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Hello, I am Min Gyun Park, who attended the University of Florida in the 2021-2 semester. I was also accepted as an exchange student from another school, but I gave up and chose UF. The reason is, first, that Florida is the southernmost state in United States, and traveling to the South is expensive and not easy for future trips to US. The second reason is that when I was in UF, the UF ranking was ranked 30th in U.S. National University Rankings, but now it has moved up to 28th. That is why I went to go to a prestigious university with high academic fervor.
What struck me the most in FL was the environment and how it coexists with nature. On my way to school, I went with ducks and sometimes I could see gators. There was no separate fence, so I can say that they coexist with animals. The huge swamps in the city, the pristine Sweetwater wetlands of FL, and the UF Lake Wauburg spots for kayaking on the wide river also captivated me. In Korea, I have to leave Seoul to experience nature, but in FL, nature is preserved and coexisted in the city. I asked a professor at UF, wondering how they could have preserved nature so well, and he said, "I think the education method makes us have the importance of nature from a young age. Also, having ability to see the world as it is, has made us preserve nature not only in Florida but also in United States so far.” I was very impressed by the American educational system that taught students how to live in harmony with nature.
Also, the facilities and awareness for the disabled were well established. All UF buildings had wheelchair ramps at every entrance and every door had a button that let the door open and close automatically, allowing students with disabilities to go to school without assistance. On the bus, there were wheelchair-only seats and a lift, as well as a bus driver standing up and helping people in wheelchairs get on. The most impressive moment in America's perception of the disabled was when I visited Universal Studios in Orlando. More impressive than the fantastic rides were the elderly people in wheelchairs. At that time, the line was long and complicated because there were many people, but it was really beautiful to see that everyone was considerate of the elderly in wheelchairs first.
Initially, I applied to UF with the goal of simply improving my English skills. However, after I returned to Korea, my views have been further broadened by not only language skills, but also communication with friends of various nationalities and experiencing various cultures. In addition, I gained something more important than language skills by encountering the aforementioned culture of coexistence with nature and careful consideration for the disabled. I would like to tell students who dream of becoming exchange/visiting to go to any country and experience the culture as much as you can.
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▲ PARK MINGYUN
Dept of. European Languages and Literature
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