Making Friends and Changing Minds

One of the top reasons I am on this trip is to understand and incorporate, in more detail, the South Korean perspective on psychology and seeking mental help. During our 4-day trip to Busan, we were able to talk and hang out with some Pusan National University students. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to create a cross-cultural comparison of perspectives on mental health and even just the difference in college experiences. Our class was split into groups wherein the PNU students lead us around campus for lunch. Our group brought us to a restaurant that served Korean street food that was popular among college students. We weren't what sure what to get, so the PNU students helped order for us. We had spicy stir-fried rice cakes, fried chicken, Korean spicy cold noodles, and so much more. Every meal also came with side dishes, so there was an overwhelming amount of food on our table. They made sure we got to try at least one of each dish, and I am very grateful I did because they were all incredibly delicious. I am for sure going to find more Korean spicy cold noodles when we get back home, whether from a local Korean restaurant or the nearest H-mart so I can learn how to make it on my own.

During lunch, we talked about the many cultural differences of being a young adult from South Korea and from the U.S. One of the things we learned was that there was a delay in the relay of Western trends. We talked about the use of American and Korean slang. They said that Korean slang is mainly used on the internet and rarely in casual in-person conversations. They also shared their knowledge on American slang. Apparently, the South Korean youth often use the word "goat" to refer to someone they idolize and the expression "skrrt" for when someone is driving dangerously. It was very interesting to me how American slang is relayed and interpreted from a different continental perspective, especially because I have no personally heard these slangs in a while.

As we got to know each other more, we shifted the conversation topic to our academic differences. I was curious how different being a South Korean college student was from being an American college student. The first thing I asked them was, "What does Finals Week look like for you guy?". I liked to call them Hell Week, so I was curious if they also felt the same way. Feeding my curiousity, they explained their version of Finals Week very similarily. They reported pulling multiple all-nighters and eating spicy food to keep awake and to cope with the stress at the same time. It was nice to know I shared similar experiences/pain with them. I wanted to dig deeper, so I asked them if they prioritized their mental health during these times. They said that in their culture, mental health isn't something that is given top priority. They usually just fight through it until they get through it. This piqued my interest. I was aware prior to this study abroad program that in som Asian cultures, seeking mental help is still considered taboo and/or have stigmas attached to them. I confirmed this hypothesis with the PNU students by asking about any mental health resources around their campus. They said that there was a facility to seek counseling. However, not a lot of students go there or even know about its existence because of the cultural stigma that seeking help equated to having a "mental disease". This conversation reminded and further motivated me of my reason for being in this trip. This was exactly what I wanted to understand better and try to change. I believe by being more culturally aware and having more cultural humility, stigmas surrounding mental health can be altered where more people, in this case students, feel more comfortable seeking out the resources available to them without worrying about social status or labels. I admire the students we hung out with for their strength in academics and their willingness to keep striving in times of hardship. Right now, they are the motivation that fuels my desire to change the stigma and make academic life easier to cope with. I hope one day I can meet them again and I can thank them for being a part of my goals and willingness to make a change.