I want to make a confession — I used to have a prejudice against universities in my home country, South Korea. I’d always thought that Korean universities were a place where students relaxed after their hard work in high school by partying. Meaning, Korean college students didn’t put enough effort into academics and instead walked around downtown with friends, socializing and having fun. 

At least, that was what I had heard from my high school friends who entered Korean universities. And I didn’t think this would be the case with American universities; it was one of the reasons I initially chose to attend one. 

I couldn’t have been more wrong to think that Korean universities weren’t serious or that universities in the United States were exclusively centers for academic development. My assumptions weren’t based on much knowledge, only on rumors. 

But I had always imagined where I’d be studying would have a perfectly academic environment, void of such distractions. 

For example, I’d never imagined parties at American universities occurring right next to where I lived. I knew there were parties; I just didn’t realize they could take place in so many different locations, not just at the bars. I thought parties would be less prevalent than they are at South Korean universities, but now, I know that’s not the case. 

It’s not good or bad, just different than I thought. 

Additionally, after speaking with a few friends of mine, I also changed my views about Korean universities. From what I have been told, students there seem to be busier and more hardworking than I’d expected. Even though they spend nights socializing, they also must spend some evenings studying for exams and doing homework.

These perspectives were new to me and they contradicted my assumptions. Though things are different from my expectations, I’ve still found value in other factors of life in America, and I’m not regretful that I came here.  

One of my friends, whom I’d met in middle school, now attends a Korean university. She described university life much like what I’m experiencing here. She, and all other university students in South Korea, are allowed to take the courses they want to take when they want to take them and are expected to manage their own time — just like university students in America.

University life is, I concluded, generally quite similar no matter where the university is, whether it be in South Korea or the U.S.=

Because of that, some people ask me why I came to the United States for college. Why go through so much trouble to come to this foreign land just to go to college when I could have a similar experience in my home country? 

These are legitimate questions, but I don’t regret my decision. I think it was wise to attend college in America, despite the fact that my assumptions were incorrect.

As much as life itself is quite generally the same as it would be if I were in school in South Korea, the people I meet here are very different. Back in my country, almost all the friends I could make were Koreans, and foreigners were difficult to find. 

This reduced variety made for less global experience. 

Here, it’s different. Foreigners are all I see. I’ve met people from America, Bangladesh, France, Britain and other places. And from foreigners, I learn what I cannot learn in my own culture. It’s what makes all my troubles worth it, what lets me know that I am having valuable experiences here. 

I came here for a different experience. I knew that already. Although the academic environment isn’t exactly what I expected, the global experience I’m getting exceeds my expectation. My fantasies that American college life was more arduous and academic than Korean college life — quite absurd, in hindsight — have been lost, but I still know that my troubles are worth it.

Yunjo is a freshman in Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].