My name is Lydia Jun and I'm a senior studying Finance, Management Information Systems, and International Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business. I'm thrilled to be studying as an exchange student at the Korea University Business School (KUBS) for the Fall 2022 semester!
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, I've witnessed the detrimental impacts of key issues on my beautiful home. I've become passionate about becoming a business leader who can readily address such issues. In order to fulfill this goal, I've tried my best to apply myself outside the classroom and gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. At school, I've served in leadership positions in organizations such as Delta Sigma Pi and the Shidler Global Leaders. Through my various internships, I've gained an interest in pursuing a technology-related career and working with databases, business analysis, or project management. I'm confident that studying abroad at KUBS will enable me to grow in unprecedented ways, expand my perspectives, and equip me with the tools necessary to become a globally-minded leader.
The purpose of this website is to meaningfully reflect on my experiences and provide useful information to those interested in studying abroad in South Korea!
My Goals
Needless to say, I'll be experiencing many challenges throughout my time in South Korea. I hope that despite such challenges, I'll still be able to reach the following goals during my time as an exchange student. 🗣 1. Improve my Korean For a long time, I've been uncomfortable with my current skill level at the Korean language. Although I am Korean and have attended Korean language schools growing up, I've yet to achieve fluency. Overall, here's where I feel like I'm at:
Speaking: 5/10
Listening: 8/10
Reading: 7/10
Writing: 4/10
Now that I'm studying abroad in Korea, when, where, and how else would I get a more perfect opportunity to improve my Korean skills? I already know that I'll feel overwhelmed with awkwardness speaking in my broken Korean, but I'm going to try my best to force myself to speak Korean as much as possible.
☃️ 2. Get used to the cold As someone who shivers in air-conditioned classrooms and 60-degree weather in Hawaii, I am dreading the cold months in Korea. At the same time, I have to remind myself that the reason I'm studying abroad in the first place is to grow, challenge myself, and step out of my comfort zone. Through the power of layering, padded jackets, and hot-packs, I am determined that I can reach my goal of becoming someone who has truly experienced all four seasons. 🤙 3. Make lots and lots and lots of new friends! I'm excited at the thought of how many diverse people I'll get to meet in Korea! In fact, I've selected my place of stay based on its emphasis on a community of international students. When meeting people, I want to hear and learn about their countries, backgrounds, values, and cultural practices and share my own experiences as well. I hope to expand my knowledge and perspectives through meeting new people and improve my intercultural communication skills in the process.
🤓 4. Do well in school At the end of the day, I'm going to Korea as a student. I already know that I'll be eager to explore Korea everyday, but I hope that I won't sacrifice academics in the process. Balance is the key! On a related note, I'm excited to experience classes in Korea, which I heard were quite different from the classes at Shidler. I hope to learn more in-depth about the implications of Korean, Asian, and other international forces on the realm of business.