The Ewha-Harvard Summer School exchange program was an incredible experience that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in. Academically, both courses—the Korean 120A language course and the S-1763 North Korean Government course—were equally interesting and fulfilling. I appreciated taking the Korean course first as it allowed me to become more comfortable speaking the language and better acclimating to living in Korea. The courses were not extremely time-consuming and afforded ample time for weekend trips and exploration around the city.
For me, one of the hallmarks of this program is the cultural immersion that Harvard students have with Ewha roommates and language partners. Being able to live with, eat with, and take a class with Korean students was an eye-opening experience that I will always look back on fondly. Though the four weeks spent together were amazing, a shared sentiment among the group was disappointment that we couldn’t have been with the Ewha students for a longer period.
Now having graduated from the program, I feel I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience with the Korean culture and language. The government class also honed my abilities to read, write, and communicate effectively, allowing me to go into the upcoming fall semester with a fortified feeling of confidence.I’d like to emphasize my gratitude for this program and all the faculty and staff involved in making this summer possible for us thirty students. To any prospective participants, I would highly recommend the program with no reservations.