South Korea has a very interesting culture and education system. During my two weeks in Seoul, I learned that education is very valuable. It's interesting that teachers, educators and farmers are highly respected. Since education is very valuable, it's very competitive for students to get into good colleges. Students have to study for long hours and attend hagwon to help them do well on the college entry exam. Parents are very involved with their children education to make sure that they are successful. I also experienced some culture shocks during my time in South Korea. I learned that it's normal for people to bump into each other without apologizing or saying "excuse me." There are no trash cans in public and have no pedestrians rights. I had to be very careful when I crossed the streets.
During my one week in Jeju Island, I got to experience life on an island. I learned that women were the hard workers while the husbands were "the King." People like to enjoy nature and eat live seafoods. Since there are no manufactures allowed in Jeju, the air is a lot cleaner than in Seoul. Their drinking water and seafoods are also healthier to enjoy.
Overall, one thing that I take away from this trip was their education system. It's very interesting and different from the United States. It's super competitive and put a lot of pressure on students. However, it's what made South Korea a successful country. I very enjoyed my time in South Korea and the program. I've gained great knowledge and experienced South Korea in a very different way than I would on a vacation trip.
