Halfway through the semester already? Why does the Spring semester always seem to go faster? I can confirm that this semester definitely feels and probably is a lot busier than last. There are of course a number of things that have contributed to this though. Some good, some I would not necessarily consider good to be the right word.
One thing that has contributed to this busier feeling is my extra course load. It’s manageable but I guess what I’m feeling is that one extra midterm that I had to prep for as well as a week’s worth of content I had to catch up on because I caught COVID…do not recommend…
A good thing contributing to my busyness is playing pretty much every week. Work-life balance right? I’ve made an effort this semester to try to do something every weekend. Whether it be a weekend trip out of Seoul, a one-day excursion within Seoul or even just having a meal with friends or going to a cafe (even if to study), I like having something to look forward to every week.
Let’s talk about midterms. There is a ‘midterm week’ that they will all be centred around but the actual dates for each course are, of course, up to each professor’s discretion. I spent a good two to three weeks living in cafes, both familiar ones and newly discovered ones. One will never be able to explore all the cafes in Seoul, ever. I have found that I tend to study better outside my room, whether that be in a cafe or at one of the uni libraries but I did tend to frequent the first option more. I would get a drink (my go-to is a matcha latte), maybe a cake or something too, and stay there for hours or (if I forgot to bring my charger) until my laptop died. Sometimes, I would leave my stuff, go grab some food, come back and continue working.
Vacays. If you followed my Insta story takeover week, you’ll know that I went down to Jeonju for a couple of days. If you ever come to Korea, I recommend Jeonju. We went during cherry blossom season so there were blossoms everywhere, sometimes even in some unexpected places. Sometimes there will even be one lone tree on the side of the road but it still makes for an aesthetic view. I would also recommend staying in a Hanok in the Hanok village. It’s a great way to experience the culture and it’s also like having a sleepover again! If you watched the drama “Twenty-Five Twenty-One”, some of the filming locations are here too.
Sometimes, Korea is so random. Korea uni campus had a few celebrity visits by idols or media personalities either filming variety content or for a promotional event. Most recently a member of Super Junior came by to promote a chicken brand. Free chicken! That was probably one of the most random moments during my time in Korea so far. My friends and I wouldn’t even have known about it had it not been for another friend telling us. It was a small event held outside the business building. I feel like most people either knew about it through friends or because they found it walking past. We weren’t even sure if the celebrity was actually going to make an appearance.
Not long left in Korea now. My timetable is packed, my schedule is full and I will definitely be making the most of my remaining time here.