42 42 Expat Living
Trust the Process
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
March 2022
COMMUNITY
By Yousra Feriel Drioua
H
ave you ever thought it was too late? That you have become too old to do something different for yourself? Or that your pace has declined compared to the outer world’s, and so trying anything new would be too risky? Well, if you have experienced this type of emotion, here is a familiar story that just might be the kick to get you off your seat or, at the least, be of some comfort.
ever applying, and I could not tell my head from my toes! Therefore, I was rejected. In 2020, I was so eager to apply again that I missed the deadline. After managing to not tear my hair out, I decided to give South Korea one last shot in 2021. I already had my college degree, so the only risk I was betting on was honestly time.
My name is Yousra Feriel Drioua, and I am choosing to redraw my path at 22 years old. I arrived in Korea last August and am currently enrolled at Chonnam National University as a Korean language scholar under the KGSP-G scholarship program (Korean Government Scholarship Program: Graduate). Before enrolling, I had spent the previous five years of my life studying science. To be fair, it was something I sincerely enjoyed. But, here is the thing: I enjoyed only studying science. It was not until I got a bachelor’s degree in biology and signed up for a master’s in toxicology that a realization hit me. While interning in a lab and watching the people around me, I discovered that this was not what I wished to do in the future. I could not fathom another place that could dull down my spirit and chip away at my happiness for the rest of my life more than that lab. I had already let go of a dream at the age of 13 due to lack of support and financial issues (which my current self considers as excuses). The latter experience is why I crave no more regrets in my life as I go on. So, when applying for this scholarship, I chose the highest risk possible by using the one opportunity I had in front of me. The application period for the graduate scholarship usually starts in February. I remember that moment vividly. I sat down in front of my computer and asked myself, “What is the major that fits me best – the one that will still have my heart beating no matter how long I do it?” I sincerely believed that I would rather get rejected again trying to pursue a different path than be accepted into a major that would continue to suck out my soul. I first applied to the GKS (Global Korea Scholarship) in 2019; it was my first time
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