My Exchange at Korea University
Ever since high school, I had dreamt of going to a university outside of New Zealand. While becoming an international student was one choice, I was not sure if 3-4 years of staying overseas without my family and friends from home was a lifestyle that would suit me. In my first year at the University of Auckland, through emails and career fairs, I learned about the 360 International Exchange programme, and immediately started making plans for it.
I debated a lot about the host country for my exchange programme, and I ended up choosing South Korea. There were multiple factors involved, such as safety, financial concerns, language barriers, and the time frame of the semester. My ethnicity as Korean also played a big role in this decision, as although I had visited Korea multiple times, I never felt truly connected to Korea. I arrived in Korea in late February when the Summer sun was blazing in New Zealand, however, it was snowing in Korea. Finding the dorms when I arrived at Korea University was challenging, and it was difficult to get help. (I highly recommend preordering a SIM card that can be collected at the airport a few days before your flight – having no internet was difficult!)
I was staying in the Korea University dorms (CJ International House to be more specific) for the accommodation. Overall the building itself was very nice, there were two kitchens per level, a toilet that was either shared by 3 or 5 people, and if there was a problem with the building (our shower drain was blocked at some point), the service was immediate if you report it to the security guards. There is a convenience store 3 minutes walk from the dorms and a laundry room on the bottom floor. One major disadvantage was the slope to reach the building, it’s approximately a 10-minute hike from the main road.
The exchange students at Korea University were automatically registered to the Korea University Buddy Assistance (KUBA) programme, which is a student-led club that organises events for exchange students to become more familiar with Korea, as well as build relationships with Korean students. The orientation for Exchange student were held at KUBA. The organisation was satisfactory, however one improvement that could be made was the university tour, as it was essentially walking around the Main Campus without any explanation of what building we were at. After the orientation, the exchange students did find difficulty finding their lecture rooms. However, the introduction to each team leader and the rules of the university, as well as the application to the Alien Registration, was well done.
Korea University has a guaranteed 15% space for exchange students in their English courses, and 5% for their Korean courses. As an engineering student, I found that I was normally the only exchange student applying for the courses, hence I managed to enrol in all the necessary papers at the Preferred Course listing stage. I had taken 4 courses in total, 3 of them being taught in English and one in Korean. The teaching style of Korea University was different in the aspect that lectures were normally not recorded, and attendance was important. The length of each lecture was also longer (1 hour and 15 minutes) which was an interesting change. Unlike UoA, where having multiple lecturers was the norm, the Korea University papers normally had one lecturer the entire semester, and you could see their passion while teaching.
I had a rather unique experience as an exchange student, as I took a course that involved a group project building a robot for the entire semester. My group was composed of both Korean students and international students, and as a Korean-New Zealander, it was an interesting experience being a bridge between the two groups of students. This was a rather intense course that consumed a lot of my time, hence I cannot say for sure my journey this semester will be similar to others.
Food was one of the best parts of studying in Korea, compared to New Zealand the quality of food relative to the price was very good. There were lots of options to eat, and there was always a big debate in choosing where to go for dinner. When eating alone, the convenience store also had a wide range of microwavable food which was also very cheap. The university also provided food from the cafeteria (the menu can be found on an app called 고파스) which was very affordable, ranging from 5000 to 6000KRW, and I went to the cafeteria when I didn’t want to choose what to eat.
The highlights of my exchange were to have a range of entertainment that was affordable and close by, I had never gone to so many different cafes, exhibitions, or concerts in my life before my exchange. I also made friends from other countries both within my dorms and in my courses. I also enjoyed bonding with people throughout my group project making the robot.
The challenges during my exchange were accidentally losing my card (I recommend having a backup card that is not carried around with you), the weather, and the difference in sleep schedule. Unlike New Zealand, the stores tend to open later and close at a much later time (e.g. open at 10 am and close at 9 pm). The weather changed very rapidly, and I was not prepared for this change.
For future exchange students, I recommend bringing or buying a lot of clothes according to each season, trying out many different restaurants and cafes, trying to make friends amongst Korean students, and most importantly, not doing a group project.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Being able to make new friends from different countries – I was exposed to a very diverse range of students from UK, US, Germany, Netherlands, Germany and Italy. For the Korean students, I had seen some students that was the most hardworking people in my life.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I would recommend visiting Korean Palaces in Korea, wearing traditional Korean clothes (Hanbok) and taking photos.
For Korea University, I highly recommend going to the festival and Ipsenenti, where you get to see celebrities very close by!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Download Naver map/Kakao map. This also shows the location of the university buildings. Google map is essentially useless in Korea
- Travel to different places! The public transport is very good (the taxi is also very cheap compared to New Zealand – download Kakao Taxi) and visiting places like Hongdae, Itaewon is a refreshing change outside of your studies
- Read the course description, prepare backup courses, and avoid group projects if you can!!!
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
My budget was $15,000 NZD for the 4 months in Korea, and I generally spent $500-$600 per week, so the budget was enough. However, I did not spend a lot outside of food, therefore if you are keen for travelling or shopping, this budget might not be suitable.
During my exchange, I applied for student allowance (you can get student allowance while studying overseas!) and did tutoring online, which saved me from struggling financially. However, for other students, I recommend just applying for student allowance and not to take an extra job.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My most significant takeaways from my experience abroad was that where I am doesn’t change who I am. I had always wondered if my environment formed a lot of my aspect and who I am, and although being in a different country did change some parts of myself, the core remained the same. I liked getting academically challenged, I liked bringing people together for a common goal, and I always enjoyed smaller things such as a cute dessert at a small cafe.