[International Exchange] Students participating in the Korean Exchange Program in the Fall semester of 2024 will return to their home countries

Three students who participated in the Korean exchange program from the fall semester of 2024 returned to Japan after about six months of study abroad. They mainly studied Korean language at Sejong University, an overseas partner university, and lived in the dormitory.

Below are some comments from the participating students:

"At the beginning of my study abroad, I was frustrated by my poor language skills and was unable to express the things I wanted to say or talk about as I wanted, but I felt that my writing skills had improved since I was studying in Japan. I'm very happy that I've been able to make friends that I would never have met if I hadn't come to Korea, such as going out to eat with friends from the language school and becoming friends with the kids in the dormitory.
The personal growth I felt through studying abroad was that because I was overseas, I was able to take action, such as going to XX or thinking about what to do today, and I was able to take on more bold challenges. Because time is limited, I feel even more strongly that I want to use this opportunity well and make the most of it. My time abroad was very intense, and it was an experience where I was able to feel my own growth. I want to turn this experience into "confidence" for the rest of my life. You can't gain anything unless you try, so I want to proactively try everything on my own.

(4th year student, Faculty of Intercultural Japanese Studies)

"After completing my exchange program in Korea, I learned how to adapt, take action, and be sociable. This was my first time going to Korea on this exchange program. I arrived with many expectations, but reality was thrust upon me from the first day. There were so many things I had to do after arriving in Korea, such as applying for a dormitory, attending a language school, registering for university classes, and doing everything I needed to do to live there. I wasn't even at a level where I could understand Korean, so I felt frustrated and anxious. After coming to Korea, every day was a repeat of how just as one problem was solved, new ones would arise. However, in order to solve the problems, we contacted the international exchange department ourselves, and when we were unable to take classes, we contacted Professor directly and thought about what we could do ourselves.
I started studying abroad in September, and by November I was able to understand Korean and the content of my classes better than ever before. My test results also gradually improved, and I was happy to realize that my abilities were improving. At the beginning of my study abroad, I wasn't good at taking the initiative, so I spent most of my time in the dormitory, but I didn't want to regret it, so I talked to people I met at university events and people from my clubs, and went out to eat meals and movies with them. Every time I met my Korean friends I felt depressed about my poor Korean ability, but I was able to turn that into motivation to study hard and do my best.

(3rd year student, Faculty of Intercultural Japanese Studies)

"I was able to learn a lot from studying in Korea. First of all, in the language school, I was able to learn Korean while talking to a lot of people of various nationalities in a class that was suited to my level. Although we all have different native languages, it was fun to learn about the culture of other countries while speaking Korean. At the language school, there were classes where we could experience Korean culture. In class, we made and ate chijimi with our classmates. The cooking steps were simple and easy to make, and it tasted very delicious. It was a valuable experience to be able to become familiar with Korean culture while interacting with my classmates in class. It was my first time actually making Korean food, so it tasted even better. When I get back to Japan, I'm going to make it for my family to eat. I think I can use what I learned through this study abroad in Korea in many situations in the future. After returning to Japan, I actually took the Korean Proficiency Test. I will continue to study so that I don't forget the Korean knowledge I learned.
I was also helped by many people during my time studying abroad in Korea. I was especially helped by my professors at Sejong University, the professors at the language school, and local friends. Even when I had a lot of worries, they kindly explained everything to me and I felt at ease. So I would like to be able to help other international students who come to Japan.

(3rd year student, Faculty of Intercultural Japanese Studies)

Good luck with your student life. We're rooting for you!

Source: Global Center