The Dongguk Post would like to introduce a few foreign students who want to share some of their experiences, why and how they came to become Dongguk University (DU) students, and their feelings on what it is like to attend DU as foreigners. Although their nationalities and the cultures of their home countries are different from those of Korean students, they feel that they still have something in common with the local Korean students-they are happy and proud to be Donggukians. The following is what they said.
Chiyoshino Asako, Master's Course, Korean History Chiyoshino Asako is from Japan. After graduating from a university in Japan, she applied to DU Graduate School to study Korean History. This is her second year studying and she is finishing her master's degree. She plans to attend DU until she finishes her Ph D. When she gets her Ph D. she plans to go back to Japan and work for a company that does a lot of interchanging with Korea. She came to Korea to study because she has been interested in Korean culture since high school. Before graduating from the university, she wrote a dissertation on the interchange relationship between Korea and Japan. The research she did made her more and more interested in Korean culture and she wanted to learn more about Korea. Thus she chose to study Korean History in graduate school. Although her schoolwork keeps her very busy, she enjoys being busy because she is studying what she likes. Studying overseas as a foreigner in new surroundings was not very easy for her at first. It took her a while to adapt to her new environment. She experienced culture shock both in and out of school. One thing that she noticed was that people are not on time for meetings and appointments. She loves studying Korean History here in DU and is proud to be a student of DU. She hopes that other foreign students feel the same way and have fun during their stay in Korea.
Kunito Ami, North Korea, Junior Kunito Ami is from Japan. She attended a university in Tokyo and majored in Korean Language. After three years she transferred to DU to major in North Korean Studies. Since middle school she has been interested in the unification between North and South Korea. The Korean movie, Shiri, really touched her and motivated her to come to Korea to study about North Korea. One thing she especially likes about DU is that she can see many famous celebrities attending DU. She also thinks the public transportation system is very convenient since the school is located in the heart of Seoul. One thing that she dislikes is the school being located on a mountain. It is hard for her to walk around the campus because she wears heels all the time. When she first came to DU, everything seemed so new to her. One different experience she remembers is her first MT trip. She expected it to be fun, but she was disappointed because there were only games and drinking. In Japan there is no such thing as MT. She felt as if the membership training was drinking training. No matter how hard it sometimes was for her, she always thought positively. Attending DU is an honor to her and she is attending school as if she were representing her country.
Yeo Su-ho, Computer Multimedia Engineering, Junior Yeo Su-ho is a Taiwanese student. Because he likes cartoon drawing, he always wanted to learn computer graphics so that he could make 3-dimensional cartoon characters with the computer. His interest convinced him to choose his major. He has lived in Seoul all his life so he is accustomed to the atmosphere and environment of Korea. One difference he feels is the food culture because he is used to eating oily Chinese and Taiwanese food. Although he is accustomed to life in Korea and DU, he feels a little disadvantage in studying his major. Engineering requires many calculations in math, a subject that he is weak in compared to his Korean counterparts. The level of math courses he had studied is below his classmates. One of the activities he participates in is drawing cartoons in his club called Manhwaul. This is where he has the most fun in school with his friends.
Kim Lan-sook, Computer Engineering, Junior Kim Lan-sook is from China and this is her third year in Korea. Before entering DU, she studied Korean in DU's Korean Language Institute. Even though she had many options in her choice of school, the Korean teachers from the institute gave her a good impression of DU. They had always showed passion for teaching and care for the students. Because she had already studied Korean for one year in DU's institute, she entered DU as a freshman familiar with the culture of DU. One difference she saw was the students; everyone spoke Korean really well compared to her classmates in the institute. The conversations were different as well as the way students hung out. She has totally adapted to school life in DU. She is having a great time with her classic guitar club members she loves playing the guitar and doing performances. She is equally serious in her club activity and in her studies. Although her major is hard to her because lot of the math involved, she enjoys learning computer programming After graduating she dreams of becoming a great computer programmer.