Suguro Yuki
Meiji Gakuin University
Japan

Host Institution: Handong Global University, Korea
Fall 2023

I was so nervous before I came to Korea because my English was not good and had no friends at Handong Global University. However, I enjoyed my studying here overall. I had an orientation week before the semester started, and it was the hardest time for me because I had to speak English all the time and that was the first experience to use English that long. I have overcome the orientation week. I am grateful to my teammates who worked together for a week and my supportive freshman buddy.

Through my studies in Korea, I would like to emphasize that classes here were interesting and new experiences for me. All the classes had many discussions time or presentations and that surprised me because we hardly have discussions or presentations at my home university. I found it very difficult to discuss because I didn’t have many experiences. I learned it is important to have my own opinion on everything. However, it is still difficult to tell my opinion in English, so I hope to improve in the next semester. At the same time, I found it interesting to discuss because when I was in Japan, most students had the same opinion, or even if they had a different opinion, no one disagreed with them. Here, however, there are students from various countries with diverse ideas, and it was very interesting to hear their opinions.

Also, one of the greatest assets of my study abroad experience was the very good friends I made here. As I mentioned before, I built a very good relationship with my two roommates. We were always together and talked a lot. We had very deep conversations about our culture, international relations, and our future. I hope to meet that I can talk to about anything. Also, students from Japan supported me a lot. They listened to my worries over dinner together. It was a great relief for me to have the opportunity to speak in my language even though I was in a foreign country. I stayed here only for 4 months, but they were already very special to me, and I am very grateful to them.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the support people from my friends, the International Office of my home university, and the Office of International Affairs at Handong Global University. Also, I appreciate ACUCA and my parents for supporting me financially and giving me this wonderful opportunity. I am sure that this experience will be valuable for me in the future. I also hope that other students will have a chance to study abroad through this program and be able to learn all over the world.