Hi! I'm Kristine, a rising junior at Columbia University studying Neuroscience & Behavior on the pre-med track. I'm originally from Seoul, South Korea, and I love helping prospective students get an honest picture of life at Columbia. Outside of class, I'm involved in research, healthcare volunteering, student organizations, and Columbia Pops, where I serve as a Chamber Program Director. Whether you have questions about academics, dorm life, making friends, or preparing for medical school, I'd be happy to share my experience!

Hometown

Seoul, South Korea

Major(s)

Neuroscience & Behavior

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Columbia Pops (Chamber Program Director), Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (Ambassador), Columbia Medical Review (Lay Editor), Brain Exercise Initiative (Volunteer), Columbia Synapse (Volunteer)

Describe your college experience

Transitioning from high school in Seoul to Columbia was both exciting and challenging. One of the biggest adjustments was learning how to balance a rigorous academic workload with extracurricular involvement and life in New York City. What has surprised me most, though, is the people I've met here. Through classes, clubs, volunteering, and living in the dorms, I've met some of the most interesting, ambitious, and genuinely kind people from all over the world. Being surrounded by students with such different backgrounds and passions has broadened my perspective and made everyday conversations incredibly rewarding. I've also been able to explore my interests in medicine, neuroscience, service, and music through research and student organizations. Columbia can be demanding, but the opportunities and people I've found here have made it an amazing experience.

Tip for future students

Don't feel pressured to have everything figured out when you arrive. Many students change their academic interests, career goals, and extracurricular commitments during their first year. Take advantage of office hours, explore different clubs, and say yes to opportunities that genuinely interest you. Also, don't compare yourself to everyone around you. Columbia is full of incredibly talented people, but everyone is figuring things out as they go.

Favorite class

University Writing was probably my favorite class at Columbia. It is one of Columbia's Core Curriculum courses and is required for all students in Columbia College and SEAS. The class focuses on developing academic writing through close reading, analysis, and argumentative essays. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I genuinely enjoyed spending so much time thinking through arguments and refining them. I came into college with a fairly strong writing background, but the course challenged me to spend an entire semester developing four substantial essays on topics I found genuinely interesting in medical humanities. I enjoyed digging into complex questions, finding connections between different authors, and revising my work until the argument felt as strong and precise as possible. It was one of the few classes where I looked forward to the assignments because I found the intellectual challenge genuinely rewarding.

Career goals

My goal is to attend medical school and become a surgeon. I've always been fascinated by how the human body works and by the ability of surgery to directly improve a patient's quality of life. In the meantime, I'm exploring medicine through research, clinical volunteering, and community service to better understand the many ways physicians can make a difference.

Ideal way to spend a free night

My ideal free night is jamming with friends (I play the drums), grabbing frozen yogurt, and taking a walk in the Upper West Side. When the weather is nice, I love hanging out on the lawns or sitting on Low Steps with friends. It's a great way to relax, catch up with people, and enjoy the city.

High school or secondary school

Seoul Foreign High School (Seoul, South Korea)