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Romanian student Andrea Popa was selected for a one-year Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP), from August 28, 2015 to August 28, 2016. She has been staying at Dongseo University, where she is taking part in the Korean language course program for postgraduate KGSP students. As the program comes to an end, she gave her impressions of her year-long stay at DSU.

Having been selected as a KGSP scholarship student, I arrived in Korea on August 28, 2015. My one year in Korea has been a series of surprises and exciting experiences.

My first surprise was the commitment of the DSU Institute of Foreign Language Education (IFLE) teachers (Kim Ji-hye, Choi Seo-won, Park So-hee, Shin Mina, and Lee Seung-hye). I was simply amazed at their passion and devotion.

As an adult responsible for her behavior, I did not expect much support from the teachers. However I soon discovered this was a mistake on my part!

My teachers gave me so much attention, not only for my studies but also for many other issues. Through their assistance, I was full of passion for studying and I was able to achieve 120 percent of my potential.

Memorizing 100 new words every two days, writing essays, assignments, taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) every week: none of that was very exciting. But thanks to the strict training, my Korean improved and I passed the TOPIK test.

I really appreciate my teachers’ perseverance and efforts. I am so glad that I met these nice people and was able to get instruction from such outstanding teachers.

Many people think studying is boring. However it was not boring for me this year. This opportunity to study gave me unforgettable cultural experiences in Busan.

While studying in DSU, I took many field trips outside the university. It would take too much time to tell all of my good memories. Therefore I would like share just a few among them.

I had a chance to see Korean Royal Tombs during my visit to Gyeongju.

Yangdong village with its Korean traditions and Bulguksa were so spectacular that they almost took my breath away. Moreover, “The Queen’s Banquet” performance that showed Korean history and traditional music was also fascinating.

As a foreigner, I tried to experience as much Korean culture as possible. I wore the Korean traditional clothes hanbok and played traditional musical instruments such as danso, buk, and kkwaenggwari. I also cooked Korean mixed rice, bibimbap.

When I visit new countries, cultural differences stay in my mind for a long time. In Korea I have experienced many cultural differences. With each of these, my affection for Korea has kept getting deeper. I feel grateful to have met Koreans who taught me about working hard and about ambition. Although Koreans always look focused on their goals, they still have warm hearts filled with kindness.

For example, my dormitory security guard was one such person. He always tried to help when I was in need. If I forgot to bring my umbrella on a rainy day, he handed me his umbrella. I cannot help expressing my memories at DSU as surprises. I will not regret any of my experiences in Korea.

One year is almost over. My life at DSU is soon coming to an end. It was full of adventures and I enjoyed amazing experiences provided by Busan and DSU. Also, it was a valuable year when I developed myself and improved my language skills. It was also a year of great opportunities during which I met many wonderful people, including diverse foreign friends. These relationships will endure as precious and truthful friendships regardless of time difference and distance. I really want to give thanks with all my heart. Thank you DSU for offering me a chance to study and to have so many great cultural experiences. Thank you also to the teachers. Finally, thank you to all of my friends and classmates who gave me such good memories.