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It's already been five months since I move to Canada. I was sent to Canada for the 2021-2 semester exchange program and participated in the English language program. The reason why I chose Canada among the other options was that it was a country I’d never been to and had always wanted to visit. Another big reason was that I was only able to take language classes instead of classes from my major. Taking major courses at overseas universities would be a good experience too, but I chose Canada because I wanted to focus on learning languages and didn’t want to get stressed about my studies while living abroad. I was worried about COVID-19 for many reasons, but every moment after entering Canada was so happy and satisfying. So, although the program period is over, I extended the program on my own. I will introduce the charm of life in Canada that has caught me as someone who is still living in Canada.
The most memorable thing in Canada is house parties. It started when a homestay family member was invited to a party at another friend's house at the invitation of a friend of my age. It was the first party I was invited to, so I was a little worried. Contrary to worries, there were quite a few friends interested in Korea, and even one of friend was wearing a Korean zombie T-shirt. Thanks to this first party, I was able to meet a lot of different people. I made so many friends as I was invited to another friend's home party through new friends. While talking with local friends, I was able to learn informal English that was different from formal English which I learned at school. And through them, I was able to learn more about their culture. While hanging out with new friends, I felt more attached to this place as I learned practical English or slang that was different from what I usually knew. Above all, unlike school, parties were a place to enjoy together, so I had no fear of speaking English. All of them added a little exaggeration and said, “your English is pretty nice! You don’t need to learn English!” and that helped me so much.
While living in Canada, my thoughts and values have changed a lot. Previously, it took a lot of time to step back or try something new or difficult. During my time in Canada, I didn't want to have any regrets, and I thought it was too wasteful to just spend time, so I wanted to experience as much as possible. So, I participated in walking events held at school, had an hour of conversation in English, participated in sports activities that are not done in Korea, and learned about culture and language by meeting friends from various nationalities attending Guelph University. I think this is the charm of an exchange student program. It has been a dream since I was young to live abroad for an extended period. It may sound childish, but I felt so cool and got excited when I imagined myself speaking English anywhere. I made what I imagined only for a semester a reality, and it's not a huge change, but a big change has occurred to me. Every moment could be regrettable, so I didn't waste my time, I tried to do anything, and I had a desire to learn more. As I left the last semester of the fourth grade, I was also worried about graduation and employment. I had worried about whether I would fall behind other friends or regret it, but it disappeared while living in Canada. I'm still young, and I don't think it's too late to make another start. Perhaps, even if it was a choice that didn't fit me, I realized that even that was precious and there was an opportunity to make another choice. Rather, if I hadn't applied for the program and come to Canada, I would have left the biggest regret.
Unlike the last semester, this semester I moved into the dormitory in the school and now live there. I took another challenge. Now, I am looking forward to what my life will be like while living with my roommates.
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▲ Noh Minji
Dept of. Department of chemistry
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