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Hi, I’m Hyunjin Kim. I was an exchange student in the 2023 spring semester at the University of Central Oklahoma located in the US, Oklahoma. After Covid-19 got better, I applied to the exchange program to experience many things and to live the life that I’ve dreamed of. From this time, I would introduce the preparation process of exchange students and my own experience in the US for a total of four months from January to May to Gachon University students.
First, I prepared TOEIC from summer vacation to be selected as an exchange student and wrote a self-introduction with an application. The six students including me were selected through document screening and interviews. We took 2 time of orientation, also, we shared information and prepared it together with the students who were dispatched together before leaving the country.
Briefly introducing UCO, it is in Edmond, Oklahoma, and belongs to the outer city. It’s not a big city to play many things, but a small city that is safe and quiet. So, it’s a good place to enjoy the campus life. At UCO, there are many majors that students can study, and they have all the facilities we need. That means we can do everything on campus without going outside. Moreover, in relatively large schools, not only American but many international students, we have a chance to experience having time with them and participate in events for international students. Compared to the fall semester, the spring semester doesn’t have many events, I made some friends through events hosted by the Korean student association and Japanese student association. I enjoyed the meals and parties off campus with them.
We can also watch official basketball teams on campus, and friendly volleyball/soccer games among students in school. As well, we can watch the game of OKC Thunder, the Oklahoma NBA national team. If we do team project assignments or take English Composition classes, we can have opportunities to learn about US culture and diverse countries' cultures. In addition to staying only in Oklahoma, I recommend traveling to other states during spring break or taking a day off during the semester to go to Texas nearby OKC. They are the same in America, but it’s going to be great opportunities to learn about new things and cultures.
Of course, the burden of English decreased after experiencing exchange student life, I think it was the most meaningful that I met various international friends in one language. If any of the students who read this article want to apply to the exchange program or already decided to spend the semester, I want to say just focus on meeting friends and enjoying all the things that we cannot experience in Korea easily rather than improving your English skills.
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▲ Dept of. Global Business
HYUNJIN KIM
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