Reflection on My South Korea Experiential Learning

Initially, I thought that Singapore was a country with high standard of living and I did not think that South Korea will have a higher standard of living, education and technology than Singapore. The South Korean’s government has also done a very good job in maintaining the culture of the Koreans. I started to wonder whether Singapore has done enough to maintain our culture. The South Korean’s students are very competitive in terms of their education which I think we should also learn to strive for excellence in all that we do, if not we will start to lack behind. Even their English language, which is their second language, is better than our English.

Both Singapore and South Korea’s governments foresee that there are not many geniuses in both countries. Hence, in order to maintain the standard of living and to ensure the economies develop, both countries make sure they have a good education system. In addition, both countries are trying the save the Earth by educating the public the importance of recycling. Recycling bins can be seen everywhere in Singapore and South Korea. However, I think the South Koreans are more thoughtful than Singaporeans in many ways, they think for others first. For example, they throw their waste automatically after consuming them.  Unlike Singaporeans, most of us think of ourselves first and do everything for our own convenience. South Korea has not lost its culture, and it even maintains the old buildings as a tourist attraction. On the contrary, old buildings in their very original form and kampongs are hardly seen in Singapore nowadays.

One of the most memorable experiences for me is when we were at the Andong Hahoe Folk Village where we were given a chance to see how the previous generations of Korea lived, how the old buildings in Korea looked like and we were taught how they kept themselves warm during winter. Another memorable place is the visit to POSCO high school to interact with the Korean students there. The orchestra group took time to practise for a very long time to perform two songs to welcome us to their school. The students in Korea focus a lot on their studies as there are very few job opportunities in South Korea. Lastly, is the visit to the Digital Pavilion, where there are many kinds of IT devices for us to explore and play with. I was amazed with the technology they have there.

During this trip, I learnt to be independent, as our parents will not always be by our side to support us, to take care of us and help us to overcome obstacles in our life. Secondly, I learnt the importance of punctuality. It is very inconsiderate for us to make others wait for that one particular person, it will also affect other’s schedule. Lastly, I learnt that we must not take things for granted. We are very blessed to be in Singapore where we do not face any natural disasters, except for floods, and that we will not be fearful whether we will be able to survive the next day and the lost of loved ones due to natural disasters.

- Jewel 3e1