Yesterday evening and this morning was filled with conversation about the hospitality and kindness of the Korean students we met. It sounded like everyone had a wonderful time getting to know each other! After a small breakfast, and a stop by Paik’s Coffee, we headed to the bottom floor of the dormitory building for an Orientation meeting. Dr. Paik, Dr. Duh, and Dr. Rodriguez. The orientation covered what our schedule would look like for the upcoming week. We also discussed important guidelines for the week, including professionalism and expected behavior as we head into the classrooms. I am really looking forward to what this week will look like!
We had lunch in the cafeteria, then the group split up to take advantage of our free time. We’ve all quickly been adapting to Daejeon, and have taught each other important skills to get around. For example, we all stopped by a convenience store to make sure everyone knew how to purchase a T Money card to use for the bus. With bus fare squared away, we hopped on the 103 bus to Euneungjeongi SkyRoad. The shopping street was bustling with people, and we were excited to dive in and out of different air conditioned stores. Our group enjoyed playing Taiko no Tatsujin at an arcade, looking at adorable puppies and kittens, and checking out art at a street market. For dinner, we headed to the second floor of one of the buildings to try Jajang Myeon, a tasty noodle dish. Though we were a big group, the very kind waitress helped us get seated and order using the kiosk. She even helped me make sure I found something I could eat as I do not eat meat. We then hopped on the bus back and into the dormitory. Graciela and I got the opportunity to participate in a conference with Woosong University and other international universities! So we spent our evening writing up abstracts. Such is the life of a graduate student! -Danica
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Our first full day of activities was so fun and so tiring. Because we are not yet adjusted to the time zone difference, most of us were up around 7am. We all took extra time getting ready because it was our first time meeting the Korean students, and we were so excited. I met everyone in our cohort at the cafeteria where I had a light breakfast so I could save my appetite for lunch. We hung out in the dorms until we got our covid results. Although we were sad to lose a day due to covid testing, it was a nice rest day. I think if we didn’t have that day, we would have all been so tired during our events. Unfortunately, not everyone received their results, so not everyone was able to attend today’s events. Many of us got our results and met with our groups to head to the lunch spot. My group hopped in a taxi, and it was just a short drive from the school. We ate lunch with almost the entire program (we were just missing our friends still in quarantine), and then we split off with our groups again.
When we got back to the school the Korean students gave us presentations about their program, school, and Daejeon. For the rest of the day, they showed us around Daejeon and Woosong University. After returning to the dorm and telling stories about our day, we all realized how caring the Korean students are. Each group had so much fun with whatever they went out and did. I got to explore Eunhaeng-dong, eat traditional Korean food like Budae Jjigae and green onion pancakes, and sing karaoke. When we were at dinner, Madeline mentioned that Ai-vi’s birthday had just passed. One of our new friends stepped outside and went to buy Ai-vi a birthday cake and we all sang to her. This was such a nice gesture. They really made sure we had a good time and I feel like I will remember this day forever. -Gwendolyn After a long day of traveling and a 2 ½ hour bus ride, we finally made it to Woosong University in Daejeon, which is where we will be residing. My colleagues and I were all so excited to discover our new homes for the next three weeks. Soon after getting situated, I fell asleep with ease as I was exhausted from traveling.
Due to still being accustomed to California’s time zone, I woke up bright and early around 7am and got ready for the day. The first order of business was to eat breakfast as I wanted to make sure that I am adequately caring for myself by eating on-time and not skipping meals. Woosong University’s cafeteria opens at 7:30am and I was eager to experience my first official meal in South Korea. I made it to the cafeteria soon after it opened and met up with my classmates to enjoy our first meal together. We were all so excited to eat and the cafeteria prepared curry and rice alongside some traditional Korean side dishes. Eating at a college university cafeteria was a new occurrence for me and it was exciting to be able to experience an aspect of a Korean college student’s daily routine. We enjoyed our first meal together and then headed back to our dorms to get some rest before we had our first adventure as a group. A couple hours later, we traveled as a cohort to a local COVID-19 testing center in Daejeon to comply with the country’s mandatory testing requirement. I enjoyed the bus ride as it was fascinating to see aspects of Daejeon that we could explore after we received our negative results. Once we reached the testing center, I was surprised with how quick the process was. Signing up and taking the test was quick and we were all finished within an hour. I am manifesting negative test results for my classmates and I as we are all eager to begin our three-week long adventure! Initially, I was prepared for a packed itinerary for our first full day in South Korea. However, our program’s activities had to be postponed to tomorrow due to South Korea’s mandatory COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirement for all foreigners. Although I was excited to begin our endeavors, I was also grateful to have time to rest and recharge after traveling. After a long day of resting, we not only feel rejuvenated, but also ready to begin our activities and tackle our busy schedule! -Laurie We finally arrived in South Korea!! We landed at 4:30am. The experience on the flight was not too bad. After finally leaving the plane, we had all of our documents on paper, so we went through customs and immigration very fast. When we were able to connect to Wi-Fi, we were welcomed with messages on Kakao saying we need to get PCR tested and quarantine as well as the flight that the group flying from LAX was delayed and wouldn’t arrive until 10pm.
This was a lot of information to take in for all of us at almost 5am. Since we were all sleep deprived and exhausted from the long flight, we were feeling all sorts of emotions. We had to anticipate to stay at the airport and wait until the group from LAX arrived. The wait was expected to be 16 hours. We tried to stay as positive as we can and stick together as a group. The exhaustion was definitely hitting us, but also the excitement of starting this journey together. The airport honestly felt like a second home to us. We formed small groups to have a group watch our things while others went to buy food or whatever they needed, then we would switch the roles. I would definitely say we bonded a lot while we waited together. We walked each level of the airport at least twice, so we definitely familiarized ourselves with our surroundings. We played “Hangman” and tried to take naps together on the hard benches. We were exhausted and a bit frustrated, but we tried to make the most out of what was happening. However, shortly after, we received good news and we were told that we will stick to the original plan and leave at 6pm rather than waiting for the LAX group to arrive. We all instantly had a sigh of relief and relieved some anxiety as well. After walking the different levels of the airport once again, it was 5:30pm. As we saw Dr. Paik, Dr. Duh, and Dr. Rodriguez, we all had smiles on our faces and we were finally reunited! I instantly had another sigh of relief. After another 30 mins or so, we finally made our way to the bus and we are on the way to Woosung University in Daejeon! It was about 9:30 when we arrived at the university and we were assigned rooms. We started settling down and finally began to wash the fatigue away after a long day. It has been one roller coaster of a day. The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! With such uncertainty about traveling to South Korea during the pandemic and Covid restrictions, it is finally happening! Today, we are flying to South Korea to begin our study abroad journey together as a cohort. I am so nervous traveling to an entire new country without knowing or speaking much Korean.
I flew out from SFO and majority of our cohort was on the same flight as me! To be exact, there are currently fourteen out of the nineteen SFSU students from our cohort scattered throughout this plane. We are all very excited to experience this incredible journey together. For majority of us, it was our first time traveling internationally since the start of the pandemic. As soon as we land, the students on this flight plan to purchase last minute travel essentials in the airport such as pillows, blankets, SIM cards, or exchange currency. Our first meal on the flight I ate a traditional Korean cuisine, bibimbap. It contains assorted vegetables, protein, rice, and gochujang sauce. I mixed in the entire packet of sauce with my meal and I did not expect it to be as spicy as it was! I was dying for water. Overall, I really enjoyed the meal as it was extremely tasty and something new! As I am currently writing this mid flight, the nerves seem to really be settling in as I realize how far I am away from home now. I have realized how much I am going to miss my friends and family as I have never been away from my them for this long, let alone, 6,000 miles away from home. Studying abroad, is definitely something out of my comfort zone but I am very eager to experience this journey. - Isabelle It’s finally here! Tomorrow we arrive in Incheon and will make our way to Woosong University in Daejeon. To prepare, I got all of my travel documents in order, bought a few last-minute travel items, and packed. Luckily, I was able to close my suitcase last night, which takes a load off. The last order of business was taking a COVID test today. South Korea requires a negative PCR or RAT test result to enter the country, and travelers must submit the result to obtain a Q-Code. The Q-Code is a QR code that shows we’ve been vaccinated and have tested negative for COVID—it’s like an extra layer of protection that will ultimately decrease the likelihood of catching/spreading the virus while in Korea. My results came back negative, so I’m good to go! Leading up to this point, I was surprised to find myself less nervous than I anticipated. I thought I would become more and more stressed as our departure got closer, but I’ve been too busy to even think about the nerves. Of course, I do have a little bit of anxiety as I have never been out of the country without family, but with the help of our faculty and cohort, I feel very well prepared. Words can’t describe how excited I am to finally travel abroad with such a great SF State community. It’ll be an unforgettable, life-changing experience and I’m looking forward to learning how I will grow as a person throughout the program. I’m wishing my classmates and I safe travels and a fun experience over the next three weeks! -Madeleine |
AuthorSFSU Psychology Study Abroad Students Archives
August 2022
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