I met Song Jae-Won, the student of the Dept.of Electrical Engineering, who recently took the academic program for exchange students in USA.

What made you apply for the academic program for exchange students in USA?
I was the kind of person who thought that English was the most important factor. I always wanted to do many things with good English skills. I wanted to make friends from other countries and have a global mind. Also, I wanted to carry out discussions with foreigners. I thought it was necessary to study English.

What did you prepare to take the program?
First of all, I started to study TOEFL. I started to prepare for the test from the second semester of my sophomore year. I originally planned to study for the test for six months. But, it was hard for me to get a good grade since I was studying in the distant region. After I got the necessary TOEFL grade, I took several American classes over the Internet, because I knew a little about the English classes. I thought that it would be useful to know more about the classes and how they proceed.

What could you feel from taking such a program?
I felt that my English skills were not that important when I lived with foreigners. Such skills can be improved at any time. However, I thought that it was important to understand the culture of that country. Without such a thought, it would have been impossible for me to get along with others. I saw many students who failed to adapt themselves to the new environment. Since I could take the program with the support from the university, I could just focus on getting the required grades and making friends from other countries.

What kind of difficulties did you have abroad?
In order to study English, I and my friend who went there with me used separate rooms intentionally. I used the room with three foreign students. In the beginning, we did not get along well. However, as time passed, we became friendly and were able to understand one another. Also, the method of carrying out the examination was different from the one in Korea, so I did not even know the day for my first test. I also had a difficulty for foods, since they were not like the ones I had in Korea. I had one test every other week. It was not divided into the mid-term and the final tests. The students who usually study well, regardless of the test, will get good grades from those tests. Even if you get good grades for the mid-term test, you need to keep studying well. Also, there were several projects that would be reflected considerably for the academic grades.

Kang In-Jung  cutejun88@changwon.ac.kr

<저작권자 © The Campus Journal, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지>