Yonseians’ voice on how to make the best of your time

WE ALWAYS seem to wonder how we should live out the current moment. Yet, it seems no matter how wise we think we were at the time, retrospection always gives us further insight to what we were missing in life back then. In this month’s Voice on Campus, *The Yonsei Annals* asked Yonsei students of different ages about their thoughts on what they wish they had known the previous year or semester. Those of you unsure of how to spend the prime time of your life, listen what your fellow Yonseians have to say.

Hwang Yoo-bin (Fresh., College of Communication):

Looking back on my first semester at Yonsei, I have many regrets. The first thing that I wish that I had done in the first semester of my freshmen year was joining a central club. I assumed that it would be hard to participate in a central club, because I heard that they were very time-consuming and strict. However, looking at my friends who joined such clubs, I realized that it is a good opportunity to meet new people, and is very worthy of your time if you join a club that you are really interested in. Also, I wish I looked more closely at the notices on the school website. I had started checking the school bulletin from the latter half of my semester, and I just realized that a whole bunch of interesting festivals, competitions, and other activities had been posted there waiting for me. It was such a shame that I had not known about them this whole time. All in all, I wish I knew during the first semester that an active life would have been much more rewarding. Yes – it would have been very demanding and tiring. However, college is the place where you can do things that you could not do in high school. I should have made more use of my time trying things other than drinking or doing homework.

Lee Ye-rim (Soph., Dept. of Creative Tech. Management, UIC):

I had spent most of the time during my high school years trying to get into prestigious universities. However, I regret that I had spent my first year in college similarly. Of course, I searched for many clubs and other activities before the start of the semester but once the semester started, I only became focused on maintaining my grades. I did join a club, but used the far distance between Shinchon and Songdo as an excuse to not actively participate. Apart from studying, I only did volunteer work simply because it was accepted as part of my grades. As a result, my first year of college was not that different from my high school years. It was only when I became a sophomore that I realized that building relationships with others, and experiencing various activities outside class are just as important as maintaining high grades. If I had known this when I was a freshman, I would have something memorable to recollect  when I look back on my first year. Also, I want to advise freshmen not to think of Songdo as a place to spend their time idly. Rather, explore the environment around the campus. Strolling along the Central Park and NC Cube Curnell Walk will make you look at Songdo in a different light. With such mindset, you will have much more to remember about your freshmen year in the future.

Kim Se-ri (Jr., Dept. of Education):

I should have known that some things were more important than earning money through part time jobs and tutoring. When I was a sophomore, I used to tutor two or three students at once. At the time, I worked hard because I thought earning money was a worthy investment of my time. Yet, I have regrets in that I could have spent that time in a more productive way. That is, I could have spent more time on finding my ‘true’ self rather than on just earning money. I achieved financial independence from my parents through working, but at the same time I lost the time for myself. Now that I have become a junior with numerous decisions to make for the future, I wish that I had known the importance of utilizing the time that I had when I was a sophomore.

Kim Hee-yeon (Sr. Dept. of English Language & Lit.):

 

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