[Campus Commentary]Get ahead, meet someone

I often hear my old high school friends complain that they are uncomfortable meeting people in college.
They say relationships in college are not lasting and although they have more chances to meet many more diverse people, it’s harder to make true friends in college.
So they give up chumming up in college.
Most college students seem to think they would rather spend their time strengthening their competitiveness. Many go to English institutes to get better scores on the Toeic or Toefl.
Lots of students spend money and time to obtain certificates of qualification.
Students who want to get better grades and pass exams don’t leave their seats in the library.
Some students go abroad to improve their English during vacation.
All in all, students tend to become indifferent to building good human relationships; they do not realize that a good relationship can be one’s most competitive power.
It’s true for everyone. Good human relations are like owning thousands of troops and horses before a war. You don’t have to meet or try to build relationships with celebrities or influential people ― because everyone has a story to tell.
Of course, as a university reporter, I have more chances to meet famous people than others on campus. In most cases, however, I meet ordinary students like myself and listen to their experiences. The more I make good relationships, the more I am able to write good articles. Simply put, a good human relationship is just as important as any other ability that people work to have. A hardworking student will realize that a good connection gives one tremendous support.
A few years ago, there was a television program where two entertainers were told to suddenly call their friends at night. Viewers would guess how good the human relationships each entertainer had by seeing who had the most friends to call, but the entertainers were not allowed to call anyone who had appeared on the show.
Someone who doesn’t know about you, such as an interviewer or a boss, might make assumptions about your personality through your human relationships.
Put a great deal of effort into meeting people. And don’t simply wait for the next chance. You can meet someone today, and that person can be your important supporter tomorrow. It’s a precious gift to meet someone and become acquainted with one of the 6.6 billion people in the world.
I agree that it becomes difficult to build close relationships as you get older. But don’t give up.
Maybe there’s a new, different way to approach people. Achieving perfect grades and fluent English may make you competitive, but so can power of having good human relationships.

*The writer is a reporter of The Sookmyung Times at Sookmyung Women’s University.

by Hwang Jeon Seo-kyung