Q1. Please introduce yourself.
My name is Freddie from Prague, Czech Republic. I am an exchange student at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), majoring in Media and Communications. I have been teaching myself Korean for four and a half years, and one of my major goals is to become fluent in the language. I visited Korea once before, which was during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and I came back here now for an exchange experience.
Q2. Why did you choose Korea and SKKU?
I learned that Korea is the third largest investor in the Czech Republic, so I thought studying here would be great for an adventure as well as for my future. I also fell in love with Korea’s perfect mixture of nature, history, and modern life when I first visited. Changgyeonggung Palace fits this description perfectly, so when I heard where SKKU is located, the choice became obvious. Historic places are a huge motivator of mine. Knowing that people have been eager to study here for hundreds of years inspires me. My university back home is also one of the longest-standing universities in Europe, so SKKU feels like a parallel universe to me.
Q3. How is your life at SKKU?
It feels like a dream. Korea and SKKU have become part of my comfort zone, with many great friends and experiences. In a way, I feel like I am traveling to the past at SKKU, but it does not feel outdated. It feels perfect. It was great from the beginning because back home, there was an exchange student at SKKU whom I have become close friends with. I showed her around Prague, and now she is showing me around Korea. Knowing I had at least one friend when I came here was a great start, and now, I realize making friends was not even a problem at SKKU. So many of these little details make up how much I enjoy being here.
Q4. If you could bring one aspect of Korea back home with you, which would it be and why?
It would be the university culture. The Geumjandi Festival was one of my favorite experiences. Not only the festival but it happened during the cherry blossom season, so the whole campus felt like a movie. Personally, sitting with friends on the lawn and watching a movie was the epitome of fulfilling campus life. Also, Korean universities bring everyone together, with so many clubs you can join and things you can do.