My studies at Konkuk University have proven to be on par with what I’ve heard from others for years: the course loads can be similar, but the exam weeks are rather brutal. Korean students have to focus extremely hard on the exams, and during the weeks before and during the midterms, you can see people studying everywhere: in restaurants, in cafes, on the subway, and in buses. You can spot a few people with their books, notebooks, and laptops. It’s a huge contrast from all my previous years of studying.
Apart from these very stressful weeks, you can easily find gatherings and activities around campus, and this year I got to experience the fall festival, which was held right before the weather shifted from scorching hot to freezing cold.
In my free time, I try to engage with friends and locals. Elder people are usually very sweet and talkative (even if you don’t understand a word of what they are saying). It’s easy to find things to do anytime if you’re okay to do things alone; otherwise, it can get pretty lonely sometimes.
Last weekend, I finally did what I most anticipated doing here: see one of my favorite artists performing in his home country. The concert was beautiful, but since it’s a local show, obviously, there was no interpreter this time(usually provided in their concerts abroad), and this made me sad for not having enough time to learn Korean more intensively.
Closing song from runseokjin_ep.tour encore in Incheon.
I look forward to completing my degree in December and enjoying a bit more of the country without the academic pressure.
See you back in Finland.
Maybe.
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