American Graduate Student in Korea: January 2009

Hello friends and family! I completely missed writing during all of the holidays. True to form, I have been enjoying life too much to keep up with my blog. But I’ve been saving up some great pictures to show you!

My first semester at SolBridge ended in December, and what a roller-coaster ride it was! Anyway I survived. I’ve settled in and I’m ready to take on the world…as soon as school starts again. Here in Korea there are long breaks in between semesters, so until March I have quite a bit of free time on my hands. Thankfully SolBridge has employed me part-time, or I would be going crazy. Right now I’m working on moderating a CRM system for the University, called SugarCRM. I’m not a pro, and this is my first time at the wheel. But luckily the program is open source so tutorials are online.
In addition, I’ve got some other big goals on the horizon. I’d like to bring more students here from America, and I have a few really great ideas that I hope will come to fruition, I just need to create a presentation and get it to the right people. In addition, I’m starting a program to get books in our library. The SolBridge Library is beautiful and state-of-the-art, but it only has a few thousand books. Many people in the Korean community come to SolBridge for the other amenities, like swimming lessons and fitness classes. I want the library to also serve the needs of the community as well as the students. We should all grow together. I’ve found a program online that might donate to our University, it just depends on our needs and whether we are approved. I’ll need to interview the Library Manager to get some facts, and then I’m going to launch that program.
In addition, I’ve promised myself and other students that I would start a student government campaign at the beginning of next semester. Our university needs a voice from the student’s perspective, and student government is the best way I know how to get our ideas across.
Finally, I’m really trying to learn the Korean language, at the admonition of my father. Our university has accepted hundreds of Korean students for next semester, and I simply can’t wait to meet them and communicate with them. Once again, SolBridge is making my life dreams come true by enriching my international experience. Having more Korean friends will open new doors for me, and give me the chance to make lasting friendships and do some quality networking.

If you have any advice about all of the projects I’m working on, please feel free to email me or comment on my blog. I am always happy to hear it. Okay, enough chatter! Time for some pictures.

Birthday celebrations - Usman and Ammar...Happy Birthday guys!!!