When people talked about studying abroad, I always heard about all the friends that they made and the adventures they went on. I didn’t realize how lonely living across the world is.
The combination of missing orientation and my roommate not moving in for a few days left me feeling utterly alone and lost in a city of 10 million people speaking a language I didn’t understand. Seoul was a maze, everything was in the thousands of won, and everyone wore black and white. I was overwhelmed and wanted to curl up in my room all day.
I forced myself to leave my dorm and take long walks around the city and my university campus. I reminded myself that I didn’t choose to study abroad because it was easy and comfortable. I was in Korea for the challenge and the growth.
Once I shifted my mindset to embrace my loneliness, Seoul opened up a plethora of adventures. I found peace in exploring solo. I discovered places where I felt at home, like the hiking paths right next to my dorm. I learned to enjoy eating out by myself by focusing on the deliciously different meals that my city had to offer, and I realized that it was normal to be alone in the city.
Once my roommate moved in and a classmate reached out to me, I started meeting many other exchange students. A common theme among us is that we’re all eager to meet new people. I found that reaching out to other students in classes, in the elevator, or at bus stops was an easy way to make friends and travel buddies. And just as important as meeting new people was to keep in touch with them.
We’re making the most of our time in one of the largest cities in the world with bucket lists, recording places we’ve enjoyed, and (most importantly) getting recommendations from Koreans and other foreigners. We’ve embraced the challenge of tackling the Korean language by (attempting) to order and greet others in Korean. We’ve gotten comfortable with getting lost because we discover places we wouldn’t see otherwise, and we’ve done our best to go out each day, even if it’s just in the university area.
I’m only a few weeks into my program, but I’m already confident that studying abroad in Korea is one of my best decisions. I’ve learned so much and experienced so many new things in my time here already, and I’m excited about four months more!
Miya Liu
GW Exchange - Korea University College of Engineering
Spring 2023
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Mechanical Engineering Major