The past 5 and a half months have gone by so fast. I arrived here on the 1st of August and started my exchange experience with a mandatory quarantine. It was an interesting experience to be stuck inside a small dorm room for two weeks. After the quarantine I had around two weeks to explore my new city until the start of the semester. I am studying in Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul and my major is Business Administration. During the fall semester I had 5 courses; 3 of them were business and economics courses and then I also had a Basic Korean course and Contemporary Korean Society and Culture course. Most of my lectures during the fall semester were online, only couple of Basic Korean lectures where offline towards the end of the semester when the Covid restrictions eased for a moment.
The views of the city from the campus The campus during fall
The studies and study culture in Korea differs from Finnish study culture in many ways. I feel like in South Korea the competition between classmates exists which I feel like I have never really experienced in my own studies back home. Also the students have way more pressure to succeed in their studies because the society here appreciates a degree from a good university. The better the university, the better opportunities you get in life. I feel like Korean students study way more than Finnish students since an early age and have harder time to unwind. From my viewpoint the quality of teaching is good in both countries and I feel like that is something we have in common. In conclusion I feel like in both countries the quality of education is very good but in Korea students feel more pressure during their student life.
Shopping street in Hongdae Mountain views from the Naksan Park
Seoul has a lot of things to do and places to experience. There is still a lot of places I haven’t visited but I want to. One of my favorite things to do here is shopping, Seoul has a lot of shopping areas filled with different kinds of stores, so there’s something for everyone. Another thing that Seoul is famous for is its cafes, you can find a lot of cafes all around the city. The cafes are often themed, so just seeing the interior of a cafes can be a visually appealing experience itself, but the desserts are also great.
Merry Grin Cafe The Greem Cafe Happy Bear Day Cafe
Another great way to spend time in Seoul is to enjoy the culture and history of South Korea, I have done it by going to see a couple of palaces and visiting museums and art exhibitions. Seoul also has a lot of great parks you can visit if you want to see the nature, the landscapes, or the Han River. Han River Parks are a great places to spend time (especially during the summer) and enjoy the views of the river that flows across the Seoul.
Gyeonghuigung Palace Gyeongbokgung Palace
Yeouido Han River Park The Olympic Park
I have really enjoyed my time here in Korea and that’s why I decided to extend my exchange, so I will be studying here for the spring semester too. I am very happy with my choice to pick South Korea as my exchange destination. It’s a beautiful and safe country, the people have been helpful and nice (even though there is a bit of a language barrier) and I have met some amazing people and made some great memories.
I am very excited to see what spring in Korea looks like!
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