My Exchange in Korea

During my last autumn semester in school, I had the opportunity to study abroad in South Korea at Sejong University. This experience was truly transformative and allowed me to immerse myself in a new culture, language, and educational system. In this blog post, I’ll share my journey of studying abroad in Korea, the challenges I faced, the lessons I learned, and the memories I made along the way.

The best decision of my life

Howest University of Applied Sciences offers a wide range of exchange programs with partner universities around the world. When I learned about the opportunity to study abroad I wanted to participate right away. My first choice was to go to Univerity of Wisconsin Stout, but the three spots were filled with students of the IPO studies. They got privilige, because IPO was the studies that the university exchanged with first, and had its original ties with.

My second choice was Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea. When my international coordinator told me I could still study at this university, I was immediately intrigued. South Korea is a country known for its rich culture, advanced technology, and vibrant cities. I knew that studying abroad in Korea would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand my horizons, challenge myself, and experience a new way of life.

Before going to Korea, I had to follow some meetings, as Korea is still viewed as the global south, something I find weird, as Seoul is way more technologically advanced than Belgium is. In the end, I don’t mind having been there, as I met some of my now best friends in that meeting. Babette and Amarante were two girls that were also going to the same university as me, and we met there. We decided we’d update each other on everything we were doing in preparation, and we could fly together. This made the whole experience a lot less scary, as I was going to a country where I didn’t speak the language, and I didn’t know anyone.

Arriving in Seoul

The moment I landed in Seoul, I was greeted by a bustling cityscape, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality. The first night we had to stay in a hotel near the airport, as we were not allowed in our dorms yet. The following day we made the trip to our University, where we finally moved in to the room we would be staying in for the next 4 months. The room was small, but it had all the basics we needed. Each room was equipped with two bunk beds, four desks, a small fridge and a bathroom. The kitchen and laundry room was shared with all other 30 rooms on the floor.

Roommates

I met my roommates on my first day in the dorm. They were three guys from Spain, all three from Valencia. We were lucky, as we all were computer science majors, and we had a lot of classes in common. We quickly became friends, and created a great friend group with some other people. We would often go out together to explore the city, try new foods, and experience the local culture. They were a great support system and made my time in Korea even more memorable. We still have a lot of contact, and are talking about meeting up again in the future.

Studies in Seoul

Studying in a country like Korea was a unique experience that presented its fair share of challenges and opportunities. The biggest challenge was the language barrier. Some of my professors were Korean, and they also taught Korean students. Although the course was supposed to be in English, they still spoke a lot of Korean, because the Korean students aren’t that well versed in English. I sometimes had the feeling they gave more information in Korean than they did in English, but I still did well in class, so I didn’t mind that much.

I also took an evening class of Korean one, as I wanted to at least learn a little bit of the language. In the beginning it was a lot of fun, as we were learning how to pronounce every sign, and learning how to write them. The course got really hard, because our teacher didn’t speak any English, and she wanted to teach us grammar. I didn’t understand anything of what she was trying to teach me, so I decided to quit the course at that point. I wasn’t learning anything, and it was a course I did in my free time, not at all connected to my studies.

The amazing (but spicy) food

One of the highlights of studying in Korea was being able to enjoy their amazing food. I remember that I made a huge mistake for my first meal at the university, as I accidentally took the spiciest meal on the menu. Next to that meal, I don’t think there was anything I had tasted that I did not like. A few things I really liked were the Korean BBQ, the fried chicken, and the Bibimbap. Koreans are great at making fried chicken, I never tasted chicken like that before, and I don’t think I ever will again. I also really liked the street food, as it was really cheap, and really good. Their street food varies from fried foods, to ice cream, ending in fish cakes and custard filled treats. I loved trying all of them, and I think I did try most of them.

Korean BBQ is great, because you have your own little BBQ in your table, and you cook your meat yourself. You can choose from a lot of different meats, and you can also choose to have some vegetables with it. The Bibimbap is a rice dish, with a lot of vegetables, and a fried egg on top. You can choose to have it with meat, or without. I always had it with meat, as I love meat.

Saying goodbye

The hardest part of studying abroad in Korea, was saying goodbye when it was time to leave. I have made great friends in Korea, and I have made a lot of memories that I will cherish forever. I learned so much about myself, about the world, and about the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone. Studying abroad in Korea was a life-changing experience that I will never forget, and I am grateful for every moment of it.

I am grateful for the opportunity to study abroad in Korea, and I would encourage anyone who has the chance to do so to take it. It is an experience that will challenge you, inspire you, and change you in ways you never thought possible. Studying abroad in Korea was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I will always look back on my time there with fondness and gratitude.