BINUS STAR 2014

Studying abroad has always been my biggest dream. The student exchange program at INHA University, supported by Global Korean Scholarship from the Korean government, realized my dream. I never thought that I could live in South Korea, explore the culture, learn the language and made many friends. I can’t thank BINUS International Office enough for the opportunity.
When I first heard about the Student Exchange Program, I had doubts because I was in my 6^th semester, meaning I couldn’t work on my thesis on the 7^th semester. Yet I realized that I should not remain in my comfort zone. Instead, I must challenge myself and get out of it. I decided to join the program and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made.
Through this program, not only did I learn so many new things in class, but also outside of class. I practiced my English to be more fluent, got involved with international communities, explored the incredibly tasty food and visited local famous attractions. I even had the chance to meet my idol. How cool is that! It was the best journey I ever had.
If you ever doubt or feel anxious about studying abroad, don’t. Step outside of your comfort zone like I did, and things will work out. So, don’t worry and start your own journey!

I submitted my student exchange application feeling unsure if I could survive in a foreign country, far away from my home and family. However, I took a leap of faith that I would make it there. I was really happy that the application was approved and I got the AIMS scholarship!
When I was in Malaysia, it was quite scary at first because I didn’t know anyone. Yet I have one life principle: “If you smile to the world, the world will smile back to you.” I applied it and guess what? I made a lot of local and international friends, and they were really kind to me. Now I have friends around the world! I also learned how to deal with cultural differences and adapt to a new environment. Exploring the beauty of a country, its heritage and tasting its delicacies are the must-do’s when you visit a foreign country. I really learned a lot and matured from my exchange experience. It is the best moment of my university life!

Joining the student exchange program to Taiwan was our first experience to learn a different language and culture in a foreign country for five months. It was the BEST life lesson we would never trade with anything. Our strong interest and motivation to go to Taiwan came from the support from our parents. Thanks to them, we got to bring back awesome experience that taught us so much. The adaptation phase was tough but we managed to fit in and get out of our comfort zone. Looking back, those five months were exciting and amazing. We visited so many places. One of the unforgettable moments was performing Indonesian dances with our Thai and Filipino friends for the celebration of The Anniversary of Cheng Shiu University (CSU).
Through the program, we learned to be responsible for whatever we do, since we lived away from our parents. We also learned to accept differences (strengths and weaknesses) between foreign friends we met in CSU, in order to cope with the culture shock. These were valuable lessons and irreplaceable with anything we could find in Indonesia.
The exchange program is a program that you’ll never regret to experience. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Through the problems you might come across abroad, you will find yourself more mature in the process. We highly support the student exchange program and highly encourage you all to join.

Living in South Korea, traveling to local famous places, learning the language and culture were my dreams since I was a freshman. Luckily, through the student exchange program offered by International Office BINUS and Dongguk University (supported by GKS’ Global Korean Scholarship), my dreams came true!!
Studying abroad was the best experience I have ever had. I never imagined leaving the comfort zone was going to be fun! I met so many inspiring people and made lot of friends from all over the world during my stay in Korea. It also helped me discover more about myself. Now I have a clearer picture of who I am, what I want to be and also what I am capable of as an individual. Everything was just perfect!
For you who are considering student exchange or study abroad, just do it! Something big that may change your life for the better is waiting for you. I’m pretty sure it will be the most life-changing experience you will ever have.

Going abroad had been my dream for a long time, but I didn’t expect the opportunity to come fast! At first, I was worried about the culture shock but the anxiety disappeared as I saw those smiles from the people in the “Land of Smiles”. Trying to communicate with the local people using Thai and body language has led to some misunderstanding, but they were so tolerant and appreciative with my effort as a foreigner.
I tried to make the most of my exchange period. Not only did I get involved in the academic activities, but I also took part in extracurricular activities, such as Volunteer of Asian Beach games 2014, Phuket International Night Run and many other interesting Thai cultural and social activities. Those experiences were priceless!
The exchange program gives me the opportunity to practice intercultural communication in the most effective and efficient way.
Overall, I learned that the “THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL” concept is an important part in achieving success. Be knowledgeable and adaptive!
I encourage everyone to join the student exchange program. Take the chance! You can do it!

I had always dreamed about studying abroad, ever since I was a little girl and even now, I am still dreaming about it. I finally got a chance to experience studying abroad even though it was only for three weeks. I found out about the short course program in Jeonju through a banner in BINUS Maya. I was captivated right away because it said that the tuition was free!
I was never afraid to go abroad by myself and do something new. My only obstacle was money but thankfully it was solved. That made it much easier for me to decide to go. I am so glad to have found the banner in the first place so I could have an amazing experience abroad.
The time I spent in Korea was short but sweet. It was my first experience abroad so it was very memorable. I made some new friends from other countries and had a chance to practice my English speaking skills with them. I met people from the Philippines, USA, UK, China and so on. When I was there, I struggled with speaking to people in Jeonju since the language barrier was huge; a lot of them didn’t understand English while I was only beginning to learn Korean. But it was fun and challenging trying to survive in that situation. In terms of English proficiency, Seoul was better since there were a lot of foreigners. I tried a lot of food and visited some places, saw things that I didn?t think I would be able to see. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and I wish that someday I will be able to go to Korea again or even another country!

I joined the program offered by International Office because I wanted to find out how it felt studying abroad and to be far from family since I was planning to take my Master Degree abroad. Therefore, I hoped to gain some international experience by joining this program. I took the summer course in Korea because I had been interested in Korean culture for a long time and learning their language from the native speakers. Furthermore, I had always dreamed to share about Indonesia to the world.
The summer program was fantastic and it ran well and smoothly. People were still very nice even though we could not communicate well because of the language barrier. I also made a lot of international friends whom I still keep in touch with until now. I learned many things inside and outside the class. In class, I learned about Korean language, culture, history, and food. But the most important lesson I got came from outside the class. Many times after class, I hung out with students from other countries including Korea, which gave me a chance to learn many different cultures. Living there for three weeks made me brave enough to speak Korean and English although my Korean was so poor.
I think students who have the opportunities should try to join the programs offered by the International Office because it will give them some unforgettable international experience and a chance to make international friends.

Studying abroad was my childhood dream. My dream came true when I joined student exchange program at Dong-A university through “Global Korean Scholarship” from the Korean government. My exchange experience was the best thing that ever happened to me so far. It was truly spectacular.
During my exchange in Korea, I met and made local and international close friends. I also learned to speak Korean. In Korea, I visited many places which broadened my knowledge of Korean History and Culture. I even got the chance to wear the traditional outfit “HanBok”. My life in Korea was not without obstacle. Despite the lack of Korean language skill, I had to take a class fully delivered in Korean and had no choice but to do so. It worried me but I took it as a challenge and an opportunity to learn Korean on a deeper level and to be in a different class environment. It was a unique and enjoyable experience and I managed to pull it off.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” If you dream to study abroad, never stop seeking the opportunity to realize your dream. You don’t need to worry whether you will ace it or not, as long as you have faith, then take the first step and give it a shot. When you dare to take the first step, you will learn and adapt through the experience.

I always think that as a student, besides having good GPA and organizational skills, I must have an international experience. Luckily one of my best friends invited me to join student exchange program. I am grateful to my best friend and BINUS University for the amazing experience. The biggest obstacle was making the decision to join the program. I doubt If I could do it. However, after I convinced myself ?Yes, I can do it?, I realize that it was a big leap in my life. I chose INHA University in Korea because the courses matched with my BINUS courses. When I was there, surely I got a culture shock and faced language barrier. On some occasions, I had to use body language when speaking to non English speaking Korean. That was actually quite fun. Besides that, I also made friends with many international students. My friend and I went to places, enjoyed the nature and attended festivals. I spoke English on a regular basis which was a new experience. If you have doubts about studying abroad, then “Don’t”. You will experience something different in your life. It might be challenging to begin with but surely it is full of excitement. I am waiting for your “Yes, I can do it!”

I never thought that I would spend my 4th semester in South Korea! On top of that, I got a scholarship from the Korean Government, which totally made me jump for joy! You may often hear this clich about how studying abroad is a life-changing experience but believe me, it really is. It was my first time living far from my family and I learned so much during my stay. I interacted with many friends and professors from different countries. I learned new languages and cultures as well as introducing Indonesian culture. My friends and I often went to lunch or dinner together, hanged out, and traveled around Korea. There was a “must do” activity in Korea: Karaoke-ing at night! You might think that people treat exchange semesters as holidays, thus not much effort is put into studying. However it wasn?t the case. I was amazed by my classmates’ passion and enthusiasm to study and it motivated me to study hard as well. Most of my classes were fun even though all were very demanding. I learned how to share my ideas and opinions in class, to debate, and to finish many international business case projects. Joining exchange program has developed my abilities to study in a multi-cultural environment and expanded my knowledge of the global economy, international business and culture. It gave me confidence to adapt in a new country with its language and culture. If I could sum up the whole experience, I would say that stepping out of your comfort zone is like riding a rollercoaster. You may feel anxious at first but once you are out there, you will feel excited and can’t wait to repeat the experience! So guys, are you ready to take on the thrilling ride of exchange experience?