Category: Academics

Finished the Hard Journey of Korean Mid-terms

Published on by stefaniepaikLeave a comment

Today, on October 24th, 2023 I have finished my last two mid-terms. The classes I am taking at Korea University currently are International Marketing, Marketing Management, Marking Strategy, and a Korean language class.

On Monday, October 23rd, I had International Marketing and then my Korean language class. Now I wouldn’t say I am facing culture shock, from how my International Marketing professor has decided to grade our mid-term. So basically the grades will be determined by who he sees as the best mid-term and then grade everyone else compared to it. Many of my fellow classmates were confused about this grading system. My fellow students and I were confused about the grading criteria because he did not give us one. Our professor said that if we know the material well then we will succeed. For me and how my brain works, I could answer one question in a million different ways, so for the mid-term it was difficult to prepare for an exam I couldn’t follow the directions of. For the most part, the learning in this class is independent, then the professor will facilitate discussions.

My Korean language mid-term was fairly straightforward. The class had the whole class period to take the exam; it was on paper and covered class topics. Most of the people in the class finished in 10 minutes.

For my Marketing Management class, the exam had two parts; 30 multiple choice and two short answer questions. The only issue I had with this exam was the short essay section because due to the exam being on paper, we had to write the answers. I have not hand-written an essay since high school, so not only was it giving me hand cramps, but also the entire page was smudged because I was left-handed.

The Marketing Strategy class was pretty similar to my Marketing Management class. This exam was 4 short essay questions, but we only had to answer 3/4 questions. Again, because I had to handwrite the answers my hands cramped so hard, and the smudging was awful, but I was able to write about 3 pages worth of knowledge.

Overall, while nothing was super different about mid-terms in Korea compared to the US, some of the personal preferences of the professors felt strange to me.

Midterms in France

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyqU18esGto/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This week has been quite hectic because it is the dreaded time of the semester when midterms roll in. I was informed before going abroad for school, that different countries would have different teaching and grading styles compared to the United States.

My experience so far has been pretty mild compared to some midterm weeks I have had at DU. The teachers know things are a bit hectic, so they try to spread things out for everyone. This past week I had three exams, and this coming week I have one exam and two papers. There is much to do, but the teachers want you to succeed, so communicating with them will really help.

At my school, we were told if you have more than two exams on one day, then they will work with you to reschedule any other ones that may fall on the same day. If you talk to your professors they are really good about helping rearrange things so that you aren’t too stressed.

Since most schools abroad revolve around a semester schedule and not the quarter schedule we are used to, there may be more material on exams. Talking with your professor to go in for office hours to have a review session is really helpful. If you or your professor isn’t available out of class time, ask if you can do a review session in class. Professors will at the very least answer a few questions after class to help you succeed.

Besides communicating with your professors, communicate with your classmates as well! Classes are much smaller abroad so it is really easy to get to know almost everyone in your class. Try to meet up for study sessions or go over notes with a friend. Having another person to ask questions or bounce ideas off of is very helpful.

Communication with those around you is the best tip for succeeding during midterm week. Besides that, find a good cafe with wifi and study! As long as you attend class and communicate with your teacher, you should be set.