Exchange studies
Ruslana Panfilova, a student at the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, studied at the University of Suwon (South Korea) for the fall semester as part of an exchange program.
“My name is Ruslana, I am a student at PetrSU, I was lucky enough to become a participant in an exchange program with the South Korean University of Suwon.
As part of my studies at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, I took an active part in the formation of my curriculum. The classes of interest had to be approved by the director of the international department. Subjects such as English and Korean became the basis of my education. I had such courses as: English (discussion of topics), English (debate), English (study of SNS), Korean (level 3 topic). While participating in extracurricular activities, I played volleyball, taught Russian to Korean students in a conversation club format, and participated in photo shoots organized by my professor.
Typically, professors used English in class. The exception was the Korean language classes, where everything was presented in Korean. Attending Korean was mandatory, classes were devoted to vocabulary, grammar and speech training.
I took part in debates in English, where every week we prepared speeches defending our opinions on global issues. We learned how to have proper and polite discussions.
Discussion sessions in English covered a variety of topics, ranging from accidents and cultural differences to human rights.
During my SNS classes, I developed my own social media project, often traveling to Seoul to meet models and attend fashion week. All subjects were conducted without interruption for conversations. The teachers were not only exceptionally knowledgeable in their field, but also friendly and understanding.
The teachers were outstanding and communicative, and the classes focused on practical application of knowledge. The level of difficulty and competition was high, which added value to each lesson. It was important to show your potential in every subject, communication with Korean students contributed to this.
I had two sessions over five months. At Korean universities, students take 4 sessions per academic year. My progress has been positive. Korea has a rating system. For example, there are 30 students in a group. Only 15% can get a "5", 30% can get a "4", and 30% can get a "3". That is, it cannot be that everyone has “5” or “4”.
Extracurricular life in Korea was also exciting. I noticed differences in culture, where fast pace of life, competition and comfort play a key role. The country is focused on urbanization and development, offering a high standard of living, complete security and beauty all around. From anywhere in Korea you can drive to the Yellow Sea or the Sea of Japan in three hours. Life in Korea is not that cheap. The importance of knowing the Korean language for a fulfilling life was obvious.
The beautiful nature of Korea evoked indescribable emotions, each season showed its best sides. The climate is also very different; autumn in Korea lasted almost 4 months.
Life in Korea amazed me with its diversity. I visited many places and different cities such as Seoul, Pusan, Suwon, Asan, Gyeonggi-do and others. Cities in Korea seamlessly combine historical buildings, mountains, seas and modern installations. People are not very sociable, conservative, but very friendly. There are not many foreigners there, which makes them stand out in the crowd.
The semester in Korea left extremely pleasant memories. I immersed myself in a new culture, expanded my knowledge and improved my language skills.
I really improved my Korean, learned other teaching methods, applications that are used abroad. I also talked to some professors after classes. I made countless friends of different nationalities. I assessed my ability to learn in a foreign language, and also realized what I need to improve.
Combining studies abroad and in your home country has been a challenge, but overall, the exchange is undoubtedly a positive and exciting experience that reveals a new side to the world.
I am grateful to my university for providing this opportunity.
