Gilman Scholarship and Pursuing Study Abroad in Korea
Victoria Halsey | Class of 2024 | International Studies and Psychology Major | Linguistics Minor | University of South Carolina
Seoul, South Korea | Spring 2022 | Global Partner Program: CIS | 서강대학교 (Sogang University)
Pursuing study abroad is possibly the best decision that I’ve made for myself. It can seem intimidating with all of the different applications, deadlines, and fees, not to mention being thousands of miles from home. However, there are so many scholarships and grants available to those who truly want the experience, and in my opinion, getting to live abroad and explore another culture is well worth the sadness of missing home.
I received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship from the Department of State to help fund my studies. The program supports undergraduates who may not otherwise be able to study or intern abroad due to financial constraints with up to $5,000 per student. Those that receive a Federal Pell Grant during the application period or during the term of their study abroad program or internship are eligible to apply. The program provides students with the opportunity to form international networks and gain professional skills, language abilities, and global knowledge to advance their careers, as well as U.S. national security and economic prosperity. Gilman Scholars foster mutual understanding abroad, representing American values. They are also eligible for noncompetitive eligibility hiring status within the federal government, meaning alumni can be hired by government agencies outside of the formal competitive job announcement process.
Personally, the Gilman Program was exceptionally beneficial for me as it helped cover the remaining costs of my study abroad program after financial aid, and it required significant introspection about what I hoped to gain from my experiences abroad. The application made me think about how studying abroad would advance my academic trajectory, as well as how it might impact my future aspirations. With my major being international studies and my plans to work in the international human rights field later in life, it seems like a no-brainer how studying abroad would enhance my learning and preparations for the future. However, it made me consider why studying in Korea specifically would advance my goals and what I could contribute to the cultural exchange. After being accepted into the program, I was required to set goals for my time abroad, which encouraged me to think about specifics that I wanted to achieve abroad rather than just the big picture of expanding my global competence.
I spent my first week in quarantine due to Korea’s Covid-19 travel regulations, only leaving my room to go to Covid testing sites with other people in my program. Honestly, I didn’t mind quarantine too much as it gave me a chance to adjust to the time difference and stare at the city beyond my window, though my view wasn’t great. My first day out of quarantine was exhausting but exciting. My friend and I started the day by searching convenience stores for TMoney cards, which are used to ride buses, taxis, and the subway. We finally found some after asking an 아저씨 (ajusshi/older man) working in a store where they would be. It was the first time we talked to a stranger in Korean, and his kindness throughout the interaction gave me confidence that I would be able to navigate everyday conversation in Korean. We spent a chunk of the day searching for a health center where we needed to get a form to be allowed in most restaurants due to Covid (this policy was relaxed soon after our arrival). I was happily lost, taking in my surroundings, though the cold made my hands feel like they might fall off. We happened to wander into the Dongdaemun Design Plaza which was exciting as we had planned to visit it soon. After we finally found the center, we spent the rest of the day exploring stores and deciding what foods to try.
I learned to navigate around Seoul relatively quickly, using KakaoMaps to get everywhere; it would tell me what bus numbers I could take or which subway line that I would get on. I learned to use the bus first; the only difficulty was ensuring that I got on the correct bus and off at the correct stop before it sped away. However, if I missed my bus, there were often others that could get me to the same location, or I could wait for the same bus number to return which usually did not take long. The first few times I took the subway my friends confidently led me to our destination, so I was able to pick up how the lines worked through observation. The subway closes at midnight, which was inconvenient at times, but night buses run sporadically, meaning I would be able to get home without taking a taxi.
Knowing how to speak a little Korean and read Hangul made me significantly more comfortable in my new surroundings. Even if I didn’t always know what a Korean word meant, there were often words borrowed from English that were written in Hangul which helped me deduce what was meant by the phrase. It was especially helpful when ordering food so that I didn’t have to scan the menu with a translator app to decide what to eat.
I really enjoyed Korea’s university life. A club fair at the beginning of the semester allowed me to interact with so many other students, which I couldn’t do in my classes as they were online. Through the HUG program, I was matched with a buddy, and we met for a few meals. We got along well and had really interesting discussions with some about cultural, educational, and political differences between the US and Korea. I also joined a club for English language exchange as an opportunity to meet more people. We engaged in missions almost every week, competing against other teams in the club, and I made friends and visited areas that I may have otherwise missed. When it started to warm up, universities around Seoul had festivals open to everyone, which often boasted performances from famous Korean artists— I saw PSY in the pouring rain, surrounded by thousands of other uni students. Sogang’s festival included food trucks, drinks, and student performances, which I enjoyed with my friends.
Academically, the courses that I took at Sogang were very beneficial to my major. As an international studies major with an emphasis on Asian studies, I took courses covering Chinese philosophy, Korean history, and Southeast Asian society. I wouldn’t have been able to take these classes at USC, and I was glad to have the opportunity to take courses so tailored to my concentration. I was also able to take social psychology for my psychology major, allowing me to learn about social psychology applicable beyond the context of the US. That being said, the courses were online, limiting communication between students, but this allowed for greater possibilities for travel within Korea. Because the courses were pass/fail when they transferred to USC, I was able to focus more on my understanding of the topics rather than simply getting an A, while allowing myself time to experience Korean society outside of the classroom.
As an international studies major within the political science department, the timing of my trip was exceptional. Soon after my arrival, Korea had a presidential election, which allowed me to observe campaigning techniques and provided the opportunity to ask about political attitudes among Korean citizens. Discussing politics seemed to be a bit taboo, so I made sure that I wasn’t too forward in my curiosity.
My favorite experiences in Korea often revolved around food and the people that I enjoyed it with. Eating was a somewhat communal experience. It was almost unusual to eat alone, and many dishes were portioned for at least two people, meaning my meals were filled with friends. My Korean friends continually introduced me to delicious foods, and I made sure to try everything that was suggested to me. Some of my favorite foods include 육개장 (yukgaejang/spicy beef soup), 산낙지 (sannakji/live octopus, and 게란빵 (gyeran-ppang/egg bun).
I spent most of my time in Korea exploring. I loved the walkability of the city and felt completely safe venturing out on my own, even at night (one of my Korean friends didn’t recognize pepper spray if that speaks to the safety at all). I wanted to see as much of Seoul as possible as each neighborhood had a distinct atmosphere from the next. My sense of direction is awful, but I could always tell when I had been to a neighborhood before, simply because the energy was familiar. I spent the majority of my time in Sinchon and Hongdae because Sogang University was situated next to them. After some time, I could navigate them with little help from KakaoMaps, and they felt like home. Sinchon was right next to my university, so I would often go there for food, to study, or to hang out with friends. Hongdae was a bit further, but I could easily walk through the Gyeongui Line Forest Park to get there. The park extended from the area around my university to Hongdae with restaurants and other businesses on either side of the path. The park was gorgeous (especially during cherry blossom season!!) and offered some relief from the bustling city.
The majority of my ventures involved me wandering around palaces, temples, art museums, parks, and markets. I visited 창경궁(Changgyeonggung) on my 20th birthday to see the cherry blossoms and stunning arboretum. My friends and I went to 조계사 (Jogyesa) in Insadong to see lotus festival performances. I visited impressive art exhibitions in Seoul and Daegu, including a Salvador Dali exhibition in the DDP which I was ecstatic for due to my love of surrealist art. I visited parks like the Dream Forest (breathtaking during cherry blossom season) and Seoul National Forest. My friends and I tried as much street food as possible at the busy markets where people would cram at booths to eat and drink with friends.
Outside Seoul, I visited Suwon, Sokcho, Gangneung, Busan, and Daegu. My friend and I decided to visit Sokcho and Gangneung via express buses. The last minute trip was a bit of a disaster but well worth it. We arrived in Sokcho with no place to sleep, heavy bags, and a bit of heat exhaustion. Eventually, I managed to get a room for us with my broken Korean. We abandoned our belongings in the room and attempted to figure out how to go to Seoraksan National Park. We found the bus that would take us into the park, but the buses of Sokcho came far less frequently than in Seoul, making us think we wouldn’t have time to explore the park. An 아줌마 (ajumma/older woman)confirmed that we were waiting for the right bus and told me stories about her experiences in the park. That interaction made me realize how much my Korean had improved while abroad because I was able to generally understand the stories and encourage her to keep talking. I saw some of the most beautiful mountains I had ever seen in the park, and we hiked to the top of one of the peaks to a Buddhist temple. We ended the night on the beach, watching as friends launched fireworks. Overall, I don’t regret the trip at all, but by the second day, my friend and I were homesick for Seoul. We had similar feelings by the end of our trip to Busan and Daegu. We visited gorgeous temples (one of which was on the coast), beaches, Yeong Island, Gamcheon cultural village, and more.
Overall, I grew a lot over the course of my study abroad experience. I didn’t experience much homesickness (aside from when I would see my friends posting about the fun things they were doing or when my sister graduated high school) because I was too busy trying to do and see as many things as possible. It confirmed my plans to work abroad as I was able to adapt to a new country and culture so quickly and was genuinely happy to be there each day. Having so many interactions with new people and unfamiliar circumstances also fostered a sense of confidence that I didn’t have previously. Essentially, I am more trusting of myself to be able to thrive in new situations as well as familiar ones.
Victoria Halsey | SC Honors College, Class of 2024 | International Studies, College of Arts and Sciences Psychology | College of Arts and Sciences
