Closing this Chapter… for Now

Studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, was a life-changing experience. On the surface, it gave me amazing friendships and a different academic environment. But on a deeper level, it gave me back my spark for learning, struggling with changing my educational path, and burning out. School felt like nothing more than a chore that needed…

Wow, leaving so soon…

Ahh, it has finally happened! All that hard work and preparation has paid off. I’m finally studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea. Though I knew this day was coming, even before I took the flight to Seoul, it still feels weird seeing the days count down to the single digits of how long I have…

Friendship <3

Especially during this current political climate, it was interesting studying and living in South Korea as an American. With two historic presidential administrations happening in both countries, the US seeing Trump’s second term and South Korea impeaching and prosecuting their former president, and having a rushed election. Due to these two events, I was asked…

Adjusting to Seoul

When I first came to Seoul, everything felt both completely foreign and somewhat familiar. Constantly researching and planning for my time abroad gave me some leeway, not completely feeling like a fish out of water, but like anyone else, I did experience culture shock. Whether it was different public transportation etiquette (such as almost complete…

Student Life at Korea University

Last week I completed my first week of classes at Korea University. It feels a little crazy to think classes have just begun for me, while my friends back at Pitt are in the thick of the semester. Academically Korea University and Pitt operate in a similar fashions, you select your classes prior to the…

Seoul: Introduction <3

Hi Everyone! I’m Norah Phillips-Pinkney, a junior at Pitt Business studying Information Systems and Korean. Currently I’m studying both business and Korean at Korea University through the program Tean by WorldStrides. During the past couple of years I’ve developed a true passion for learning Korean and expanding my knowledge of the culture and history. I’ve…