Today was a really long but exciting day filled with new experiences. Today we visited Pohang University of Science and Technology again, along with POSCO, one of the world’s largest steel companies.
As soon as we arrived at POSTECH, we met our tour guides, who were students currently studying there. They were all very welcoming and friendly, which made the experience even better. Our group’s tour guide was around the same age as us and wanted to study chemical engineering, so it was really fun talking to him about student life, academics, and what it’s like to study at POSTECH. It was interesting to hear directly from a student about the university and to learn what they personally liked about the campus and environment.
During the tour, he showed us many of the amenities available on campus, including the tennis courts, swimming pool, and several student spaces. One of the places that impressed me the most was the library. Honestly, I have never seen a library like that before. It was massive, modern, and very well designed, with multiple floors and huge open spaces for students to study and collaborate. The architecture itself looked amazing, and there seemed to be plenty of space and resources for all the students there. It definitely felt more advanced and modern than most libraries I have seen before.
Later, we went to a place called Garden Terrace for lunch, and it was a really nice experience. The restaurant served Korean food, and one thing that stood out to me was that they had robots serving the food. Seeing robots moving around delivering meals felt very futuristic and, honestly, really cool.
After lunch, we spent more time walking around the campus and exploring different areas. During the tour, we also learned about POSTECH’s mascot, which is a phoenix. They pronounce it more like “Phonics” there because of the university’s name, and I ended up getting a keychain of the mascot as a souvenir.
Later in the day, we visited the POSCO Museum, where we learned about the company’s history and how it became one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers. One thing I found especially interesting was learning about the connection between POSCO and Pittsburgh, given Pittsburgh’s strong history in the steel industry. It was really cool seeing how industries and engineering histories connect across different countries.
After the museum, we got to visit the actual steel factory, and it was honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Seeing the steel manufacturing process happen right in front of us felt unreal. We watched as massive steel pieces were heated to extremely high temperatures, cooled with water, then flattened and processed through huge machines. The steel itself was glowing with heat, and even from where we were standing, I could feel the warmth radiating from it. Watching the entire process happen in real life made me appreciate how much engineering, precision, and technology go into steel production.
Overall, today was such a fun and memorable experience. From exploring POSTECH’s campus and talking with students to seeing real steel manufacturing at POSCO, the entire day felt very educational and inspiring. It was amazing getting to experience both advanced university life and large-scale industrial engineering all in one day.