Every year, undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world come to study at KAIST for a semester or two. For the first time, The KAIST Herald contacted two exchange students, Samantha Lim and Rance Pritchard, to learn about their experiences so far. Lim comes from Singapore and attends the National University of Singapore where she is majoring in English literature, while Pritchard comes from Colorado, United States, and studies industrial design at the University of Cincinnati.

Why did you come to Korea and KAIST?
[Lim] I came to Korea as I've been learning Korean for the past two years. By coming here, I hoped to practice and become more fluent in Korean.
[Pritchard] I wanted to experience a different culture and a different school curriculum. I had the chance to go to other countries like Germany, France, and Japan, but Korea interested me the most. I knew that Germany and France would be more similar to the U.S., so I thought Korea would give me the best chance to experience something new. I also chose KAIST because it has a very good reputation in the U.S. as being the “MIT of Korea.”

What was your first impression of Korean food? How have you adjusted to its flavors?
[Lim] My first impression of Korean food is that it's quite spicy. I'm not very inclined towards spicy food, but I think after a while I've gotten used to it and I really like all the soup dishes served in Korea.
[Pritchard] At first, I was very excited about trying the new food. I love trying new things, so it was very fun and interesting. I also love spicy foods, so I also enjoyed many of the spicier dishes. I had tried some Korean food before coming here, so I had some idea of what the food would be like. More recently however, I have grown a little tired of the cafeteria food, which is mostly what I end up eating.

Having survived the dreaded exam period at KAIST, how have you adapted to its academic atmosphere?
[Lim] I really enjoy the classes I take here. I've been learning a lot, which is always good.
[Pritchard] The atmosphere has been very different from what I am used to at Cincinnati. In Cincinnati, we usually have one main studio class (which takes precedence over all of the other classes), one drawing class, and one or two other less important and less time-consuming classes. Here, there seems to be less distinction in the difference of importance of classes, so the work from each class is often less intense, but with three important classes, it can be more difficult to manage the priorities. There is also a lot more emphasis on group projects here at KAIST, which can be either good or bad at times. It can be good because many times in the real world, projects are done in groups; but it can also be bad if team members cannot meet or if some of the members end up doing more work than others.

Outside of academics, how have you been enjoying Korean culture?
[Lim] I've been travelling around different parts of Korea - Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju - and I really had a lot of fun seeing the different parts of Korea. Korea's really beautiful and rich in culture.
[Pritchard] So far I have really been enjoying the Korean culture. I have met many students from all over the world, and have been able to travel and have fun with them. We usually go to the area outside of the west gate to get food or go to bars, and we also spend a lot of time talking while eating at the cafeteria. It has been a really good experience, and I learned a lot about other cultures. I have also met some Korean students, but I have found it much harder to get to know them than other international students.

I’m sure that upon your arrival at KAIST, there were things that you found strange or hard to get accustomed to. What would be one word of advice or warning for future exchange students?
[Lim] I don't really think that there's any particularly weird thing about KAIST at all. Maybe the weather - Singapore's always hot since it’s a tropical country. So for students who come from tropical countries, you might want to take note of the weather and brace yourselves for the cold.
[Pritchard] My one word would probably be openness. I think that it's important to be open and try new things while being here. Be open to trying new food, making new friends, and having new experiences. You never know what you're missing unless you try!