| INCOMING | Interview |
Name : BORHAN MOSES ANAK BOWI
Major : Economics
Nationality : Malaysian
Home University : University of Malaya |
Q1. Reasons for applying for Chungbuk National University Exchange Student Program
Chungbuk National University strikes me as one of the few universities in Korea that combines school’s affordability and education quality as it is one of the ten Flagship Korean National Universities. CBNU has solidified my go-to university as it has a special relationship with my home university which makes the application process easy and smooth.
Q2. Good points as CBNU exchange student
Being an exchange student in CBNU really introduced me to a number of beautiful experiences. Most of the officer and teaching staff are very welcoming and organized a lot of activities. Location wise, CBNU is strategically located between Seoul and Busan, the biggest Korean Major City which means easier accessibility for those who love to travel via KTX and bus. On the plus side, Cheongju City is modern city yet affordable to live in especially for student.
Q3. Characteristics and strengths you would like to introduce to other friends
Aside from the obvious good points pointed, CBNU in itself is very beautiful, green, systematic layout which makes it easier to navigate despite the sheer size of the university. There are various facilities offered at CBNU and my favorite of them all is the running track. All in all, CBNU is the very embodiment of traditional and modern culture collide much like the rest of Korea as a whole.
Q4. How do you feel about living in Korea
Shocking and amazing might be the right word to describe my stay in Korea. The latter can be elucidated by the countless encounter with friendly Korean and its cutting-edge technology in basically everything that you interacted with be it the speed of internet, efficient public transport and etc. Shocking for me as I never been to Korea before and I got to say a lot of things are so different and peculiar to what I have in Malaysia but over time, I get used to it and now I love it.
Q5. Advice to your juniors before entering Korea
You need to prepare all the documents as per requested by the OIS officer as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute issues like delay, keep yourself up to dates with the latest requirement info because of the uncertainties at the moment with the pandemic. Asides from that, you need to have a right mindset before you come here, drops all you prejudice, willing and open to learn new culture to truly enjoy everything here. Perhaps one of the most important things is to equip yourself with basic Korean language. This is super important to truly enjoy Korean culture as a whole and trust me, everything will be much easier in terms of communicating with the public, getting your order right and to avoid any misunderstanding, scams as most of the Korean speaks limited English.
Q6. Recommended places in Korea and Cheongju
There are a lot of attractive and must-go to places in Korea, but I will narrow it down to one personal favorite which is the Gangneung city. Gangneung city is a coastal city with the scent of pine and coffee permeating throughout the year. The dazzling East Sea and lush pine forests are Gangneung’s gifts of nature. Despite the 3 hours bus trip from Seoul, it surely is worthwhile trip for anyone who loves beaches and sunrise.
Q7. What is your favorite food and what food you can’t eat in Korea
My favourite Korean food is of course the Samgyeopsal and Korean fried chicken. Couple with few glasses of Soju, beer or rice wine and good company, you get yourself a wonderful Korean dining experience. However, there are also food that I can’t really eat which is the tteokbokki due to its texture and spiciness.
One of the most memorable events during this exchange program in CBNU is picnic with the other exchange student. We have a great time playing games, interacting and fun photo taking sessions. Credits should be given to Miss Taerim Lee and her team to come up with a simple yet enjoyable activity. But the biggest event I ever attended is the concert organized by SKKU which is one of the private universities in Korea which featured one of the biggest KPOP star, none other than PSY and Jessi.
Q9. Difficulties as a foreign exchange student in Korea
The biggest and probably the only notable difficulties anyone would have in korea is the language barriers. Learning Korean language should be anyone priority before coming here.
Q10. Other things that you want to say
Extra tips for the upcoming exchange students is to make friends will all the other students and not confine yourself to your own university mate. This should be an opportunity to broaden your horizon and extend your circle outside your own nationalities or university. Last but not least I would like to extend my appreciation to the officer at OIS especially Miss Taerim Lee for her help and guidance throughout the process.
첨부파일