As I am majoring in Chinese Language and Literature, I came to Shanghai in late August for studying Chinese. For me, there are three advantages of studying abroad. One thing is that it is much quicker in picking up the language. Everywhere I go or everything I do, I can only use Chinese, so my Chinese ability improved much faster than in Korea. Also thanks to the characteristic of Shanghai City, I can meet many nationalities and use English much more often than in Jeju. I can learn the everyday language, not just formal written language seen in books. Thus, both my Chinese and English are getting better as days go by.

 
The second advantage is that it is easy to travel in the country. To visit China, we have to be issued a visa every time but during studying in China, I can go anywhere in the country cause I have the visa already! And it is quite a long time, one year, so if I plan well and travel China, I am quite sure that I can experience the whole country. Many say that China is too big so I can't say “I have been to China” if I went to just one or two places there. You have to say “I have been to Beijing and Shanghai.” That means every part of China has its own tradition, culture and even its own language! Even small countries like Korea have many tourism spots and various attractions, so please do not just study when you are abroad. Go out and experience the real culture of the country.

The third advantage is discovering myself in the world. Actually, I was a common twentysomething who wanted to live a wishy-washy life, settled for the present and hated challenging myself. When I was in high school, many teachers recommended us to leave Jeju and experience other big cities. They said that the place where we usually belong to and are used to, we can't see many things and enlarge our experience. That time, I totally couldn't understand what they were talking about. I thought I could experience more as much as I try to broaden my horizon. After coming to Shanghai and being friends with various people, I realized that I was a big fish in a little pond. I was thinking the small world around me was everything. But that was a total misunderstanding. I am able to meet younger or older friends who are striving for their dreams. There are younger friends who already came to Shanghai alone to find jobs and older friends who are backpacking to find out what they really want to do.

I can’t say there are no chances to experience the big world in Korea, but I can say it’s easier to meet the bigger world and experience more when you are out of Korea, out of the small pond where you are from. After spending 3 months in Shanghai, I noticed that I am willing to be broad-sighted, open-minded and have the courage to put my convictions to action. (I cannot correct this part in this format. Please review carefully for mistakes) I cannot wait for the rest of my fantastic life in China. Every moment in Shanghai is a stimulant for me making me keen on my aim.