Miranda COMPAAN

Student of La Trobe University, Australia
Exchange to Yonsei University, Korea

In 2011 I travelled to South East Asia where I had the privilege of staying with a friend's family in their home. It ignited a desire in me to learn more about how other people live. I chose to go on exchange to Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for a semester, as I wanted to see more of Asia.

While on exchange I shared a room in the SK Global House dorm on campus where many other exchange students stayed. This allowed me to make friends with ease. Adjusting to the lifestyle in Seoul was easy. The food was incredibly tasty and the transport was both affordable and efficient. I enjoyed the food in Seoul; by the end of the semester chopsticks were easier to use than a knife and fork.

Yonsei University had a large number of clubs and events for exchange students. I had a Korean language buddy and a Korean peer mentor who was part of a cell group made up of other exchange students. Yonsei University had a helpful Korean language program that kept me busy with daily classes. I thoroughly enjoyed my studies in Political Science and International Relations. A highlight of my exchange was the YONKO games, which are friendly games between Yonsei University and Korea University. This comprised of three days of team sports competition that filled Jamsil Olympic stadium with the singing and dancing of the spectators. Entertainers led choreographed cheering for their respective teams, which we practised earlier. It was fun!

Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards I was able to travel around East Asia. I went to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau while on exchange. I was also able to explore South Korea. South Korea is a beautiful country; I found the seasons were brilliantly vivid. I visited South Korea’s second largest city of Busan and its beaches, and I went on numerous day trips in autumn to see the colourful autumn foliage. I enjoyed a weekend in summer on Jeju Island with my new friends and experienced winter in Seoul where I spent the last three weeks of my semester playing in the snow. The most interesting part about visiting South Korea was the opportunity to visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

Since going on exchange I have become more independent, patient, grateful and accepting. It was scary leaving for a new place all by myself but I found that when the time came to go home, it was very hard to say goodbye to my new friends. I can now say I have friends from around the world and look forward to a reunion in 2014.

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