By Park Eun-hea
Once a year, Incheon International Airport becomes extraordinarily crowded with numerous students holding two or more suitcases, along with parents who are ready to say goodbye to their children. Unlike other Korean students, they will fly back to school after the summer break.
They are heading to schools in the United States that begin at the end of August. This striking sight holds a true mirror to the prevalence of Koreans now studying abroad.
At the beginning of the 1980s, a small number of college students started attending graduate schools in Western countries such as the United States and Britain to further pursue their education. Over the last 10 years, however, many Koreans have considered studying abroad as an inevitable gateway toward a successful career.
Consequently, the prevalence of studying abroad swept through the Korean peninsula resulting in a rapid increase in the number of students leaving the country to study.
Exchange students are part of this as well, yet with some distinctive differences from other students who study abroad. In the United States, exchange students have a set time they can study, for example for a summer break, which is the shortest period of the program, up to one full-academic year.
Exchange students have to return to Korea, whether they want or not, after their study time period is over. Nevertheless, the number of students applying for the program is multiplying every year, thanks to several benefits they can gain by being a part of the program, which is managed by the U.S Department of State.
I applied to the Youth For Understanding (YFU) International Exchange program, which both my parents and my mom’s colleagues recommended. After the verifying process of school transcript, SLEP test and personal interview with my parents, I was finally selected as a YFU exchange student and joined the program with 60 other students.
Recalling my experiences through the YFU program, I believe the primary advantage exchange students get is a safe living environment. The exchange student gets to live with an American family who volunteers to host foreign students without getting paid any money.
This is why the exchange student program costs much less than regular studying abroad, in which most students ended up living in a dorm or renting an apartment. Also, since the student is able to spend time with native English speakers both at home and school, it is easier for him or her to become familiar with listening and speaking in English.
There are also more intriguing benefits, which not many people think of, that the program provides to students. Within the first few months in the United States, many Korean students exhibit symptoms similar to melancholia in addition to solitude, which occurs as a result of being alone in an unfamiliar country.
For YFU exchange students it is easier to find someone to consult with than for students from other exchange organizations; the host family, the area representative, YFU staff and other exchange students are all willing to help and support students.
Also, frequent orientations, held at least once a month in the U.S., were helpful to strengthen students’ mental attitudes, which had weakened over time while experiencing difficulty in the United States. It shows that YFU is a well-structured organization with ongoing support services for all students.
At the YFU Web site, containing much needed student information, students can post pictures and talk about various happenings in the United States, which was especially valuable and provided a place where students could express their frustrations.
Above and beyond, the organization really makes it easier for students to get fully prepared for adventurous yet challenging experiences by holding well-organized pre-departure orientations regularly, having alumnae speakers, and encouraging students even after the program is over.
Two years after my exchange student experience is over, I am now one of the alumnae who speaks in front of other prospective exchange students and works for the organization’s improvement. A lot of students have come up to me asking how amazing my exchange student experience was.
However, whenever I get those kinds of responses, without daunting their expectations, I attempt to tell them the reality that not everyone is assured to have good experiences through the program. The great achievement is possible only when a student is capable of using the program’s benefits to the full extent.
For students who are planning to join the exchange student program, it is important to remember the program does not guarantee their success in the United States or an improvement of their English skills.
The program promises to offer safer and better circumstances of studying abroad and provide support when students are going through a hard time in the United States, such as experiencing culture shock or homesickness.
However, they cannot force students to study English in the United States nor to keep good relationships with host families and friends; it is totally up to the individual’s effort and optimistic attitudes to get the best result out of the one-year experience.
expar3@wm.edu
Park Eun-hea is a sophomore studying at the College of William and Mary in the United States.