A Map of New Experiences

A UTRGV student traveled to South Korea through the Education Abroad program and ended up learning independence and new cultural experiences alongside her studies.

Gema Amaro, a UTRGV finance and multidisciplinary studies junior, said she always had an interest in visiting South Korea and researched the culture before her trip.

Amaro said she always had her mind set on studying abroad since she discovered K-dramas and K-pop. She looked through UTRGV Education Abroad programs and applied through their website. 

She studied Korean-taught and English-taught courses at Soonchunhyang University in Asan, South Korea.

Amaro said she went into the country with an open mind and introduced herself to the locals and other students at the university despite there being a language barrier.

“Korea did have a few elements that did surprise me, which was the language being really difficult, but overall everything…was pretty understandable,” Amaro said.

According to Amaro, independence was the hardest adjustment to make but her roommate helped her get used to the culture and lifestyle. 

She said her mindset throughout her stay was “if I was not going to do it, then no one else would.”

According to Amaro, the currency system in Korea does not accept foreign credit cards, so the university had a bank and a translator who would help international students with their money. 

A difference in Mexican culture and Korean culture, Amaro said, was the fast-paced lifestyle. 

“I needed to let my Korean friends know a week in advance if we wanted to hangout,” she said.

 According to her, it takes from a month to a year for someone to get an invitation to a friend’s house and meet their family.

Her Korean roommate invited her a month into their friendship to meet her family and was able to eat with them and go to amusement parks.

“For me, my point of view was… I’m not going to just go to the most popular tourist places, let’s actually make an effort and go to where Koreans usually go,” she said. 

Amaro said she was thankful for building connections with friends and the locals because she gained a better understanding of the culture. 

“Looking back now, if I did this experience studying abroad, it means there’s a lot better opportunities for me out there,” she said. 

Something that Amaro would tell people who want to study abroad is to have an open mind.

 She added all cultures have a different way of talking and behaving, so try to get into their mindset and understand them. 

“If you don’t push yourself, you don’t explore, you’re missing a lot of opportunities,” Amaro said.

To learn more information regarding Education Abroad, contact them at education.abroad@utrgv.edu.