A recent graduate of Ashland University, Mekenna Anderson embarked on a four-week study abroad trip to South Korea.
On July 14, Anderson and four fellow AU students flew out to Seoul, South Korea. They attended lectures and classes at the Pukyong National University (PKNU) located in Busan, South Korea.
The students who attended were Bella Fredritz and Kayin McDonald from AU, along with Noah McDonald from The College of Wooster and Avery Hixon from The Ohio State University.
After meeting on a Zoom call prior to the trip, Anderson said they traveled together not knowing much more about one another.
The first week
Since South Korea is 13 hours ahead of EST, it’s common to feel jetlag during the trip’s first few days. Anderson said this is just one of the first uncomfortable hurdles she noticed while studying abroad.
“I am a minority wherever I go,” she said. “I’ve learned that Korea is not very diverse at all. . . I’ve never been in an environment where I’m a minority, or where I’m the one that looks different. I feel out of place because I haven’t seen a fluent English American yet.”
Anderson said that in her first week in Korea, the experience was different than she expected.
She has previously traveled abroad, with AU’s Tuscany trip.
It was not her first time.
She felt excited about the new experience but noted that the culture shock was jolting in the first few days.
With only knowing the traveling students briefly and having to dorm alone after her roommate placement left, the initial moments in South Korea felt solitary to Anderson.
One of her familiar faces in this new place was Rebecca Parillo, director of Study Abroad. She was able to text her daily about her classes and how she was feeling.
“It’s a place of curiosity. Asian culture is different from U.S culture and European culture. . . It is leaving your comfort zones and having to figure out what your stress relievers are abroad. . . It’s just going to be such an educational experience,” Parillo said.
The second week
By the second week of her trip, Anderson found herself more comfortable in Korea and more confident with certain things she stayed away from in her first week. For example, she went downtown by herself,
“In Busan, I don’t know if it’s the culture shock wearing off, but I genuinely think that I can go out and take a subway by myself, take a bus by myself, go to the beach by myself . . . I think that I’m getting more comfortable being alone and independent,” said Anderson.
Since she did not travel with any friends, she garnered new ones along the way, explaining that the students at PKNU seemed eager to learn about American culture.
“I’ve met a couple girls in my scuba class and three guys in my scuba class . . . I’ve met a lot of people. They see that we are Americans and want to be friends with us if that makes sense. . . They see that we are the classic Americans and say, ‘Tell us about America!’,” said Anderson.
Anderson said that her favorite part of the trip so far has been the K-pop dancing class or the cooking class. The program offered those along with yacht sailing, DIY model shipbuilding, global culture and more.
Thoughts on study abroad
“I would say take every opportunity you have and do it. . . It’s so worth it in the end. You are not going to get an opportunity like this again where you are going to have a travel advisor who is paid for and there to give you a pep talk if you’re down,” said Anderson. “You wouldn’t be able to do this anytime else without paying an arm and a leg. It is so freaking worth it.”
Anderson explained the first few days of culture shock is nothing compared to the rest of the abroad experience.
“It’s something that’s part of a change in growth,” she said. “The way to make yourself comfortable is to put yourself in uncomfortable positions.”
With these abroad opportunities available annually or bi-annually, students can plan which places draw their interest.
For more information on AU’s study abroad programs, email Rebecca Parillo at [email protected].
