YOLO! You Only Live Once, So Do What You Want to Do!

I studied abroad at the University of Calgary in Canada from the summer of my sophomore year through my university's exchange program. Studying abroad had been a dream of mine since junior high school. I am very grateful to my parents for supporting my desire to study overseas. I chose Canada as my destination because of its safety and the diversity of its people. In fact, the dormitory where I lived had international students from various countries, including those in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. I put a world map in my room and had everyone place a pin on their home country, and soon there were pins all over the world.

During my first semester in Canada, it was really difficult to keep up with the classes. I spent my days recording every lecture and listening to it again at night to review. I got a little more used to it the next semester, but I still had to read dozens of pages from thick textbooks every day to prepare for class. The studies were that demanding, but my life as an exchange student was still very fulfilling—so much so that I felt a sense of loss for Canada for a while after returning home.

The people I met in Canada were very good at enjoying life, and they influenced me a great deal. They had a clear distinction between work and play, studying hard from Monday to Friday and then spending their weekends from Friday night hanging out with friends or devoting time to their hobbies.

To those of you who are about to become university students or are wondering whether to study abroad, I offer you the word YOLO. You only live once, so I hope you will thoroughly challenge yourself in whatever interests you. Of course, I also intend to keep my own spirit of challenge alive and continue to work hard toward my dream of playing an active role on the global stage.