoying my course and most definitely made the right decision. Every single class in interesting and fun and I have already met some amazing people through my course.

Moli Hitchen

BA Korean Studies with Japanese

Additionally, the tandem partner program has made my course even more engaging as I have been able to practice my language skills whilst simultaneously making new friends. I am really looking forward to seeing what the next two years of my course, and especially the Year Abroad, have in store for me.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

In my opinion, it is the people who play the biggest role in making the course so interesting and so much fun. From the language teachers, to the seminar teachers and lecturers of my other modules, it is the people who make the course enjoyable. They are so helpful and friendly and always encourage student participation by making each individual feel comfortable and included.

How have you found learning a new language?

Since I have been interested in East Asian languages and Korean in particular from a young age, I could not wait to start studying it at university. The language classes have definitely lived up to my expectations and exceeded them. I find the Japanese language classes a bit more difficult than the Korean ones, as I had previously studied Korean but had no prior knowledge of Japanese. I love to challenge myself though, so I am really enjoying learning Japanese too.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your studies?

I love dance and music so during my first year, I joined the K-pop Dance Society. I absolutely loved it and was a part of the performance team, which was even more exciting as we got to perform at events. Aside from dance, I love to watch K-dramas and anime which also help me with my language learning as it is a chance for me to pick up on new vocabulary, new expressions and practice my pronunciation. I also like to cook and since I absolutely love Korean food I really enjoy trying to make   Korean dishes at home.

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

I do not have a concrete plan at the moment, but I do have lots of different ideas for career paths that I would like to pursue. The best thing about my chosen course is that it will open a huge window of opportunities for me in the future, so I cannot wait to see where my degree takes me.