It's that time of year when people start talking about what they're doing during summer break. This year, the break starts the third week of May and ends the last week of August. So, if you really think about it, we get a full three months and a half off!
I've been doing quite a lot of planning this summer because I wanted to make the most of it. At the beginning of February, I got in touch with a professor at Yonsei University (one of the most famous universities in Korea) about a research assistant position during the summer term. It's pretty funny how I thought about this. First of all, I didn't necessarily want to do research at Swarthmore sophomore summer because I had already talked to my psychology professor, and we both thought doing research at Swat during my junior summer seemed better.
I still wanted to gain experience in the research field, so I thought, hmm, what could I do back home in Korea? Yonsei University just happened to be the university that my best friend goes to, so I was already quite familiar (in my own way) with it. I did some searching, and the developmental psychology department was indeed looking for interns for different semesters! I sent in the application, plus a short resume, and did a short interview. The professor was very nice and charismatic - I definitely thought that I could learn a lot from her (later, I found out that she's the current head of the Korean Developmental Psychology Academy). So that's one thing I have planned for the summer!
Another activity that I wanted to do was to learn traditional Korean dancing. I was thoroughly inspired when I watched the Tamagawa University's taiko performance when they visited Swarthmore. In between the taiko drum performances, the female students would come out and do a wonderful traditional Japanese dance. I thought the costume, the dance, and the music were all beautiful. After the performance was over, I realized that Korea also had amazing traditional dances. I started looking into places that taught adults traditional dances and found one pretty close to my house! So I've been looking forward to this a lot.
I'm also going to start working out more consistently because I've been trying to do that at college, but it's been harder to go to the gym on my own accord. Luckily, when I'm at Swarthmore, I walk around so much that I do get some exercise in. There are also a few movies that I want to watch, like the new Inside Out sequel and Dune: Part 2, along with the Korean drama series Queen of Tears. I usually don't watch many Korean dramas, but two of my favorite actors (who are so good at acting) are the main characters, so I thought I'd give it a go.
Since I'll be in Korea for such a long time, I want to meet with my high school friends who are also back in Korea. I usually don't get to connect with them during the semester since we're quite literally scattered all over the world, but these long breaks are when I can see my friends. One last thing is doing a lot of singing! I miss my karaoke setup dearly, and I really want to make sure that I can record some songs, too.
These are the plans that I have for the summer so far - things might change or might be added on, but I'm very excited for the break ahead! But before that, I guess I have to get through finals first...😅
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