Rachel

ISEP Yonsei University, Korea, Summer 2017

Tell us about yourself.

I am a sophomore intended nursing major from Charlotte, NC. I was born and raised in Charlotte and had never been outside of the Americas until I studied abroad this summer. I enjoy traveling, experiencing new cultures, and meeting new people.

Where did you study abroad?

I studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea at Yonsei University during summer 2017 where I took a Korean language course and social psychology. I stayed in an on-campus university dormitory with a roommate.

What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?

My favorite memory from my time abroad was seeing and exploring the Fortress Wall of Seoul and Ihwa Mural Village with my friends. We were able to experience different aspects of South Korea from a historical wall that was built in the 14th century to modern day art and murals within a village.

How has studying abroad helped your personal or professional life?

Studying abroad has helped me to become more personable and independent by forcing myself to speak with strangers, make new friends, and figure out how to live on my own. These are important skill as a hopeful future nurse who will need to have good interpersonal skills since I will be constantly interacting with many people every day. Studying abroad has also allowed me to learn more of another language that could be helpful as a nurse if I have patients that can only speak Korean and need someone to communicate with and translate.

What advice can you offer to students interested in studying abroad?

If you are interested in studying abroad but the only thing holding you back is fear, then you should just do it and force yourself to go. Although it may seem overwhelming and scary, the experiences you have abroad will make it all worth it.

Do you have any future plans or ideas to travel abroad again?

I definitely plan to travel back to South Korea someday and hopefully study abroad again before I graduate.

Contact Rachel at pakr16@students.ecu.edu for more details about studying abroad with ISEP in the summer and South Korea.