Living in South Korea has been a once in a lifetime experience for me. I have got the experience a completely different world than what I had been used to before. I’ll share a glimpse into my studies and city life. If you are interested in studying in Asia or especially in Korea, it should be a good read!
1. Studies
My university in Seoul was Konkuk University. It was a prestigious private univesrity and you could immediately feel it once you stepped in the campus area. The school ecosystem is completely different compared to Finland. If you wanted to, you could probably just live in the school area, it has numerous restaurants, convenience stores, sports facilities and cafes. The actual studies are more academic than in Finland. The lectures are mostly professor curated, with some personal and group tasks here and there. I also had to actually study for exams for the first time in a while, which was a nice change of pace I guess. Picture of the campus area at night.
2. Spare time in Seoul
This is were the fun starts some would say. I’ll put it as bluntly as possible, you will never ever run out of stuff to do and see in Seoul. In my 4 and a half months in there, I went out pretty much daily and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. Cultural attractions, megastores, historical temples, venues, festivals, games, the city has almost anything you can think of. My personal favorite was taking the metro to a stop I hadn’t previously visited and just wander around and see whats out there.
3. Comparing study and work culture
If you thought that study and work cultures in Finland are demanding and competetive, you haven’t seen anything yet. Children as young as middle schoolers are taught that your grades are your future and there is really heavy academic preassure on you for all of your student life. And if you do good in school and secure a good job, the work life will not take it easy on you. 15 hour days are extremely common and people often do not really have a life outside of their work. The financial inequalities in the country are quite severe. Older people often do not get to properly retire, even after working for 40-50 years.
Conclusion
Seoul and South Korea as a whole was a really nice and eye-opening experience. I have really enjoyed my time here and will make the most of it. I definitely have not ruled out living here again in the future. I can definitely recommend anyone even slightly interested to apply and go abroad in Korea. The academic and cultural experience is definitely worth it.
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