Tag: study abroad

Finals in Korea

Published on by stefaniepaikLeave a comment

The Stress

While being in Korea, I have realized that you do not have the comfort of constantly seeing your grade as the classes are happening. So I could not check my grade online after every assignment, test, or project. This was incredibly stressful because I am unable to know how well I was doing in the class until I receive the transcript from Korea University, which is sent 2-4 months after the semester is over. There was also lots of stress when studying because I don’t know how I’m doing in the class as well.

To add to the stressful Korean school system, most professors will grade ambiguously. There will be no clear rubrics. The grading in Korea is a lot more strict. If you were to meet all the expectations and do what you needed to do on an assignment, test, or project, then that is considered a C grade because C is meeting the bare minimum; which is poor because you must go beyond expectations to receive an A. In all my classes, every student was struggling because the grading expectations were never clear.

Here is one of my professors explaining how he grades:

How to Prepare

While it is a must for you to explore and have fun while studying abroad, it is important to keep in mind that you are still attending school. For Korea University, the grade you receive in your classes is the grade that transfers to DU; Korea University is not a pass/fail school. If you finish a class with a B, then a B will be transferred to your DU transcript. Another thing is to not skip class. It is a bad habit to fall into, especially when at Korea University because it will cause you to automatically fail a class. At Korea University, I had a professor who would take attendance in every class, if you were absent then you would lose points which really adds up.

At the beginning of school, create good study habits and find the best place for you to study. Around Korea University, there are many cafes that are open late. There are also various libraries and designated study spaces all around Korea University’s campus.

Remember! School in Korea is way more intensive and serious in Korea. In Korean culture, education is super important not only ones’ oneself but to your family, because Korea is a collectivist society, and therefore a child’s education also represents their family.

You Aren’t Your Grade

At the end of the day, as long as you try your best, and learn from the University then you have made the most out of your study abroad. If you do not mature and grow as a person at the end of your study abroad then I believe that you did not make the most out of your time there. Study abroad is the best time to connect and learn from a culture that differs from your own.

Praying for Prague

Published on by jillianec516Leave a comment

*Gun violence warning

It’s absolutely insane that it’s just two days before my flight and I received texts from family in the US asking if I was okay because there was a school shooting today at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. I am so in disbelief, and my heart is extremely heavy. 

The Czech Republic has honestly felt like one of the safest places in the world while I’ve been here. I can’t imagine how much this is going to affect the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims. And even just the general Czech public. A shooting like that just does not happen here.

It’s four days before Christmas. The holiday season for a lot of people was just crushed, in this country where school shootings are not a topic of conversation. This is the deadliest school shooting Europe has seen in the past 15 years. 

with a heavy heart
I took this photo this morning around 10 am because I wanted a picture of the Czech Flag. I didn’t notice it was in front of a school. I didn’t realize that this photo would probably be more significant to me than I thought.

I have so many words to say that I’m now at a loss for words.

Even right now sitting in my dorm room in Brno, just over 100 miles away, I’m hearing some bangs that are honestly making me scared to leave for the night, even though those bangs might have been happening every other night. I sound paranoid in my head, but it’s terrifying that even in the safest feeling of places this can just randomly occur. I hear police sirens every day, but today they feel like they mean something different. Czech media already said the shooter was eliminated, by suicide, and that the public is not in danger.  

In 2019, when there was the Walmart shooting in El Paso, my heart was frozen for the whole day. I am absolutely feeling that feeling again. My community did not deserve that, and neither did this one. I hate sitting with this feeling. 

Tonight I’m praying. This country has been home for the past few months and it’s a devastating note to feel like I’m ending on. This happens in America, even though it shouldn’t, and the fact that it happened here- it’s f*cking heartbreaking. It’s a devastating routine in the U.S. that I pray doesn’t ever repeat here.

There is a lot of violence happening this Christmas season, all around the world, and my prayers are with every person affected by the hatred of others. Even though the Christmas decorations are beautiful, God, this season has been so ugly.