Student Reflections: Session 2, Week 2

As of today, the students have officially been here in Korea with the Gaming & Esports program for two weeks. Can you believe it? TWO weeks?! Despite some challenges with the schedule, we have been having a great week and are looking forward to all of the experiences and opportunities we have planned for the final week of the program.

For this week's student reflection post, I'd like to introduce you to this week's group of students. Meet Ivy, Kaitlin, Ben, Declan, Zack, and Edwin!

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

• IVY: Exhilarating. Everyday is essentially a new adventure for me, and I’ve loved it all! Everyone has been so kind and I enjoy seeing the reality of Seoul as opposed to the media depiction. Exploring the city has been so fun, and although it’s tiring, I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

• KAITLIN: Structured

• BEN: Exhilarating

• DECLAN: Entertaining

• ZACK: Fun

• EDWIN: A wonder. There is so much history behind pretty much everything in Korea and learning about it has been extremely interesting.

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

• IVY: Having to consistently switch rooms has been a challenge for me. It’s been tough having to pack and then unpack continuously, but I’ve also found it to be a really interesting experience. With each of my new roommates, I’m able to learn more about other people and make new friends.

• KAITLIN: At first, it was difficult to open up and try to talk to new people. I was worried that I wouldn’t get along with everyone, but luckily, as time went on, I got more comfortable with everyone. I eventually made some good friends!

• BEN: The language barrier. I’ve dealt with it by learning words and phrases to help navigate through life in Korea.

• DECLAN: A very spicy Korean pepper. I ate the whole pepper and then I chugged a lot of water.

• ZACK: I struggled to eat a really spicy pepper…but I endured!

• EDWIN: The biggest challenge I have faced is the language, but with the extra practice and help of the internet, I’ve been able to get around just fine.

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

• IVY: Being able to take public transportation to walk around Myeongdong is lovely. I really enjoy just walking through the shops and observing how people interact with one another in this country. Myeongdong is surrounded by little stores and cafes to the point where you’ll never know what you want to do next! Everyone there is very kind.

• KAITLIN: I’ve been able to visit animal cafes for the first time here in Korea, like cat cafes, dog cafes, and a fish café! The fish café was like a small aquarium with drinks and desserts…I’ve never seen anything like it where I’m from.

• BEN: A fun experience I had was playing soccer with the whole group and some Korean children at the hanok overnight stay in Gangneung.

• DECLAN: Nanta performance. It was very captivating and comedic that they had a music show based on cooking.

• ZACK: I enjoyed touring the palace and talking with friends while wearing traditional hanbok clothing.

• EDWIN: One of the most fun experiences I’ve had so far is the weekend trip to visit the different counties of Korea.

4. What are you looking forward to in the last week of the program?

• IVY: I’m really looking forward to exploring Seoul more. For example, something I’ve wanted to do since getting here is go to a PC cafe, and it seems like we’re going to one tomorrow. I’m very excited to see what the culture surrounding games and food is like! I’d also like to try more Korean food (like the bibimbap we had today) so I can compare it to the Korean restaurants in America.

• KAITLIN: I’m looking forward to spending time with friends (no matter what we do), exploring new things in Seoul, and trying more food unique to Korea!

• BEN: I’m looking forward to the activities that are set up and to our student Esports tournament.

• DECLAN: I’m looking forward to playing against my friends in Overwatch and Valorant. I will either win or lose by a huge margin.

• ZACK: I’m looking forward to participating in the tournament.

• EDWIN: For the last week, I am looking forward to engaging in activities that involve everyone in the program as a way of making memorable experiences. So far, it has been something unique that I will remember for most of my life. I look forward to ending this trip the best way possible.

For those of you that have students in the program who you haven't seen featured on a student reflection post...worry not! We'll make sure that we get their reflections at the end of this week!