DMC's List of Suggestions for a Productive Summer
Summer vacation, a long period of more than 2 months, is coming soon. Do you have any summer vacation plans One can say that the summer has been well spent if one has achieved at least one thing over the vacation period. DAU Media Center (DMC) recommends 10 activities from which students can choose. Carrying out and pursuing a few of these activities will be helpful for self-development and future employment.
1. Volunteering Abroad
Due to an ever increasing number of college students eager to act upon their ideals, there are more and more overseas volunteer programs that enable participants to devote themselves to the service of communities in places once remote. How about participating in one of the many overseas volunteer programs and spending a meaningful summer Various organizations manage these programs. Two representative programs that DAU supports financially are Pacific Asia Society (PAS) and Work Camp. Companies sponsored volunteer programs have also been contributing to the increase in social service participation. If you are interested in becoming an overseas volunteer, you will not only have a chance to represent Korea but also to form international friendships. The volunteer experience will most likely be significant in forming your outlook and character. Volunteers need to possess good communication, teaching, and computer skills. They also need to be fluent in English or in the local language. But most essential is passion. Seize the opportunities!
Where to go
·PAS: Russia, China, Mongolia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia
·Work Camp: Europe (Great Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Finland, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Holland and Turkey), North America (Canada and USA), Central and South America (Mexico and Peru), Africa (Egypt, Tanzania and Kenya)
2. Internships
Students who apply for internships during vacation periods are increasing. An internship is not a regular occupation, but through an internship, an intern can benefit from exposure to a foreign language and gain cultural and practical business experience working at a company in a foreign country for a given period of time.
Internships will also help the participant to form a network of international contacts. In March, the International Exchange Team in DAU's Office of External & International Affairs received applications from students wishing to participate in the summer English-speaking country internship programs. Selected students will go to an English-speaking country from June 29 to August 11 with DAU's support.
3. Grand Territorial March
Using the time available during summer vacation, many students go abroad to acquire new experiences or busily study in institutes to catch up. However, there is another way to spend summer vacation. A challenge to youth, it is the 'Grand Territorial March'. Also managed by various organizations and companies like overseas volunteers programs, each territorial march has different purposes, but all encourage participants to develop teamwork, patience, endurance and passion. A territorial march is ideally suited for college students, who can discover something meaningful about themselves through their participation.
4. Backpacking to See the World
A backpacking trip is now considered an essential experience that every university student must or wants to have. What follows is an introduction for would-be backpackers. First, backpacking should be convenient and safe. Group backpacking trips and "hotelpacks" are becoming popular. On group backpacking trips, a Tourism Conductor (TC) manages and leads a group of backpackers from city to city. "Hotelpacks" have prearranged accommodation and transportation. Both are much safer than backpacking alone. Second, backpackers try to stay in one city as long as possible. They used to visit as many countries as they could, but the trend is to stay in one city. Third, there are now theme trips expressive of one's tastes in such are as architecture, art, music, etc., which draw well. Fourth, the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Europe have become popular. Once rarely visited, they are now back in favor among many travelers. If you have the passion, how about planning your own special backpacking trip It will be an unforgettable memory.
5. Reading Books for Pleasure
Although college students want to read for pleasure, they have no time because of studies, papers, part-time jobs and so on. They should be challenged to read books this summer vacation. Make a list of 50 or 100 books to read for the summer. Any title is OK! Nothing is better than a feeling of achievement from acquiring knowledge through reading. According to one student, "when I started this challenge of reading the books on my list, I doubted whether I could do it. But I read steadily without giving up and managed to read all 100 titles."
6. Special Summer Jobs
It has become more of a trend for students, freed from classes, to seek a side job in the summer. Among various kinds of side jobs, one is earning money by playing computer games. SAYGAME (www.saygame.com), which is managed by the operation division of NEOWIZ (www.neowiz.com), recruits students as monitoring staff. Selected students deal with work related to monitoring as well as gathering ideas on the games themselves. The company offers financial support and scholarship to excellent staff.
Another special side job is modeling. This job does not involve modeling clothes; rather it entails dressing models offstage in a busy fashion show. It is a wonderful opportunity for clothing design students since they can earn money and receive hands-on experience.
Then there is blood donation work. A selected person in a clinical trial conducted by a pharmaceutical company earns money by taking new medication. The work is so called because blood has to be drawn to determine the effects of the medication.
7. DAU Programs
DAU's summer programs help students acquire various skills and qualification certificates. Two programs are a summer session and a crash course on MOS, through which students can manage their credits and apply to take the qualification exam. There are also study abroad programs, with the focus on foreign language study, and internships, which are both sponsored by the Office of External and International Affairs. Both DAU and the Korean University Council for Social Service support an overseas volunteer program. Students can develop themselves and gain diverse experiences through these programs.
8. Looking Good for the Beach
As summer draws near, everybody thinks of beaches and swimming pools. Concerns about how one looks in a swimsuit, which exposes every flaw in one's body to the scrutiny of others, immediately follow thoughts of where to vacation. Most students are out of shape, justifying their body fat by using work and study as excuses. They will, however, in all probability exercise to get in shape for the summer, allowing them to fit into a nice swimsuit and to boast of their better figure after vacation. To lose weight and to get in shape, people should follow experts' recommendations and start with aerobic exercise and a suitable diet. Experts caution against overdoing exercise or diet and suggest consulting a fitness trainer to find the best plan so that it can be tailored especially for the particular individual.
9. E-pal with a Foreign Friend
"When I got a reply from a person who lives on the opposite face of the earth, and who lives in an entirely different culture, my heart fluttered with pleasure." The thought of having a foreign pen-pal would surely have crossed the mind of anyone interested in improving her foreign language abilities, in knowing more about foreign cultures, and in making a friend. The chore of having to enclose a letter in an envelope, affix postage, and send it from the post office no longer needs to be done. With the arrival of e-mail, one click of the mouse is sufficient to allow anyone to have a pen-pal from anywhere in the world. Why don't you kill two birds with one stone and improve your foreign language skills and make foreign friends by getting a pen-pal this summer vacation
e-pal site
http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/ (any country)
http://www.penpalsnow.com/ (any country)
http://www.kjclub.com/kr/ (Japan)
10. Becoming a TOEIC Master
Toeickers say two months of summer vacation is a very important time, which can affect your TOEIC score positively or negatively. What study method do TOEIC masters use during summer vacation First, you have to study grammar because a high score is not possible to someone who does not understand English structures. If your goal is to score over 850, you also need to focus on vocabulary and expression. When you memorize vocabulary, you should memorize how the word is used in example sentences. The best time to study for the TOEIC is summer vacation. Take part in a study group at school and refer to TOEIC masters' secret. After vacation you will be surprised by how much your English has improved.
By Kang Myoung-a
Kim Yeon-jeong
Kim Do-hyung
Kim Hee-jin
Seo Se-il
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