For many years, a lot of students and parents have started to be interested in studying foreign languages. So have I, and so I have been to many countries to study languages including China, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Many people around me ask about my experiences, and the pros and cons of studying abroad. They are especially interested in my experiences in Hawaii. In order to answer their questions, I will tell some stories about my experiences.
  Many of my friends regard me as a brave girl, even though I’m really not. It may be because I am not afraid to go out alone anywhere. I strongly believe that the way I see the world has totally changed since I started going aboard. Studying abroad has difficulties as much as advantages. What is the most indispensable knowledge I have gained from living abroad? I think it is self-confidence. This is one of the greatest benefits that I got during my studies in Hawaii.
  Before going to Hawaii, I hadn’t been to an English speaking country so I was a little afraid to speak in English, even though I practiced a lot with my foreign friends and had many experiences of travelling to other countries. But the Gachon Hawaii program was not just a program to learn another language, rather it was about living for four months by yourself. The program lasted four months, which is not a short time. I had to buy all my household items. I had to cook and live all by myself without my family or friends’ help. It meant that I had to speak what I wanted to say and I had to solve what I needed to do. For me at that time, it was not easy. During this hard period, I learned that we need bravery and self-confidence in order to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings. Nothing will be solved if you stay quiet. You have to work it out, speak with confidence in what you want to do, and say what you need. If you are confident in yourself, I’m sure that you can do much better, learn more and gain more in every hard situation. And of course your speaking ability will greatly improve.
  Secondly, I’d like to tell you that, ‘To see is to believe.’ What this mean is, it is better to face and experience things yourself and make your own stories, rather than listening to hundreds of other’s stories. You could never know how wonderful it is to live in Hawaii, unless you actually live there. The weather is perfect for jogging early in the morning. The wave, the wind, the sunrise and the sunsets, all things are beautiful enough for you to fall in love. The stars seem to fall down every night through the dark clean sky. You could imagine this, but it would not really touch your heart. In fact, if you really want to know how life in Hawaii really feels like, how hard and how good living abroad is, just face it yourself! I know that it is not simple for you to leave by yourself when you want to go. But I’m sure that the Hawaii program is not the only way. If you cannot afford it, there will be some other ways to visit other countries that I can’t tell you all here in this short essay. If you really have passion, the world is wide open for you.

Seo Nara Dept.Tourism Management