While exploring Seoul for the last two weeks, I got to see cultural sites, visit companies, climb mountains, and try new foods. In the process, I learned a lot and developed as a person, a student, and a future engineering professional.
One of the big lessons I learned in Korea is respect. Everyone is respectful in Korea, and this is something I too want to strive towards. Whether being polite on the subway or bowing when saying thank you, people put forth actual effort to show consideration for others. It’s engrained into their culture, especially regarding respect for elders. Infact, when eating, it is proper to wait for the eldest person at the table to start eating before the rest follow suit. Though I already treat others with respect, the emphasis of it in Korea was an encouraging reminder that life is better when people treat each other well. I will keep this especially in mind as I work with peers on group projects or anytime I interact with other people.
The next lesson I learned was more indirect and was a familiar lesson I have associated with hiking. On the early Sunday morning when we went to the Bukhansan National Park, I dragged myself out of bed and was eager to start hiking. When we got off the bus, it became evident that the entire trail was up, and it only got steeper as we went. The first lesson I learned was to enjoy the journey, even if it is difficult. Sure, we were sweating and feeling the burn, but we were in nature on a beautiful day, passing streams and even Buddhist temples on the way. As we got closer to the summit, we passed the timberline, and we could see the top. The rest of the climb was on steep rocks using rails drilled into the mountain to assist climbers. It was difficult and required us to pull ourselves to the peak, but the views were astonishing as we ascended. When we reached the top, we could see for miles in every direction, as we were at the highest peak in the national park. I have done lots of hiking, and this was one of the best trails I’ve done. This is when I was reminded that hard work will pay off. The journey up was strenuous, but the view was worth the walk tenfold. When I come across tough weeks during my next semester or later on at Pitt, I’ll remember that regardless of how tough it seems, it will be worth it when it’s over. Even beyond college, this truth will be evident in work and life, and it will help me get through the difficult times ahead.
The last lesson was more engineering specific and was built off the theme of the trip: Smart systems can help make life better. We saw smart systems everywhere in Seoul, especially at the company visits. At Hyundai’s car factory, we saw robotic arms assembling components, autonomous forklifts transporting materials, and computer systems that organized parts by car model. It was incredibly efficient and really made me excited about the degree I was pursuing. Especially because my Engineering 711 class had some robotic aspects to it, it was inspiring to see robotic applications in person. Even everyday aspects of Seoul used smart systems, like escalators that turned off to save energy during slow times of the day. When visiting Samsung’s Innovation Museum, they presented some of the cutting-edge technology they developed. For example, a fridge that keeps track of what food is inside, logs expiration dates, suggests recipes based on current ingredients, and can create grocery lists. Another example was an all-in-one washing/drying machine that dispenses the proper amount of detergent based on the amount of clothes added. Seeing how smart systems are being implemented into our daily lives was encouraging and showed how bright the future is. At the end of the day, I learned that smart systems are everywhere and that technology can increase the quality of life for people. Moreso than a lesson, this reminded me why I wanted to be an engineer and gave me more motivation to create a better world for people to live in.
