Final Week Reflections

It’s hard to believe that this is our final week of the program! Here are some final thoughts and reflections from our students.

Meet our final group of Session 1 students: Geny, Kevin, Rowan, Jacob, and Andrew! Let's hear what they have to say about their final week of experiences in Korea and in the Gaming & Esports program.

1. If you could use one word to describe your time in Korea so far, what would it be?

GENY: Memorable

KEVIN: Unhampered

ROWAN: Frenetic

JACOB: Engaging

ANDREW: Eye-opening

2. Tell me about one challenge you’ve faced so far and how you dealt with it.

GENY: In the beginning of the trip, I felt a bit isolated because I had never been so far away from home, which caused me to feel a bit sad at times. But I opened up to my roommate about it and they were able to comfort me and give me helpful advice.

KEVIN: One challenge I’ve faced is being confused or feeling ignorant to the customs or norms in Korea, especially since I don’t like being out of the loop and uninformed on places I’m unfamiliar with. I dealt with this by going to the program leaders about questions I had concerning culture, schedule, etc.

ROWAN: Ordering in Korean. It was hard to remember the correct words the first time I did it. At one stop, they tried to ask me if I wanted a bag for my item in Korean which just confused me.

JACOB: One challenge that I had to face would be losing my wallet somewhere in Seoul. I overcame this through the help of the wonderful program leaders who showed me an alternative that I could use for my last week here.

ANDREW: Stress. I’ve dealt with it by talking to the program leaders.

3. Tell me about a fun or unique experience you’ve had.

GENY: One of my favorite memories was when we visited the DDP art exhibit. Omi, David, and I were so exhausted from the day that we were almost delirious and laughed uncontrollably at anything that happened.

KEVIN: One fun experience I had was going to Sports Monster. I missed playing basketball or any sport I play often, so it was cool to do it here.

ROWAN: Everything–especially the Gen.G PC cafe! It’s all been new and interesting.

JACOB: The first time we had free time in Seoul, most of the guys all went to an arcade together. I found a game called Pump It Up, which was basically Dance, Dance Revolution, but with one extra key. I started to play that game any time I came across any version of that machine.

ANDREW: PC cafes

4. What is one thing or lesson you’ll take away from this entire experience?

GENY: Pay attention when getting off at the subway station!

KEVIN: One thing that I’ll take away is how to get around in an unfamiliar place and how to adjust to a lifestyle that is very different from my own.

ROWAN: You can be independent, even if you don’t have a city or place memorized!

JACOB: Having freedom is great, but it’s always important to plan ahead and consider how long transportation takes in general.

ANDREW: Safety and Connection!