미국 유학생활을 돌아보며
두 번째 이야기
유독 더위에 약하다. 덥거나 습하면 기분도 다운되고, 몸도 무겁고 우중충한 잿빛 하늘은 나를 우울하게 만든다. 이런 날씨에 미국 생각을 더 많이 하게 되는 것 같다. 미국에서 학교를 다니던 때에는 하늘을 보는 것을 정말 좋아했다. 글에도 간단하게 적어놓긴 했는데, 대학 다닐 때에는 친구와 밤에 아파트 옆 잔디에 누워서 하늘에 별을 본 적도 있었다는... 한국에 사는 지금은 상상할 수 없는 일이지만 그 땐 정말 할게 없기도 했고 ㅎㅎㅎ 하늘이 정말 아름답고 예뻤다. 어쩐지 조금 그립네....
영어 한마디 못하던 내가 미국 고등학교, 그것도 보수적인 타운의 공립고등학교에서 적응하고 대학을 졸업하기까지의 좌충우돌, 파란만장 에세이를 공유한다. (아래 쓴 에세이는 에세이에 언급된 Mrs.Garvey에게도 공유를 했고, 장문의 메일을 받았다는 후문...)
The first few months of high school were full of confusion. My high school had almost 400 students in each grade. The school was huge and I needed to move around classrooms for each subject unlike school in Korea. I only had a five-minute break between classes, so I was always in a hurry. Also, classes were chaos. I had a hard time understanding the teachers. However, there were many people who tried to help me, especially Mrs. Garvey. Mrs.Garvey was my ESL(English as a second language) teacher. I could not have made it to graduation without her. She helped me with all things related to my school life. She did everything she could for me. Mrs. Garvey even recommended a journalism class during my senior year so that I could get a chance to write for the school newspaper. Several teachers besides Mrs. Garvey were always willing to help me out too, they spent time helping me to catch up in my classes. Even though there were a lot of people who helped me, school was stressful. There were a lot of discussions, team projects, and presentations. I tried to do my best to get everything done but I knew that I could not do my share on the team projects, and that made me feel so bad. School was tough, but there were some good memories too. I was a member of the marching band during the football season, and after the season was over- I was a concert band member. I went to band camp during the summer to prepare for the upcoming football season, and during the school year we had an additional practice every Wednesday night on top of the regular band class during the day. Band was a good experience, but a lot of work. It paid off though and for the first time I felt like I belonged in an American high school. Every Friday night we marched on the field no matter the weather. We also had a chance to participate in the Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots NFL halftime show. Band remains one of the good memories that I had during my time in the U.S.
College life was much easier to adjust to than high school. My English had improved, and I got used to living by myself; away from family. Also, my college had a lot of Korean students who were studying abroad, so I got to know many Korean friends who could share their experience with difficulties and loneliness in a foreign country. However, classes and studying became another matter. I almost failed my first semester and that was a shock! After the first semester I realized if I studied the same way as I did in high school, I would flunk out of college. There was a ton of reading and writing homework with quizzes every week and tests every month. People in Korea think studying in the U.S. is a lot easier than in Korea, but it was not easy. I read textbooks and tried to understand the material, not just memorize it. Also, I started to develop my own thinking and writing style. Fortunately, my grades got better after the first semester of college and I graduated just on time. Besides studying, college was full of interesting and wonderful memories. Our campus was beautiful. I used to walk around campus with my friends enjoying the weather. Also, I liked to lie in the grass with my roommate and look up at the sky. It is impossible to imagine now, but back then I had such a free and relaxed mind. To this day I often think about the weather, the sky, and the environment of my college town. During my college years I did not get out of Indiana much. I had a lot of time to take trips, but I took only a couple trips to New York and Chicago. I was already spending too much money on my tuition and living expenses that I couldn’t afford to travel. I regret that now. I regret not experiencing diverse places when I had the chance.
To be continued... (다음 편이 마지막)
