New Mexico Military Institute

Yu Hyeon Kim, a senior of US military school

We met Yu Heon Kim, who took an unusual path from an exchange student program at a public school, a private school to now a military school. After going through different schools, Yu Hyeon is attending New Mexico Military Institute with a hope of becoming an architect. We asked him about the meaning of studying in US to him.

Q. Hello, please tell us about yourself.

I’m Yu Hyeon Kim, a senior at New Mexico Military Institute. I started studying abroad because I wanted to have a broader perspective of the world in a global environment. Right now, I came back to Korea because of the novel coronavirus, but I am working hard for daily routine physical exercise.

Q. What was the difference between public school exchange student program and a private school? How was the private school you attended for a year?

Public school exchange student program is a program to experience the language and culture of US, to put it simply. You can only participate in the program for one year, but you can extend your study every year at a private school. After completing the public school exchange student program, I came back to Korea and went to a private school in Michigan through an agent other than Connected. It was a religious private school where classes started at 7:30 in the morning. But when I got there, it was a remotely-located school with few students, and the school atmosphere was very different from what I had thought. I decided to transfer to other school because the reality of the school was very different from the information provided through the study abroad agency.

Q. Why did you choose a military school over any other private school?

I applied to the school because I wanted to be more objective to myself, to develop leadership skill. When I learned that there is also a shooting training class, I wanted to try the military experience in advance. New Mexico Military Institute has very strict guidelines. If you are strict to yourself and diligent, you can get along well at the school. However, if you don't like strict guideline or outdoor activities, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. For example, students must live in a dormitory, and you have to wake up at 6 am every day. If you wake up later than 6:30, you will be penalized.

Q. Tell us the difference between New Mexico Military Institute and a private school.

There are many things that differentiate the military school from a private school. First of all, the tuition is low and the quality of classes is good. And you get to meet and be friends with different students because it is a boarding school and you spend lots of time in school. I like sports, and more club activities and sports teams than any private schools was attractive to me. It is also unique that the students are ranked like the military since it is a military school. You have to go through a boot camp for 6 months after enrollment. If you don't follow the training well, the period for boot camp extends. You can be eligible for early promotion if your leadership skill is recognized. On the other hand, you may be demoted if you fail to fulfill the responsibilities appropriate for your class. I was promoted early from training to sergeant, and I also got a scholarship. To be promoted, you need to study well, and various abilities including training junior members and attendance check are comprehensively considered.

Q. What did you like about working with Connected for studying abroad?

Before working with Connected, I first went on to study abroad through another study abroad agent. I was not happy because the difference between the information I heard at the previous agent and the reality I experienced in person. I moved to New Mexico Military Institute through Connected, and I received good results with a lot of help throughout the process. I was unfamiliar with the school because military schools are different from private schools. But I was able to trust them and choose the school because Connected had informed me that the school offers dorm, low tuition, and I would be able to develop myself through the regular training in detail. I was confident with Connected because it thoroughly managed students compared to previous study abroad agent I expected.

Q. What is your career plan after the graduation?

I like art, so I want to major in architectural design. And I want to continue college in US. Now, I am attending a military school, but that doesn’t mean that every student becomes a soldier after graduation. There are friends like myself who dream of completely different career path. You can always study for your major, but I think the rules and virtues learned in military schools are special things that you cannot learn in any private school.