2015: it was my first year at CBNU. At that time, I felt like I could do anything that I wanted, but I didn’t know what to do. A few days later, I decided to study English. Therefore, I joined in the TOEIC program that the CBNU Language Education Center provided for freshmen. I studied for one year, and as a result, I could get a great score on the TOEIC and got a scholarship through which I could go to the Philippines to study through Off Campus. That’s how I spent my first day of 2016 in the Philippines.
At that moment, I had no idea about the Philippines, and it was only known as a dangerous place in Korea. My parents worried about me a lot, but the Philippines that I went to was very nice. The wind blew smoothly, and the landscape was wonderful. Moreover, the Filipino people were very nice and kind. From one gentleman that I met in the airplane to my buddy whom I did my project together with, I could feel their kindness.
To me, it was the first time that I had studied language abroad. I was a little bit worried, but I was excited about going outside of Korea. Now I think it was a great opportunity because I learned so many things there. In the PIA (Pines International Academy), where I stayed, I had to take classes from early morning to late night. During that time I had to use English, so naturally, I could listen and speak in English. Through one-on-one class with Filipino teachers, I could learn about the issues that cause problems nowadays, some grammar points, and also pronunciation. In four-on-one classes, other classmates and I discussed some issues, so we could improve our listening skills and expand our thoughts.
Unlike the regular students in PIA, students from CBNU had to do another thing, which is called the 'Buddy-Buddy Program.' After matching with University of Cordillera students one by one, we chose topics, surveyed, interviewed, and presented our projects. While my buddy and I were studying our topic, we also did a variety of things together such as trying street foods, going to historic sites, and so on. On the other hand, we chose a little bit serious topic, children working in the public market, so we really had to work on it. In the end, we could get the first prize. It was really great because it's a real 'off campus'!
2016 started in Philippines, where I met plenty of people, and from them, I could feel happy and find some enlightenment. I think those things made me grow up further. At first, I only started studying English, but now, I’ve gotten a lot of things! This year is a very precious time to me. Having left Korea, now I am in China as an exchange student for one year. The experience from the Philippines was used as a foundation in China, and I hope to get more things here. Finally, I want to say to you, “Go abroad and feel something.” Any chance you get, you should catch it. I'm sure you can learn a lesson there.