Kim Hyun-ji, Meimankulova Nazbiike, Shermamatova Aizharkyn Reporters
The new year has come. Welcoming this, you will make a new resolution or set various new goals. Also, you will try to predict the trends of this year to be prepared. Through this article, let’s learn about the various resolutions that many college students make during the new semester and learn about leading trends of 2018.
● Checklists for a New Semester!
- We Are Ready to Study in the New Semester!
When the new semester approaches, both freshmen and enrolled students will welcome it with open minds. However, in order to enjoy university life without regret, it is important to study with a plan. As the high school grades have been used for college entrance, college credits are important because they are connected to your future job. Also, in order to receive scholarships offered by the school or the government, you have to pass with a 2.75 GPA (grade point average). So, manage your grades as much as possible! And also, it is also very important to get qualifications that can prove your ability. It is good to have the qualifications for the field you are interested in and which are required for the job of interest. Many Korean college students nowadays prepare for tests like TOEIC, to show their English skills. Why don’t you find out your own qualifications?
- Time Management
The problem of efficient time management is especially relevant to today's dynamic student lifestyle. It is hard to notice that fun and valuable college years pass by quickly. Students often feel a lack of time for college academic activities. Here are some advices for time management for students. Firstly, get a notebook and make a “to do list”. Secondly, get things done systematically and consistently by concentrating on them. Thirdly, getting enough sleep is a very important for performing the first two. Fourth is rationalizing your time; try to spend every minute usefully. For example, listen to helpful audio books on the way to university. Fifth, without specific timing of scheduled cases, plans can tend to drag on for a long time. To prevent this, it is useful to denote your own deadlines for tasks, and stick to them. Lastly, analyze your day and give feedback on your achievements.
- Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are also important as part of an active university life. There are many advantages of extracurricular activities, such as a stronger mind, thanks to trainings on professional skills, a wider social circle, better time management and exploration of interests. For an example of activities, there are student contests, university supporters, volunteering opportunities, college interns and part-time job activities. Nowadays, extracurricular activities are becoming an essential part of getting better jobs. Also it adds extra points to get a job in the job market. Various companies choose third or fourth-year students for internships during the vacations. Thus, you just have to check their homepages regularly and apply for them.
- Balancing Money
2018 brought us very good news such as the increase of the minimum hourly wage to 7,530 won and the appearance of new bankbook “Youth Welfare Bankbook”. The system works in a way that if you save up money within this system, then the government adds a support fund to your account. It is normally very hard to manage earned money from a part-time job or from parents. Thus, managing money is very important for students. To save up money, first, we have to know how to choose between the essentials and luxuries. Secondly, use a check card. Rather than falling into the trap of credit cards at the beginning, it is necessary to form a habit of living within your means, your budget, by using a check / debit card. Third, rather than trying to save large amounts of money, start saving a little amount of money using different saving methods. For example, you could start with 10,000 won per week or 40,000 won per month. It all adds up.
● The New 2018, the New CBNU!
This year there are a lot of changes in CBNU, visually and operationally.
- Visual Changes
CBNU is renovating its campus with a traditional style - Hanok - for the best traditional university campus. A wooden deck path from the university headquarters to the College of Humanities was installed. Additionally, special traditional-patterned lights were installed to create a “Korean” atmosphere. The road leading from the Main Gate to the Old Gate has turned to a road of culture, for sharing the campus atmosphere with residents, in cooperation with Jeonju City. Also, in the near future, the road between the Old Gate and Deokjin Park will be turned into a “Barrier Free Forest” for the transportation of disadvantaged people and the elderly. Last year, the government secured a budget of about 70 billion won to promote the construction of a numbers of CBNU buildings in Hanok style. Two of the buildings have already been completed and are ready to welcome students, while others are under constructions.
The Center for Humanities and Social Sciences was the first Hanok building of Chonbuk National University to open its doors. It’s made of traditional patterned tiles, Korean style patterns, wooden doors and corridors. The interior also uses an eco-friendly material such as a flatbed to produce an old-fashioned yet elegant atmosphere. The Hammy Yummy campus store near the Old Gate also changed to a Hanok style.
The pond in front of the museum was restored as the “Fresh Pond” on the 70th anniversary of CBNU. The government supported the entire budget to build a new pond with lighting system.
One of the buildings that will be built by 2019 is the Hanok Main Gate with the Keunsaram Educational Development Institute (KEDI). The Main Gate provides the first impression about the campus, so it will turn into a traditional one, too. It will be built as a two-storied building with a floor space of 1,086 square meters.
The other one is the Law School. The building consists of one basement and nine stories above the ground. It plans to enhance the quality of the campus by harmonizing the traditional Hanok style with modern architectural technology.
Also, an International Convention Center will be constructed near the Deokjin Park. The first floor above the ground will be in Hanok style and the three floors under the ground in modern style. There will be a convention hall, seminar room, exhibition room and restaurant inside the building.
Lastly, the present fountain area is being transformed into a “Memorial Square for CBNU’s 70th Anniversary”. It will be a garden with trees and flowers spreading over 12,000 square meters away.
This project is a part of Chonbuk National University’s efforts to create an international brand of the “most traditional Korean campus,” and a new landmark that represents the CBNU.
- Operational Changes
Some of the departments in CBNU have changed their names. For instance, the Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering changed its name from Textile Engineering to catch up with advanced technology and industrial needs. Moreover, the Jimmy Carter School of International Studies changed to the Global Frontier College in order to adapt to today’s world of globalism and diversity. Thus, they are mandated to educate the most qualified global leaders who possess a high degree of analytical skills and global perspectives in international relations.
As well, the homepage of the CBNU has been modified to a more innovative version. It became more practical in usage and accurate, brighter to the eyes, and easier to navigate during long searches. For instance, unlike the old version, this one has many “hot keys,” and shortcuts such as: hot notice, quick link and services. In addition, on the community page, you can check news in groups depending on the issue number with English translations, too. For more details go to the university homepage and check the new modifications right now! http://www.jbnu.ac.kr.
● 2018 Trend Keyword: WAG THE DOGS
Professor Kim Nan-do and the Consumer Trend Analysis Center analyze the trends for each year and publish a book called ‘Trend Korea’. A phrase is produced using the front letters of each trend. This year, “WAG THE DOGS” is the trend phrase for 2018. Originally, ‘Wag the dogs’ is an expression derived from an English proverb, "The tail wags the dog," which means that the tail shakes the dog, that is, the situation in which the subject and the object are reversed. This is used to refer to the fact that the spot market is dominated by the futures market in the stock market. In the consumer market, this means that the tails (Bonus) account for a larger part of the reason for purchases than the product. Let’s look at the ten trend keywords that will lead the 2018 Gold Dog’s Year.
1) What’s your small but certain happiness: the trend that hit Korea's consumers’ sentiment last year was Yolo, and this year will be followed by a "small but certain happiness". It means finding happiness in ordinary, everyday life. It is not special, but you feel happy in everyday life.
2) Added Satisfaction in Value for Money: It is expected that the tendency to pursue the “satisfaction of the heart”, beyond the performance and utility of the product, will be increased. This consumption is due to the emptiness felt in social reality, such as relative deprivation and excessive competition.
3) Generation “Work-Life-Balance”: “wo+li+bal” means a balance between work and personal life. Wolibal is becoming a new standard of lifestyle for the younger generation, who hope to live well by earning money. In this generation, maintaining the balance of work and leisure activities is very important.
4) Technology of “Untact”: Untact means that technologies that replace people-to-people communication are spreading in life. Untact technology is already used in many places, such as computer cashiers that take orders instead of human cashiers at fast food stores.
5) Hide away in Your Querencia: Querencia originally means bull’s own space where it takes a moment to breathe before the final match. Our bodies and minds are exhausted from daily battles. This hide-away can be our own Querencia where we can relax and recharge our body and mind through special experiences like VR cafés or sleeping cafés.
6) Everything-as-a-Service: This means just focusing on the “service” that consumers can acquire through purchasing products. Now, service that increases the value of a consumer’s time and emotion determines the choice of product!
7) Days of Cutocracy: Charm is not simply pretty, but it has the power to attract people without any reason. Now is the time when charm becomes capital. According to “Trend Korea 2018”, the function of consumption focuses on expressing one's personality.
8) One’s True Color, Meaning Out: Recently, more and more consumers are actively expressing their own thought. The “Trend Korea 2018” described the phenomenon of the emerging of consumers’ own tastes and social beliefs. Meaning out is shown by hash-tagging their opinion through SNS or fashion with an implicit but clear message.
9) Gig-Relationship, Alt-Family: Recently, new coined words about human relations are emerging. Here, new types of family and relationships called “gig-relationship” or “alternative family” is emerging. People who were struggling with the pressure of too deep relationship, now prefer to have short and shallow relationships with the majority.
10) Shouting out Self-esteem: Through the bestseller books on self-esteem, we can see that the self-esteem of modern people is low and shaking. So, the consumption trends such as luxury consumption, ethnic consumption, individualistic consumption, which would all raise the self-esteem of the people, will attract attention.
● 2018 Trend Color: Ultra-Violet
Being stylish, trendy for a new semester is also important as preparation for a new semester of study, time management, money management and so on. Pantone provides accurate color selection and beauty of colors in various industries when they announce a trend color every year. The color they announce leads the flow of fashion, objects of that year. Pantone's trend color for this year is Ultra Violet. Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color institute, said the reason for such a selection as this is: “We are living in a time that requires creativity and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level.” Like this, Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future. In greeting the new semester, why don’t you try this Ultra Violet for things like fashion, accessories, hairstyle, and school supplies for the new semester? Ultra Violet is so unique in itself, but you might think that violet color is hard to match with other colors. With gold or other metallics, Ultra Violet becomes luxurious and dazzling; with greens or grays, it evokes natural elegance. And if you feel pressure to use this color, the 2018 spring trend color has appeared, so it is good to refer to it.
The beginning is the most important part of the whole process. There is even a saying, “you are halfway to your goal if you start.” Your university years are precious because there are so many things to do, so don’t waste them. Why not start right now with your new resolution for a thriving and fruitful year!