Just like me, two friends of mine from the Business Economic program are currently doing a semester abroad. I thought it would be nice for you to hear not only about my experience so far, but also someone else’s. In this blogpost I’ll share with you an interview with Andrine, in where she tells us a bit about her time so far in Seoul, South Korea. Andrine arrived in Seoul at the beginning of August and will stay there until the end of December.
Why did you choose South Korea for your semester abroad?
"After I finished high school, I traveled through some countries in South-East-Asia. However, South Korea was not one of them. Also, I wanted to do my semester abroad outside of Europe and the faculty of Business and Economics has a partnership with EWHA Womans University in Seoul."
What do you think of Seoul and the South Korean culture so far?
"Seoul is just a huge city. I grew up in a village and Halle is tiny in comparison to Seoul. I love that you can explore so much here and never run out of things to do. The culture is quite different than in Germany. South Korea is so safe. You can leave your computer and valuables in a café for hours and nobody will steal anything. Also, you can find cameras everywhere and there is a lot of security in public spaces. You never feel unsafe."
Are you currently learning Korean? How do you deal with the language barrier?
"I decided against learning Korean because I have to take 6 classes for my scholarship. Learning Korean takes a lot of time and effort, that I could not muster. I can read the alphabet (hangul) and speak some basic phrases and words, but I can not hold a conversation. A language barrier exists, and a lot of Koreans understand a little English, but they don’t speak it. However, you can always find your way around with gestures and translation apps haha."
Which classes are you taking at the moment? What would you say is the biggest difference between studying in Germany and studying in South Korea?
"I take two classes, where I am working with R (Social Problem Solving, Financial Econometrics), a Data Science class, a Business Project Planning class, and two other Business classes. I find that University in Korea is quite different. Watching the recorded videos, as well as being present in online classes, counts toward your final grade. Also, you have mid-terms (exams in the middle of the semester to test what you’ve already learned) and homework. You need to work continuously, while in Germany it sometimes is enough to just study at the end of the semester and then write the exam."
How did you meet new people and make new friends? Is there some time of association (like ESN) in South Korea that organizes events and helps international students meet each other?
"You could apply for a buddy program, where a Korean student helps you get settled into life in Korea and answers all your questions. Also, I live in the dorm and there it was really easy to meet new people. Internationals kind of stick together and because of Covid, I couldn’t meet classmates in person."
What do you like to do in your free time in South Korea?
"I love trying out all the cafes in Seoul. Coffee culture is a thing here and you mostly study in Cafes. I love hiking, so I often do that. Even though Seoul is a metropolis, it only takes 45 minutes and you are in a huge National Park. I also traveled to different cities in South Korea and was a tourist there: checking out the temples, the best restaurants, and of course, the food markets."
What do you like the most about living in South Korea and what do you miss the most from living in Germany?
"I love that there are so many cafes and that you can sit in one for ages to study, read, journal or just talk with friends. What I miss from Germany is mostly bread (haha typical german thing to say) and cooking. In the dorms, we do have a kitchen, but the possibilities are limited. Also, it’s just really common in South Korea to always go to restaurants to eat."
Why would you recommend other students to do a semester abroad in South Korea?
"It is a stunning country and I love all the experiences I am making here. I can definitely recommend doing a semester in South Korea since not only EWHA Womans University has a lot to offer, but Seoul and South Korea as well."
I hope you enjoyed reading about Andrine’s time in South Korea until now and maybe she inspired you to make use of the great partnership that the Uni Halle and the EWHA Womans University in Seoul have and apply for a semester abroad in Seoul. I’m sure you won’t regret it! If you want to know more about how she was able to do a semester abroad in South Korea, check out her last blogpost.