JBNU has now made the change back to face-to-face classes. However, course information is not easy to find for freshmen. Yet, if you do an internet search about signing up for classes, one noticeable post pops up at the top of the page. The post is very easy to understand and full of useful information related to JBNU. The JBNU globe met Kim Mi-ju, the creator of the post, who has become a power blogger called ‘Bukdae Unnie’ (the big sister of JBNU).
- Journey of Becoming ‘Bukdae Unnie’
While Kim was struggling with what she could accomplish on her bucket list to have the most fulfilling summer vacation, what came to her mind was ‘blogging.’ Having written a diary from time to time, she began blogging without hesitation. Her first post was nothing more than an ordinary diary entry. However, the blog morphed into her own online diary.
She ended up writing about JBNU information, including tips on school life. Her posts about school scholarships and the Residence Hall facilities were very popular and useful for students. At first, she only wrote about the Residence Hall facilities where she lived, but later she wanted to blog about all of the Residence Hall facilities. To complete the series, she asked a friend for help who lives in the male Residence Hall. She also wrote about the nursing college Residence Hall and the veterinary college Residence Hall in Iksan.
- ‘Bukdae Unnie’ as Positive Influencer
As SNS (Social Network Service) channel manager with a considerable number of subscribers, Kim says she feels responsible for the information she provides. “I consider myself not yet as an influencer, but when I post some information to share, I double check the facts so that I do not give false information to my subscribers. I sometimes even look up some research papers to check,” she added.
Over the past two years, when freshmen were unable to easily obtain information about universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Bukdae Unnie’ blog provided practical help for many new students. Due to her reliable posts for freshmen, about one-third of JBNU students seemed to immediately recognize her when she introduced herself to them. Often, a link to her blog is shared on ‘Everytime’, an anonymous college students’ online community, or the group chat room of JBNU. Close friends of Kim often send her screenshots if they find her posts on the Internet, or see her blog mentioned somewhere. She says she feels rewarded as a ‘creator’ when she sees people adding ‘likes’ or comments on her posts.
“When I first started my blog, there were only a few posts about JBNU. Those that I could occasionally find were written too many years ago to give current information. However, now there are more and more posts related to JBNU life. People have various reasons for posting something on the Internet, and I guess my blog has had some impact, too,” she said. One blogger who posts informative posts about JBNU even mentioned ‘Bukdae Unnie’ as their role model. Some of Kim’s close friends decided to start their own blogs after watching her consistently run her blog. She says she is happy that she can be a motivation for some people, and feels honored that more people are choosing to become ‘creators’ because of her.
- Path That ‘Bukdae Unnie’ is Walking
‘Bukdae Unnie’ is constantly making various content beyond posting JBNU information on her blog. Now she has channels on Instagram and YouTube, as well as three different blogs on various topics. She is steadily developing her channels and even earning some profits from them.
Recently, she published an e-book through a self-publishing platform called ‘Kmong’. The book contains five strategies on how to make money with SNS, which she discovered while developing her websites and channels. She does not hesitate to share the tips she gained through her experiences to beginners. When she graduated JBNU in 2020, she gave lectures on college life, and in 2021, she gave lectures on investment techniques to JBNU students. She is planning on giving four more lectures on different topics, so keep an eye on the JBNU website if you are interested.
- For Those Who Want to Start Their Own Blogs
Recently, the ‘blog craze’ has blown up among the MZ generation. Now that more and more young people are starting SNS channels to record their daily lives and share information, the ‘Bukdae Unnie’ the ‘SNS senior’ voices for those who are at a loss where to start. In the words of Rob Moore, “Start first, be perfect later.”
For those who say they don’t know what to post on social media, Kim advises, “if you are curious, others are also curious. For instance, information about the Residence Hall facilities, JBNU cafeteria menus, and a TOEIC test review are essential for someone, even if they are trivial to you.” As a matter of fact, more than twenty thousand people viewed the picture of a JBNU cafeteria menu that ‘Bukdae Unnie’ posted on her blog.
She says people don’t have to try to be perfect from the start. “If you want to be perfect from the beginning, you might not even start anything. At first, I posted short diaries with only one sentence on my blog. As time passed, I gradually uploaded longer, more informative posts.”
| Kim Eunji Editor-in-chief, Han Hee-jeong Editor