JMU: Through the Eyes of an International Student

Last month you read about Aliya Asmal, a JMU international student who has lived all around the globe. Now meet Jul Kim, an sweet Korean girl who I had the pleasure of being in the same GWRTC class as, and who let me pick her brain this week about her experiences at JMU as an international student.

I’m learning that each one of these girls is amazingly different, although they all share a common thread (the whole being from a different country thing!). Each of them is strong, self-sufficient and beautiful inside and out, which is exactly what Her Campus is all about in the first place, right?

Q: Where are you from and what languages do you speak?
A: I’m from Korea and I speak Korean and English.

Q: What made you decide to attend JMU and what is your favorite aspect of this university?
A: I received a scholarship from this school and I think JMU gives a lot of opportunities to students to excel.

Q: Are there any assumptions that you feel people make about you before they get to know you?
A: Since, I’m Asian, most people think I am really smart and good at math but I am not.

Q: What was the biggest difference you felt from going to your high school to JMU?
A: Compared to my other university, JMU doesn’t have as much diversity. Therefore, it is hard for me to make other Asian friends.

Q: What sort of weekend activities did you engage in at home and how do those compare to the ones you take part in now at JMU?
A: There really isn’t much of a difference, just hanging out with friends.

Q: How do you feel about the food here compared to yours at home?
A: Most of the time I eat Korean food at home so it took me a long time to get used to the American (school) food.

Q: What is your major and what career do you want to get involved in after you graduate?
A: I’m a biology major and when I graduate I would like to attend medical school and become a doctor.

Q: Are there any customs/traditions that you did at home that you don’t practice anymore since coming here?
A: Koreans bow to elders and we speak differently to elders. There’s formal and informal ways to speak in Korean.

Q: Where do you want to live after you graduate?
A: I would like to stay in Virginia.

Q: Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why? How do they influence your everyday academic life?
A: My parents. My parents decided to come to America for my education. My parents had a stable job, house, and family in Korea, but they gave up all those things and came to America for my sister and me. I respect what they are doing and what have they done for me. I do not want them to regret about their decision therefore I want to become a good doctor and want them to proud of me.