In the last issue, we heard about Gamonwan’s story of her preparation as a CBNU exchange student. She got everything ready and came to Korea in March. Now, we are going to hear about the first month of her life as an exchange student.

#1 2018.03.01. ~2018.03.06.
  It’s been one week at CBNU. When I searched the weather about Korea from Thailand, I really worried about the cold weather. Therefore, I came to Korea wearing thick clothes. I was really worried about getting a cold because the weather in Korea is colder than Thailand. Thus, I bought more handwarmers and thick clothes to endure the Korean cold weather. Now, I can endure the weather in Korea because of the thick clothes and the handwarmers. Before the start of classes, the CBNU Office of International Services gave an orientation to students from various countries and assigned our Buddies who help the exchange students. I’m so glad to meet many friends. I was afraid whether I would get along with my Buddy or not. However, we got close very fast because she is very kind and has a nice personality. I want to learn about the culture of Korea from my Buddy, and I want to introduce the culture of Thailand to my Buddy. I expect to get close with more and more friends. Also, I went to Seoul alone after a few days in Korea because I was curious about the capital of Korea, Seoul. The senior exchange students in CBNU recommended that I go to Seoul. However, I had problems getting to the Express Bus Terminal from CBNU because I had not bought a Usim chip yet, so I just used Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi didn’t work while going to the Express Bus Terminal. Thus, it was hard to find the way to the bus terminal. I do regret not buying a Usim chip for the reason of the difficulty of finding transportation. However, I like the transportation system in Korea because it is very convenient. I made some Korean friends in Seoul, and we were so happy because we went to a pretty cafe and ate great foods. I want to go to Seoul again. Though the weather of Korea is cold, living in Korea is enjoyable.



#2 2018.3.12. ~2018.03.16.
  It’s been roughly 3 weeks as an exchange student at CBNU. I am worried I might catch a cold because the weather in Korea is extremely variable. I am concerned about getting sick in Korea. Fortunately, I have not gotten sick yet. I made a new friend from Taiwan. I met her through Dong-hun, who was a CBNU exchange student before. I’m so happy to have met a well-fitted friend. During the period of recruiting for clubs, I joined the dance club ‘Siva’ because I was interested in K-pop before and I want to be a member of a club in a Korean university. Through the club, I can meet various friends and do the dances that I like. Therefore, I’m really looking forward to this. In CBNU, I take a Korean class. The Chinese students who are on the same team with me can speak Korean well because they have been living in Korea for more than one year. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to help my team. However, the Chinese friends in my team are very kind, and they made me feel better after they told me not to feel any pressure. I have had many concerns and worries that I would not be able to adapt well in Korea. Therefore, I go shopping and eat delicious foods to relieve stress. I’m going to study Korean more and more so that I can speak Korean as well as my Chinese friends.

  We heard about Gamonwan’s first month as an CBNU exchange student. Expectedly, the weather in Korea was cold. Luckily, she could endure the cold with thick clothes and the handwarmers. If you feel cold, how about using a handwarmer like her? In the first month, I think that she experienced a lot of things as an exchange student from her Seoul trip, her club and her shopping with her Chinese team. I hope all of the exchange students had a fabulous time in their first month in Korea. We look forward to sharing her story with our readers more in the next issue.

By Kim Chae-hyeon
ch38@cbnu.ac.kr