Q1. Please introduce yourself.
Hello, my name is Smieszek Aleksandra Malgorzata, but you can call me Ola. I am a 22-year-old Polish student majoring in Media and Communication and have been living in Korea for two years. You may recognize me for being part of the Media and Communication Student Council or from student clubs such as GGUN and JDA.
Q2. Why did you choose Korea?
I fell in love with Korea during my first year of middle school. During the holiday season, I attended a summer camp in Poland that taught us about South Korea, and one of the teachers there was Korean. She mixed simple Korean and English while teaching dance. Later, she conducted Korean lessons aside from dance class for people already familiar with hangeul – I was one of them. During these lessons, she tried to converse with us in Korean, but she would be the only one talking most of the time. After listening to one hour of her talking in Korean, I was left with a desire to learn Korean so that I could understand and communicate with her. I think I have succeeded; three years later, I took care of her 10-year-old daughter.
Q3. Why did you choose SKKU?
As I researched universities in Korea and their application processes, I decided to apply to SKKU. Although SKKU was not exactly my first choice, I felt thrilled when I got to attend this school. As of now, I cannot even imagine attending another university.
Q4. How is your life at SKKU?
As I was admitted to SKKU in 2020, a large part of my first year at college was online; so adapting to school took me a long time. However, the Intensive Study Course (ISC) program for international students helped me master Korean, so I could make friends during my sophomore year. Furthermore, participating in student clubs has made my college life much more fun and diverse. Now that the social distancing curbs have been lifted, I finally feel like a college student. Last semester, I performed with GGUN and JDA during the freshmen orientation event and the 2022 ESKARA festival, which undoubtedly will remain a precious memory. Although the past semester was hectic, it was also the most fun – I would go to offline classes, visit the school library and the café inside it (they even provide a soymilk option!), and then head off to dance practices. I look forward to more fantastic opportunities, classes, friends, events, and festivals at SKKU!