'Education Abroad' proves effective

Mark Canning, front row fourth from right, cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, and Jay Lee, third from right, executive director of the Proficiency of English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course, pose with students and Korea Times Education Abroad program staff during an event held at Belle-Essence Seoul Hotel in southern Seoul, June 24. The Education Abroad program organized the event to give the students advice about life in the U.S. / Courtesy of the Korea Times Education Abroad program

Education Abroad program effective for those wanting to study in US

By Chung Hyun-chae

Mark Canning, cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said Korean students should learn how to manage their time in the U.S. to succeed in their studies and life there.

“Having a lot of time to do whatever they want to do, they should take advantage of that,” Canning told The Korea Times. “They don’t know what to do with all their free time because for all of their lives, their teachers and parents told them to study hard … now they are going to be in charge of their own time, all day every day.”

He advised students preparing for studies at American universities with the Korea Times Education Abroad program practical tips on living in the U.S. including time management skills during his lecture at Belle-Essence Seoul Hotel in southern Seoul, June 24.

“They also have to learn to do something, not to be passive, sit in the room all day, playing games,” Canning said. “They should go out and try to volunteer, join clubs, join other students and do something.”

Canning said he read a Korea Times article about the Education Abroad program about one year ago, which led him to give the lecture to its students.

“I think what the program is doing is an interesting idea, preparing the students for American colleges by conducting all of its classes in English, having them practice with the American methods before they get there,” Canning said.

Oftentimes American students spend their first two years at their home campuses and then go overseas, but the students with the Education Abroad program spend their freshmen year here and then go to American colleges for their sophomore, junior and senior years.

“As far as I know, the statistics measuring how many of the students who started the program and finish with degrees from their colleges show that the program has been effective,” Canning added.

Following Canning’s lecture, the students had the opportunity to spend some time with people who went through the same program before heading to the U.S. for their studies at American universities.

Seven students who participated in the program imparted their advice to the prospective students. Three of them attend the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, two attend SUNY Geneseo, one at SUNY Oneonta and one at Southern Utah University (SUU).

Among these students is Park Jin, 19, who is studying computer science at SUNY Albany.

She had never been to the U.S. before she started her sophomore year there last January.

“I was concerned about the cultural differences between Korea and the U.S. before going there, but the reality was not nearly as different as I thought,” Park said. “The writing in English that I learned at the program here helps me a lot when I take lectures there.”

Park Ji-su, 18, a high school graduate who embarked on a one-year course with the program in March to prepare to enter an American university next year, said the conversations helped her improve her self-confidence.

“My confidence was shaking while being enrolled in the program,” Park said. “Today I was inspired by students who are spending their lives in the U.S. with confidence. That is what I want to do.”