Journalism student shares experiences in Asia
Maria Eduarda chose South Korea for academic mobility
As many Brazilian students dream of going to Europe or to major US cities, School of Communications, Arts and Design (Famecos) student, Maria Eduarda Levy Mello, chose South Korea for an academic mobility program. She then headed to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, in the South Korean capital.
“When I decided to go on a mobility program, I knew I wanted to go somewhere different. As I want to work in an international scenario, I think it is important to get in touch with a large number of cultures. As I checked the list of partner universities , I found Hankuk, one of the best universities in South Korea, especially in the area of International Relations. I soon realized that this was what I was looking for, especially because I had never been to Asia”, says Maria Eduarda.
Adaptation in Asia
The student arrived in Seoul in February 2018 and, in her opinion, the adaptation has been smooth. Maria Eduarda lives in the dorms for international students, which is populated by people from different parts of the world. In her view, classes have been very demanding but professors are very attentive.
Maria Eduarda claims the language to be the biggest challenge. “Before I came, I read somewhere that everyone in South Korea speaks a little bit of English, but that is not true. Restaurant menus are mostly only in Korean, so whenever I order something, I order at random and I keep my fingers crossed. On the other hand, people are very attentive and helpful”, says she.
Today, Maria Eduarda takes Korean lessons twice a week and this has been very helpful to her adaptation. She is doing courses in Korean, International Relations and Economics at the university.
Opportunities on the other side of the world
Maria Eduarda is at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
For those dreaming of doing an academic mobility program in South Korea, the Famecos student recommends taking language lessons before the trip. “Reading in hangul (the alphabet) will be very useful. I would say that keeping the mind open is the key for students who want to do an academic mobility program while in college. Studying in Europe or in the USA is, undoubtedly, a very nice experience, but there are so many other nice places all over the world. When I was making up my mind about whether I should go to South Korea, I wondered: when will I have the opportunity to live in Asia?”, reports Maria Eduarda.
In addition to sending students to partner institutions abroad, PUCRS also keeps its doors open to international students every semester. The Academic Mobility team will be available for further information about its programs at [email protected].
