Lewana

 I've always wanted to study abroad since I was younger because I wanted to experience living in another country and culture. I think living in another country is very different than visiting as a tourist, so I wanted to know how it was like. I chose South Korea because I had already learned the Korean alphabet back in middle school and thought it would be a good opportunity to actually start learning the language.

 Being East Asian myself, I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between Korean culture/language and mine. As a result, it helped me adapt very well when studying abroad and is part of what drew me to the country.

 As COVID was still pretty bad during the time I was there, a typical day would be to go to campus in the morning, chill with friends after class/lunch, then in the afternoon either go explore in Seoul or go shopping nearby where I stayed.

 I took some major classes but didn't want a schedule that was too difficult as I was studying abroad. The courses were pretty good however it was interesting as one of my classes used Berkeley course material.

 I think after studying abroad, I realized how much I liked living in a different country, one where everything felt a lot more accessible.

 The most memorable part of my time abroad was either the school festival or one of the trips I took outside of Seoul.

 I think the biggest challenge was COVID because I was really scared to go out in the first half of my experience. I did a lot less than I could've done because of that.

 I think they should just go for it! It's a great experience you can't really get again, because no matter if you go visit later in life, it won't be the same as being a student there.