Seoul, More Than Just an Education & Tourist Destination
Annyeong haseyo! I am Narid Sulthan Maulana but I go by Sulthan or Sulthanlive (my artist name). I take the International Business and Economics Program, at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Syiah Kuala. In 2022, fortunately, I got an opportunity to study abroad through IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility) program, 1 September – 21 December 2022, at one of the most popular and prestigious universities in South Korea, that is Hanyang University.
When it comes to student exchange life, I can say every lecture was interesting and fun. I’ve never had such a big drive to pursue my academics ever before. The classes were interactive and easy to understand. It seems like every lecturer was prepared and knew exactly what they had to do the moment they stepped into the class. The assignments were also easy but will have a big impact on the students in the long term. I remember making a presentation on how to make sushi as an assignment for the Professional Academic English subject. It may sound a little silly but this was how I finally mastered the art of hand gestures and vocal tones in a presentation.
Besides that, there were also a lot of extracurricular clubs available, even for exchange students. I participated in two clubs, one of them is called Times where members discuss certain topics/motions every week and share their opinions. Another one is called Showdown which is a hip-hop extracurricular club where members actively make song projects together and do performances at events inside and outside the campus.
For me, Korea was a blast. I met my long-term online best friends and many new like-minded people, found many great opportunities while developing myself both mentally and physically, and achieved most of the goals that I’ve been having since middle school. One of my childhood dreams was to study abroad and then take a bus or train just to stare out the window while talking to myself and writing down a letter for someone that means much to me. I know this sounds too weird to be a goal but after 8 years it finally became my reality. I remember taking a metro train from 회기로 to 여의도공원 just to get lost in the moment while writing a letter to my best friend. I then turned this memorable experience into one of my 5 music videos filmed in Korea, ‘Letter from Seoul’.
Briefly, I’ve lived for 21 years and I’ve never felt as happy, as content, and as positive as I was in South Korea. I think studying abroad is something that every student should experience at least once in their life. However, making the most out of the time during the study exchange program is way more important. My suggestion is to focus on things that will build you and help you reach your next life goals eventually.
