OVER THE last three years, freshman life at Yonsei University has seen several changes. Experiences at the Songdo Campus such as Residential College (RC) were compelled to shift into online programs. Yonsei has taken the opportunity to embrace digitalization by setting up online self-directed activities for incoming students. These activities range from sports, art, education, career to community-building. To further elevate the RC experience, the school announced a portfolio contest entitled “My RC Life Was…” in the latter part of 2021 where freshmen were tasked to share the highlights of their RC experience. 

“My RC life was…”

   The portfolio-format contest called for students to share their RC activities throughout the semester with essays and illustrations. The contest aimed for students to look back on their unorthodox freshman experience in creative and engaging ways. Not only did the contest promote RC self-directed activities, but it allowed for the school to further improve its online RC programs by receiving direct student feedback. The voluntary contest ran from December 1 to 27 and welcomed several more participants than its original run in the spring semester of 2021. 

   Prizes included ₩300,000 for its Grand prize, ₩200,000 for its Best Excellence Prize, ₩100,000 for its Excellence Prize (given to two students), and Yonsei stuffed bears for 16 students as a Participation Prize. All winners were evaluated through specific criteria: the diversity of activities (25 points), comprehensiveness (25 points), and subject choice (50 points). All points tallied up to 100 points per judge. And for this semester, RC Education Director Jeon Kwang-min, Professor Cho Jung-ah, and Professor Son Eun-Kyung were tasked to select and announce the winners on Jan. 4, 2022.

The winning work, “Convergence”

   The second semester of 2021’s Grand Prize winner received a total of 284 points for their submission entitled “Convergence.” Its theme revolved around the blend of technology and education, experiencing a method of education through the means of social media platforms and video-communication services like Zoom. The essay-form submission narrowed down four specific topics from a semester’s worth of RC programs which included physical education, art, career exploration, and “Life Academy.” 

   The physical education activities that they participated in September were the “RC Running Crew” and “RC Virtual Marathon.” These activities served as a motivating force to improve their physical health and leave the house—especially since the pandemic pushed for most people to stay indoors. The winner labeled October as the month for music and watched three separate RC performances, one by the Club Union, another by jazz pianist Huh Dae-wook, and finally a multi-artist concert “Taste of Classic.” They reflected that the music performances helped them feel a greater sense of appreciation for the arts. November’s submission highlighted the Career Exploration Month’s two special lectures from financial supervisory lawyer Kim Sang-woo and patent attorney Park Hyuk. Lastly, there was the semester-long “Life Academy” program that hosted reading activities, special lectures, and a final team project presented on the Metaverse. “Life Academy” was originally established in 2017 as part of an MOU[1] between Yonsei and the Dongwon Education Foundation. Students could apply at the beginning of the semester. And after completing most “Life Academy” events, they are granted three credits beyond RC-earned credits. The winner described the program as a “new and enjoyable experience.”

   Through these programs, the winner expressed how they were able to interact with fellow freshmen and upperclassmen, despite it being an online semester. They congratulated the professors and resident assistants (RAs) for effectively planning the various RC programs and extended their hopes of a great semester to the incoming freshmen of 2022. 

The freshman experience

   The current online situation has been debilitating for students and professors alike. Megan Widjaja (Fresh., Dept. of Sociology), like many other students, experienced her first semester in Yonsei online. When asked about the online RC programs, Widjaja expressed her frustrations saying, “as much as it is convenient to have our programs online, it is difficult to be fully immersed sometimes.” Widjaja recalled a specific instance when she was tasked to learn a new instrument for the “Solarsido Kalimba” RC program, “we had to acquire the materials ourselves which was difficult.” Despite the obvious setbacks of non-face-to-face RC programs, other students admit that convenience is a significant advantage of the online system. Lina Makhatova (Fresh., Dept. of Business Admin.) told The Yonsei Annals, “I am able to participate in the programs that I am interested in at my own pace.” Apart from being convenient, the professors and RAs’ original efforts to create enjoyable RC programs resulted in an array of activities that were unique to this era. Makhatova added that “[the organizers] did their best with the cards they have been dealt and I appreciate all their efforts.” 

   Student feedback like those of Widjaja and Makhatova play an essential role in the RC’s continuous evolution. Next semester, the RC Education Center plans to introduce a variety of “richer and higher quality” programs. In an interview with the Annals, the RC Education Center said, “the biggest change in the RC curriculum for the first semester of 2022 is the addition of an ‘institutional-linkage program’.” Selected RC activities will focus on cooperative learning with different departments in the university. The Center added, “We are creating specialized programs for health promotion with the Yonsei Sports Center, book discussions with the Underwood Memorial Library, counseling with the Counseling Center, and 3D printing and laser-cutting programs with MakerSpace.” All these new additions come from the Center’s awareness that it carries significant responsibility for the well-being of Yonsei’s freshmen body. “Online RC programs provide opportunities to build friendships and a sense of belonging amid anxiety over the pandemic,” said the Center after mentioning how, as the pandemic persists, the isolation and difficulties students feel during online learning should not be taken as a given.

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   The “My RC Life Was…” contest is the school’s solid attempt to preserve the essence of the RC program despite unfortunate circumstances, and while the world remains in an indefinite pause, RC will continue to cater to Yonsei’s freshmen students. New RC self-directed activities for the first semester of 2022 will be open for all freshmen starting this March. 

[1] MOU: Memorandum of Understanding or a contracted partnership between two parties