Humans of Korea

Tag: school

  • How International Learning Shaped Siyoon Kim’s Pharmacy Dream

    How International Learning Shaped Siyoon Kim’s Pharmacy Dream

    In today’s increasingly interconnected world, many students grow up navigating multiple cultures, languages, and educational systems. Siyoon Kim is one such student. Now a Grade 12 student at Branksome Hall Asia, she has spent her entire academic life in international schools, developing a global outlook shaped by diverse experiences both inside and outside the classroom. With a clear ambition to pursue pharmacy in university, she is preparing to enter a field that blends scientific inquiry with real-world impact. Her journey shows how international education and cross-cultural exposure can build adaptability, independence, and a deeper understanding of the world. As Siyoon looks ahead to her future studies and career, she represents a generation of students ready to learn, connect, and contribute across borders.

    Could you please introduce yourself? What are your future plans after graduation?

    Siyoon: My name is Siyoon Kim, and I am currently a Grade 12 student at Branksome Hall Asia. I hope to major in pharmacy at university because I have always been interested in the scientific and practical aspects of medicine. After completing my undergraduate studies, my plan is to continue on to graduate school and eventually take the national pharmacist licensure exam. My long-term goal is to become a licensed pharmacist and contribute to improving people’s health through safe and effective medication management.

    What are some advantages and challenges of having been educated in an international system, particularly the IB?

    Siyoon: One major advantage of the international and IB education system is the global perspective it offers. I was exposed to diverse cultures, ideas, and ways of thinking from a young age, which helped me become more open-minded and comfortable communicating in English. The IB curriculum also emphasizes critical thinking, research skills, and independent learning, which I believe will help me adapt well to university-level academics. However, there are also challenges. Assessment in the IB often depends heavily on teacher interpretation and subjective grading, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand exactly what is expected. Additionally, IB classes and exams tend to be long and intensive, requiring strong time management and endurance. While challenging, these experiences ultimately pushed me to become more disciplined and resilient.

    Since your mother works as a flight attendant, I heard you’ve also traveled to many countries while accompanying her. Is there any experience from those trips, something surprising, eye-opening, or culturally different, that left a strong impression on you or made you realize how their lifestyle differs from ours?

    Siyoon: Traveling with my mother gave me many meaningful experiences. One memorable place was Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia, where my aunt lives. It’s a rural area, and I was surprised by how beautiful and untouched the natural environment was. Seeing such open landscapes and wildlife made me realize how differently people live in countries with vast natural spaces compared to Korea. Another impression came from Barcelona, a city known for its unique architecture. Walking through the city, I was amazed by the artistic buildings and cultural atmosphere. However, I also noticed lifestyle differences– especially in food. Many meals were centered around hamburgers, pizza, fish and chips, and other Western dishes, and I found some seafood pastas with unfamiliar ingredients quite surprising. Even the structures of residential buildings felt completely different from what I was used to in Korea. These experiences helped me understand how lifestyle, environment, and culture shape daily living in different parts of the world.

    Siyoon’s reflections reveal how international education and global travel can shape a student’s identity far beyond academics. Through the IB curriculum, she learned to think critically, work independently, and navigate demanding assessments with resilience. Through her travels, she encountered different lifestyles, landscapes, and cultures that broadened her understanding of how people live around the world. Together, these experiences helped her develop openness, adaptability, and the confidence to pursue her goals with clarity. Her story demonstrates that growing up between systems and cultures is not merely about exposure—it is about learning to see differences as opportunities for insight and connection. As she moves forward toward her future studies in pharmacy, she carries with her a worldview shaped by curiosity and a readiness to contribute meaningfully in an increasingly global society.

  • ‘Two Schools, Same Pressure’ Transitions from Private to Public, International to Domestic

    ‘Two Schools, Same Pressure’ Transitions from Private to Public, International to Domestic

    Suhyeon is a 2nd grader in a Korean public high school. She attended international schools early in her life to learn English and potentially consider studying abroad, but now focuses on the Korean college admissions process. Suhyeon transferred first to a Korean elementary school in 5th grade, and has ever since lived in an extremely academically driven region, Banpo. Her perspective reveals how the most dominant cultural influence early in life lasts long into teenage years, even after being detached from it, and the difficulties in adjusting to the more strictly academic environment. 

    (This interview has been translated)

    Sieun: Please introduce yourself.

    Suhyeon: Hello, I’m Suhyeon. I’m in Grade 2 at Banpo High School. I don’t have to say much outside of that since I’m a ‘go-sam’, or senior in high school, just next year, and these days I study all day to prepare for that. I always had a focus on that, but the pressure has been added especially since we ’08s, or our age class, are the last class before the government changes the curriculum, so we can’t really afford to retake the KSATs. 

    Sieun: How has the transition been from an international school to a Korean public school? Do you still feel the influence?

    Suhyeon: I kind of still do, yes, in that I had to work harder at the start to catch up on my studies. I feel that Korean schools are much more academically rigorous, and there’s a lot more pressure to study ahead of what the class is currently teaching. But obviously, we have different priorities, like the kids that go to international school, whom I still keep in touch with, are driven in a different sense. They don’t sit at a desk for twelve hours, but they are more extracurricular-based and are required to do something crazily innovative to awe the admissions officers. I don’t know what’s worse for our mental health. Maybe I’m nostalgic because it’s a stressful season for me right now, but I did have the chance to experience something different and somewhat unique in Korea, so I sometimes miss the sports I used to play and that atmosphere in general. Especially recently.

    Sieun: What was the most significant cultural difference between those school environments? 

    Suhyeon: Culturally, like between friends, I think the biggest difference was the way we get to know each other. Although I was only there for elementary school, we still had a wide range of extracurricular activities, including forensics, robotics, the book club, sports, and more. I bonded with my friends back then through early shared interests. In Korean schools, because we stay in our homerooms all day and don’t move rooms between classes, we just get to know whoever’s in our advisory group. Honestly, in high school, we don’t put much time into those relationships at all since our grades are the priority. During exam seasons, we literally study during all breaks, and some even skip lunch. 

    Sieun: How do you think this transition has shaped your identity?

    Suhyeon: The concept of identity too, Korean students don’t really pursue their respective passions outside of our studies if you’re not entirely set on that career, as in, labeled as ‘yaechaeneng’, which has a whole another competitive admissions process. I don’t know, I think I’d have to be secure in a university before having the chance to explore my identity. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve experienced an international school, but I’m hoping to work abroad someday after graduation, though, in the short term. I want to experience as many diverse cultures as possible.

    Suhyeon’s interview highlights the differences in academic pressure between international, North American, and Korean schools. In either environment, most students struggle to meet the standards of college admissions officers and entrance exams. Although stressful, she understands that this experience of diligence is a necessary part of teenagers setting baseline expectations before freely experimenting with their identities as adults.