Alex chose to come to Korea because it was the most suitable place in Asia for him considering its environments and cost of living. He was also curious about how Korea quickly came to be a developed country.
According to Alex, one of the advantages of studying at Ewha is that he can take various classes regardless of his major. So far, he has taken classes not only related to his international relations major, but also on business and Chinese culture. His favorite class was an international relations class he took last semester.
“We had a lot of debates in the international relations class,” Alex said. “I prefer classes that require a lot of debates and presentations. The professor helped students to participate in class and asked for my opinion, as I might have a different perspective as a European.”
Another thing he likes about Ewha is that the campus is big and beautiful. Unlike his school back in France, which is small and has fewer buildings, Ewha campus has many trees and gorgeous buildings such as the Welch-Ryang Auditorium and Ewha Campus Complex.
However, there are also some troubles foreign exchange students confront due to language barriers. Many foreign exchange students think it is a problem that their choices of classes are limited to only English ones. In addition, foreign exchange students cannot find a club to participate in. In case of Alex, even though he likes to play sports, he could not apply to any sports club since he does not speak any Korean.
Aside from taking classes, Alex also goes to the Office of International Affairs (OIA) twice a week to work as a student intern. At the OIA, he manages tasks such as delivering letters to other offices, preparing materials for programs and cleaning the conference room.
“The work I do at OIA is very simple,” Alex explained. “As foreign exchange students have difficulty finding part-time jobs, I think it is a decent opportunity for us.”
When his day on campus is over, Alex goes out and enjoys his free time in the city with his friends. He usually visits places where he can experience traditional Korean culture such as temples, palaces and national parks.
“I do not have a favorite place in Korea, but I especially liked Geoje,” said Alex. “The landscape of the city was beautiful.”
Having arrived in Korea last August, Alex is now spending his second and last semester at Ewha. The memories of the campus, the classes he took and the places he visited will remain with him even after he goes back to France.
Yang Hae-in
allesy94@ewhain.net