Student Spotlight: Minkyung Kim
Study abroad student and art major, Minkyung Kim from Seoul National University of Science and Technology in South Korea, spent two quarters in 2022 as an exchange student in the Global Study Program at UC Davis. Learn about her experience in the following article (excerpts) and photos reposted from the Study Abroad Foundation. View the original article here.
As a student majoring in art , I wanted to go as an exchange student to a large city where art exhibitions are easy to access. After looking for schools with good accessibility, I decided to go to a UC-affiliated school, and finally decided to go to UC Davis, which was suitable for various conditions.
As the restrictions on face-to-face events were lifted, events were held for exchanges between exchange students. Starting with the Mixer Party where all exchange students gathered to greet each other, there were many events such as snack events and travel promotions. As the biggest goal of this exchange was to make many friends, I was able to meet many friends from various countries by actively participating in the event.
I lived in home stay for 6 months with Gina, Bob, Kina and three puppies, and I've been very fortunate to have met a very nice host family. My host family often travels with the students. I've been to Tahoe and San Francisco with my host family. They also invited us to various family events such as Easter, birthday parties and concerts. I was happy for 6 months thanks to the special trips and events with us, saying that I can't be left alone in an empty house while living in a remote country. Thanks to Gina, Bob and Kina for being part of my American family!
Classes were divided into Lecture and Discussion or Studio. After lectures were held once a week, there was a discussion time where the TA and the students could freely discuss their opinions based on what they had learned that week. In Korea, lectures are mainly conducted, but it was very good that there was a separate time to discuss the contents of the lectures with other friends. The major classes were conducted similar to those in Korea, but there were frequent special lectures and seminars outside of class, so I was able to learn more. The time I spent talking with the writers and seeing and learning new things was very precious. In addition, weekly artists were invited to give special lectures at the Art Museum on campus. I was able to listen to the concepts and work-related stories of artists who are actively working and ask questions during the Q&A session.
I joined a tennis club and practiced every Wednesday and Friday. Also, when it was Spring Quarter, I joined a surf club. Many students participate in the club. I was able to make many friends by saying hello and talking to them. In addition to club activities, we met and practiced, ate dinner together after club activities, or went on a day trip, creating good memories.
I have traveled to many places with friends I met at UC Davis. During a short 10-day vacation, I went to LA and Hawaii, and also traveled to Mexico on weekends and holidays during the school year. San Francisco and Sacramento are also relatively close, so I could travel frequently by carpooling or sharing an Uber with friends. As a person majoring in art, the biggest purpose of this exchange program in the U.S. was to see many famous art museums/works in the world. During my travels, I made sure to visit the art museums there and was able to actually see the works of many famous artists. While studying art history, I was very moved to come face to face with works that I had only seen on screens or books, and I was overwhelmed by the aura of the works and I was happy at every exhibition.
The United States is a country with more and more diverse cultures than you might think. In particular, California, where I lived for 6 months, was a place where people of many nationalities and cultures, including not only the United States but also Asians and Mexicans, gathered. Embarrassingly, before I came to the United States, I had prejudices and stereotypes about the United States. Living in America, I realized that my thinking was wrong, and I was able to reflect on myself. In addition, I was able to meet precious friends that I never expected and gain various experiences. As long as you always accept new things with an open mind and have an active willingness to learn, you can achieve many opportunities and achievements.