International Experience Explored Winning a Study Abroad Program in South Korea

Posted by Olga at Going Global on December 16, 2009

Over the past several weeks, we have sat down with a Fulbright Scholar who researched micro-enterprises in Colombia, a young professional turned expat in Singapore, the adventures of a Cost-of-Living Surveyor and this week a student who studied abroad in South Korea while attending the University of Texas – McCombs School of Business. International experiences come in many different forms and can be pursued at any period in your life.

The driving factor for these three people and their experiences has been one thing – transforming that desire into action. The ‘want’ is only a tiny element of having an international experience. Turing that ‘want’ into a ‘reality’ is what will make the difference in having an international experience and not having one at all. During each of our interviews, we have made it a point to give you the tools to make your international dreams come true. The last question to all of our interviewees in this 10 part series is designed to give you 3-5 actionable steps to implement right away.

This week we sat down with Michael Pearson, a University of Texas International Business graduate, who studied abroad in South Korea from August 2005 – July 2006. He walks us through his whole study abroad experience and how he turned his idea into a reality.

Learn more about Michael and his experiences as a young entrepreneur and social media marketer on Twitter at @michaelpearsun.

Goinglobal: What was the inspiration for your study abroad experience?
Michael Pearson: When I was in fourth grade, I had a friend who was Japanese. Being one of his good friends, I was able to see a totally different lifestyle every time I went over his house. For me that was my first introduction to Asia – their culture, their furniture, their language and their food was so different than my own. As I grew up and was exposed to more Asian culture, I actively sought out a program in college that would immerse me in a culture other than my own.

GG: Why did you choose to study abroad in Korea?
MP: I was dating a Korean girl at the time and thought that it would be beneficial for my career as well as my life experiences to study abroad for a year. I would say that it was a three-folded motivation. I wanted to experience a new culture; I wanted to learn a bit of Korean; and being in business school I understood that Asia was a happening place for business.

GG: What was the tipping point that helped to make the decision choosing an international work experience?
MP: I have always been adventurous and wanting to do new things. Every time I have moved somewhere or experienced something new, it has superseded the risk associated to that experience. The question for me has always been ‘why not’ not ‘why’. So Korea, ‘why not’.  The other tipping point for me was realizing that most people don’t know how to get what they want. For example, they want something but can’t think past the want. Most people want to travel outside of the US but can’t get past the fantasy of wanting to do that someday. For me, wanting + action = results and that is how I turned my idea studying abroad in Korea into a reality.

GG: How did you find the opportunity to study abroad?
MP: When I chose my international business major, it was with the intention of going abroad. I developed a close relationship with my international business advisor and he knew that I wanted to pursue an international living and studying opportunity. He led me to the Center for Global Education Opportunities (C-GEO) at the University of Texas. Eduardo Contreras, the Program Coordinator at C-GEO at the time, gave me the run down of the choices for study abroad programs.

GG: How did you mentally prepare for your study abroad?
MP: A friend of mine who was in my Global Entrepreneurship class who had gone to Korea a semester before I was supposed to go. We sat down and I bombarded her with different questions in preparation for my trip. She gave me tips, tricks and a Lonely Planet guide to Korea. Being my first extended international trip, it really helped me to pick her brain. The best advice she gave me was that it was going to be a blast!

GG: What type of planning (logistics, documents, etc) did it involve?
MP: The planning happened piece by piece. There are lots of little steps along the way. For example, you have to buy your plane ticket, luggage, and appropriate apparel for the Korean climate. Planning for my trip was not hard. You just have to break down your trip into manageable pieces and budget accordingly.

GG: How much did it cost for you to go abroad?
MP: The most expensive part of my trip was my plane ticket. It cost me roughly $1,000. The program was designed in such a way that I paid the in-state UT tuition and it accounted for my study abroad in Korea. I also was fortunate to have been the recipient of a Korean Studies Scholarship that helped pay for my experience through the Korean Department. Again, it was my relationships that I had built with two Korean language and culture teachers that helped to refer me to this opportunity.

GG: What was your favorite part about this international experience?
MP: My favorite part was traveling throughout Asia. I was able to go spend some time in Thailand and Japan during my study abroad.

GG: What was your least favorite part about this international experience?
MP: The toughest part about studying in Korea was being apart from my family, my support network and my girlfriend at the time. Despite being so far away, I was able to stay connected through Skype, email and phone cards.

GG: What are 3 steps that you can recommend for someone who wants to pursue this a study abroad experience?
MP:
1. Try to meet a native of the place that you want to go to. If you want to go to Jamaica, go talk to a Jamaican. They will give you with an in-depth perspective of what their culture and lifestyle is like.

2. Talk to someone who has already had a study abroad experience. They always have the best feedback. They are like the trail blazers who have paved out a path for you. Their feedback helps you to understand the how-to’s that can be sometimes confusing and daunting for someone who hasn’t done it before.

3. Research and dive into the culture of where you want to study abroad. Your experience is largely dependent on how you personally acclimate to that culture. Using the study abroad experience of Jamaica above; if they eat fist all day and you hate fish, then your experience may not be as awesome that you thought that it would be. Try learning about the culture of the country that you are considering studying abroad in before you choose the program.