Being in a different country, even if it was only for two weeks, was really an experience I will remember and reflect on fondly in the future. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity to go to South Korea, and I have made so many memories, met many new people with new perspectives, and explored a country quite different from the United States.

I enjoyed the company of the group I was assigned to, and I liked the fact that our entire study abroad group was divided into either engineering and business because I could connect with other business majors while also meeting others. We worked well together, and besides our groups themselves, I enjoyed the company I had at all points of the trip. I really liked meeting the engineering students because of their differing perspectives on things. I was able to meet people with great ambitions and interesting and different opinions on certain topics. Without this study abroad, I think it would be very unlikely that I would ever encounter them, due to the nature of our differing education paths. I have a lot of respect for engineering students because many of them have much passion for their chosen engineering path, and it is really contagious and energizing.

In addition, I think that heavily interacting with engineering students and seeing the engineering facilities at the foreign universities we visited has really sparked an interest in engineering within me. I really do miss math – not a common opinion haha – as the last math class I took was senior year: Calculus III through U of I. I think I have also gone so far in math that I should really capitalize on my advanced education; I am considering taking Linear Algebra or even Discrete, perhaps. I’m also interested in advancing my technical skills, specifically my computer science skills. For example, one of my friends has been encouraging me to learn Python, and I have finally taken steps to learning the language by starting lessons at CodeAcademy. I took Computer Science in high school, so I am starting to recognize the similarities and differences between the two.

To preface this small section, I would just like to say that my words may seem blunt, but these are simply my honest thoughts. I don’t have regrets in my life, but I think majoring in engineering would have been very beneficial into entering branches of banking and especially the financial sector. My finance professor also echoed my fears when he mentioned how engineering majors get finance jobs, and finance majors get…essentially squat. This is what is encouraging me to really work independently on improving and gaining a plethora of skills; learning coding languages and various programs will give me a competitive advantage in the workforce. I used to think cynically and fear what the future has to come, but more than ever I am determined to really work on myself as a marketable person, and I aim to really build up my strong math background.

Overall, I think that this whole trip has really just shifted my focus to the importance of technical and becoming “global.” Becoming “global” is a very vague phrase, but after our visits to the various companies, I personally thought it would be very frustrating to be unable to speak Korean, as some of the individuals of upper management were unable to speak the language of the country they had been in for a number of years. I understand that it is not necessary to speak the language of the country you’re in – i.e., some of superiors we met were doing quite well – but in my opinion, I think that learning another language would really benefit; it allows for better communication, and learning about another culture really opens your eyes to the world beyond Pitt’s campus.

I also find the Korean workplace intriguing. Work that heavily consumes personal life isn’t a good thing, but Koreans’ dedication to work is something you can’t help but admire and respect. I also think I am a fairly career-driven girl, and I look forward to applying my education in a workplace; therefore, I think very highly of how efficient and driven Korean are. However, there are also challenges in the workplace of Korea, like their hierarchal formalities affecting their work. Pride can inhibit older employees from working agreeably under a younger superior, and I think that is definitely something Korea needs to face in order to limit conflict in the workplace.

Studying abroad in Korea was amazing, and I loved every moment I was there. I’m thankful to have gone, and I am thankful that I went with such fantastic people. It really has motivated me to do things outside of my classes at Pitt in preparation for the workplace and the globalizing society we live in. Korea is such a beautiful, hardworking country, from the high-rises of Seoul to the large ports of Busan, and I will certainly be returning one day in the future. In the meantime, I will eagerly and gladly be working on myself as a student and as a person.