Interview:

An interview with Seoungbyung Park, from South Korea, a junior majoring in Finance and Accounting at Marquette University in Wisconsin.

Why did you decide to study in the U.S.A.?

Diversity is not a popular word in South Korea. The country is filled with pretty much Koreans only. There is nothing wrong with that, but I always thought living with people from different backgrounds might enrich my life. I could not think of a single country that is more diverse than the United States.

Why did you choose this university?

I was not sure if I wanted to major in business or engineering. Marquette was one of the schools that had both a great business program and a highly ranked engineering program. They also offered financial help.

Also, it is located in Milwaukee, a big city. Coming from a big city, I wanted to live in a dynamic place. It has fancy hotels, the Milwaukee Bucks (an NBA team), theaters, and of course, many bars and restaurants.

What do you like best?

Marquette has a program called Applied Investment Management. As a student in this program, you get to actively participate in managing the school’s endowment fund. This is a very competitive program, but I have learned tremendously and greatly enjoyed the program. Not many undergraduate-level schools offer such experiential investment programs.

What do you miss most?

Like anybody else, I miss the food from home. However, I also miss the atmosphere of my city.

What was your biggest surprise?

I was very surprised by the way people express themselves. They seemed a lot more direct and open. At school, this leads to many open discussions, which I enjoy a lot.

How have you handled:

...language differences?

It was very hard speaking English all day long every day, but I tried to learn from friends as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Talk to them! It helps!

...finances?

I have to keep careful track of how much I spend.

What are your activities?

I play a lot of intramural basketball games. It is a lot of fun and I met many friends by getting involved!

How easy or difficult is making friends?

It was somewhat hard at the beginning, but everything started to get better as I started to get used to the culture and get involved in campus activities.

How relevant is your U.S. education to your personal goals and to the needs of your country?

I am interested in working at an investment company when I graduate. Studying abroad in the U.S. helped me to think globally, which is a crucial skill for me to achieve my goal and secure a good job at an investment company.

What is your advice to other students who are considering a U.S. education?

Make sure that you keep your eyes and mind open. Good things will happen!