Study Plan for Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) Student Exchange Program.

Hi! I am a college student from Indonesia and I am trying to apply for an exchange program for foreign students to Korea. I need to make a study plan. Please check my essay below.Thanks!

P.S: The guidelines for the program stated this:
The contents that must be included:
- Reasons or purposes of your application, your goal during your study in Korea
- What you are studying now at your home university.

Global Korea Scholarship application essay

Language is one unique feature that only human beings are capable to have. Animals, in some way, do communication, but they cannot use language. They are not capable to communicate in a systemic way the way a language does and they also cannot comprehend exclusive features of language like metaphors or simile. Only humans can do it and thus, only humans have access to study it. This is one of the reasons why I choose to study English Linguistics and Literature. It is the uniqueness and the mysteries behind language that always drive my eagerness to study about language and culture. That's why, I currently am a student in the faculty of Cultural Science of my university, Hasanuddin University.

My massive enthusiasm toward language and culture has been becoming the primary reason on why I apply for the Global Korea Scholarship(GKS) Exchange Program 2018. The program is a major opportunity for me to gain a deeper understanding about the nature of language, as I will be able to experience the uniqueness that only Korean language can have and thus, gain more insight about the nation's preserved cultures directly. The privileges of having the chance to interact with natives and study their languages/cultures directly are I believe, exclusive features in the Global Korea Scholarship(GKS) Exchange Program. I think the richness of insights toward Korean civilization are way more valuable if it is experienced directly. Such opportunities to learn and to fill my thirst for knowledge are the most fitting motives for me to apply for the program.

Furthermore, I also do have goals that I hopefully will achieve on this exchange program. I desire to undergo Korean perception on seeing the world. I want to know the unique thinking patterns, habits, and other unique features of Korean. I believe that by gaining these kinds of understanding, we can learn a lot and become wiser to appreciate our diversity as humans. Moreover, through this exchange, I hope that I will obtain some engaging experiences that will improve my social skills and further develop my empathy toward others' cultures.

Ultimately, I believe Global Korea Scholarship(GKS) Exchange Program is a door to discover the cultural and linguistic wisdom of Korean civilization. It is an opportunity to gain more profound understandings of our diverse natures as humans. Through learning others' language and cultures directly, we are able to understand what makes us unique and what makes us human.

Andi , you should work on developing a more relevant response to the essay prompt. Your goal of study is too simple. It does not make the reviewer believe that studying in Korea will help you advance your cultural studies in English Linguistics and Literature while you are a student in the country. It will be best if you outline your responses before you actually write the draft statement. In the outline, I want you to consider the following for each prompt:

Reasons / Purpose of application:
1. Why did you decide to study in Korea when you are already enrolled in a decent university in your country?
2. Why did you choose Korea instead of an English speaking country to study in when you are studying English Linguistics and Literature?
3. What makes you believe that studying this degree in Korea will be more beneficial than studying in your own country or an English speaking country?

Goal of Study:
1. What is the motivation behind your desire to study this course in Korea?
2. Discuss the kind of training program under this major that you will undergo in Korea which makes it stand out as an academic strength for your studies.

3. What is your objective for studying in Korea?
4. What kind of thesis project do you hope to work on towards the end of your studies? Present a temporary thesis statement that you might work on and explain how you plan to research and develop that statement when it comes time to do so.

5. Explain how this research will benefit you or your country upon your return to your home country.

Your current goals relate too much to an interest in Korea as a non-English speaking country. Yet your course focuses on the English language. So there is a disconnection between the two. You need to reconcile the fact that Korea does not speak English as a native language. So there doesn't seem to be any sense in your choice of course and desire to study in Korea. You need to create a connection between the two within your study plan in order to convince the reviewer that you will benefit from studying English related courses in a non-English speaking country.

Your essay is overall good. However, I think your reasons for applying GKS is little inconsistent. In the first paragraph, you talked about the reason why you chose to English Linguistics and Literature. But I think your passion toward language doesn't explain your interest toward culture. Studying language and studying culture are different. That's why there are Korean Study or American Study besides East Asian Linguistics and Literature, for example.

The latter part of your essay is good! Good Luck!