Trinh, Ngoc Hoa – Vietnam / International Trade
1. Please introduce yourself (background, interests, your MBTI, and so on)
Hi, my name is Trinh Ngoc Hoa from Vietnam, a 2nd-semester student majoring in International Trade. I’m currently a Teaching Assistant (TA) to 3 part-time professors and I think I’m a lucky one to be chosen even though this is only my 2nd term. I guess being ESFP-T does prep me for this role haha. I did my undergraduate in Korea and I have been living here for more than 5 years. I often wander around in my free time so my Korean friends told me that I know Seoul better than them haha!
2. Can you tell us the reason why you chose to study at Sogang GSIS?
My undergrad school’s name also starts with a “S” so I wanted to make a school series for myself. Jk. I actually have a friend who used to be a Sogang GSIS student and I heard a lot about our school, especially how the academic aspect is well focused. I did my research on other GSISes’ curricula and courses’ syllabi and my findings are that Sogang GSIS provides courses that match my interest well. Our school is one of the few that offer courses divided into different fields such as Trade and Finance and IR and also area studies such as KEA. I’m interested in Korea and other Asian countries’ economies but I know for myself that I would love to dig deeper into the trading relationship between those countries.
3. How do you usually spend your spare time in Korea?
To me, that actually depends on the time of the year. To a girl who comes from a tropical country like me, Korean winter is freezingly cold and I would like to stay indoors most of the time. But that doesn’t mean I would only stay at home, you can find me going to restaurants and coffee shops but only when the sun is shining warmly. Taking a walk in the park in winter is definitely not on my activity list. On the other hand, I don’t mind the summer heat so I tend to be found somewhere outdoor, such as Hangang Park. In spring and autumn, Korean scenery is way too pretty to stay inside so my Instagram story will be full of picnic and hangout-with-friend pictures. These 2 seasons are also my favorite after entering Sogang GSIS because March and September are times when the new semester starts and I can meet my friends and welcome new students.
4. Can you recommend your favorite place/spot in Seoul?
That is as hard as making me choose between Kyochon’s honey combo or BHC’s cheese-powder chicken (I will never say no to those 2 chicken dishes) since every place in Seoul is somehow special to me.. Hmm.. I would say the Namsan Tower area. I myself would not consider walking up Namsan a hike but it does earn you some sweat. The view above is definitely worth it. Going there in spring for cherry blossoms or in autumn for foliage is what I always advise my friends to do. Before your hike or after coming down from the observation on top of Namsan, you can also find quite a few cute coffee shops within a walking distance (in the Haebangchon area) from the entrance.
5. Any recommendations or know-how on life in Korea?
What I like about Sogang GSIS is that newcomers will have a buddy, who has experience of dealing with probably exactly the same what our freshmen will have to face, such as alien card registration, renting a house, or making a sim card so our new students have someone to ask if whatever information they are searching for is not available on the Internet. But still, I would advise them to research as much as they can before coming to Korea. From Google to Facebook groups, everything about Korea can be found easily with just a few clicks. Korea is all about convenience so you might find it overwhelmingly at first. Make sure to get your Alien Card, phone number, and bank account as soon as possible because those are things that you will need the most in your Korean life.
6. Can you share your most memorable experience at Sogang GSIS with us?
Hmm.. that’s a difficult question. Every experience here is special in its own way. But if I have to pick one then maybe… my first major party! I entered Sogang in September 2021 so most of our classes were still conducted online so that was my first time meeting that many new friends. Not only fellow friends and sunbaes (seniors), but I also had a chance to talk to professors, and asked them for advice. In my undergrad, professors always seem to be so far away from students but I don’t think that would be how I described our Sogang professors.
7. Do you have any advice for the prospective students at Sogang GSIS?
Everybody here is awesome so be prepared to make a lot of new friends. Our Student Council (SC) also holds many events so be ready for that. On the other hand, Sogang really does focus on the academic aspect so please don’t forget to prepare for classes. It’s better to revise what you’ve learned and read class materials in advance so you can join class discussions and leave a good impression on your professors. Another note is that the classroom in K-building is big and cold so don’t forget to bring an extra “blanket” to keep yourself warm in winter or early spring!!
8. Do you have anything to say to Sogang GSIS?
I’m experiencing the best time of my graduate life and I hope they will make the classroom in K-building warmer so every second in Sogang GSIS will be the best one haha!
