[Journalism Internship] Korean university students studying abroad take classes — from Korea
Published: 02 Dec. 2021, 15:31
Updated: 02 Dec. 2021, 16:39
Kim Eun-seo, 20, a freshman at the University of Melbourne, had to stay at her home on Jeju Island this year to take classes online instead of attending in-person classes at the Australian university due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As much as I want to be on campus, I realize that this is an inevitable situation, and my school has tried its best to provide the best possible experience for international students,” said Kim. “I hope there will not be another situation where we have to bring these online schooling systems back.”
Kim is one of many students at Korea International School Jeju (KISJ) who got accepted to a foreign university but had to take online courses in Korea due to the pandemic. Some chose to take the year off entirely. Not many had the chance to take their courses in person.
College students who have taken online classes due to Covid-19 instead of having face-to-face classes abroad did find some benefits despite the situation, such as being able to lay down on their beds while listening to recorded online classes.
Despite the positive aspects of online classes, however, college students faced more difficulties in adjusting themselves to a new lifestyle. The time difference was a major factor that affected their daily routine, and having recorded online lectures made them more lazy as they could listen to the class at their leisure.
Covid-19 prevented many students from going abroad to attend inperson classes actually at their dream colleges, but many colleges are currently bringing back in-person classes for international students.
William Watter, a college counselor at KISJ, said he found the news pleasing.
“My thoughts are that I’m glad most colleges are resuming in-person instruction,” Watter said. “While the main part of college is to learn about an academic subject, another important part is making connections and building relationships with people.”
Watter continued, “It is very hard to make connections online when you’ve never met someone before. This is true for both making friends and speaking with your professors. Either way, the students who took online classes this year overcame a great challenge and learned some new skills. Hopefully, they’ll be able to use those skills in the future.”
While many students asked for his advice on taking courses online, some “decided to go and serve in the military right after high school instead of waiting,” Watter added.
BY HWANG SO-WON, YOON JI-WOO [yhahwang24@kis.ac, jwyoon24@kis.ac]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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