10 Helpful Tips 📝
From my own personal experience studying abroad in Korea this semester, I created a list of important information and tips in hopes of helping other students of what to expect and how to prepare.
Tip #1:
Research on culture – I’ve experienced a lot of culture shock here and there as adapting to a new environment can be challenging. For example, there are no trash cans on the streets, you are expected to just carry and throw away your own trash at home. Another thing I wasn’t prepared for was dressing appropriately during the summer season. As it is getting hotter, I realized no one wears shorts. Everyone will either wear long flowy skirts, or long pants still. As I live in a residential area, people dress more casually and conservatively, but, if I were to go to a university street, people will dress differently such as more of a trendy look. Overall, researching about the area and environment will also come in handy for knowing what to pack and how to dress.
Tip #2:
Phone plan/Sim Card – Especially if you are living abroad for a few months, I found that getting a Korean phone number was essential. I found a monthly plan/sim card that provides me with local LTE data and a new phone number. Although I can’t text internationally with this number, there are other apps that are free to use as another source of communication. Having a Korean phone number was easier to communicate with other students as well as the University and I also used it to make reservations and appointments as most places require a South Korean phone number.
Tip #3:
Exchanging money and international cards/banks - I haven’t had any trouble with exchanging money yet because I brought up with me a lot of won, but I recommend doing all the currency exchanges in your home country for the best exchange rate. I only use won to refill my transportation cards. It’s crucial to make sure you have a credit card with you that will work internationally and with no fees would be the best. I have the Hawaiian miles credit card and it works well in Korea with no fees. If you need cash (won), there are certain ATM machines you can put your credit card in and take out from there but there are processing fees. If you are also staying abroad for a long time, you can consider setting up a local bank. I personally opted out because I prepared myself with enough won to last me during my time here and my credit card. But a local bank can be helpful if you are interested in delivery services and online shopping as that is a requirement to use those services.
Tip #4:
Tip #5:
Tip #6:
Housing Tips - Korea is known for having small, yet affordable living accommodations. I would recommend finding housing as soon as possible as I heard some people had trouble with finding housing to fit their basic needs. The best housing options in my opinion are the dorms, goshiwons (off-campus dorms), or a shared Airbnb. I would also recommend living near a subway line or bus stop so you can use the transportation services more efficiently. I live in a Goshiwon right across my university campus and a five-minute walk from the subway station which I find convenient to get around easily. The most important things to remember when looking for housing is the location, cost, and amenities the place offers.
Tips on How to Pack - Knowing how to pack for five months can be overwhelming and stressful but I would recommend not to overpack. During your time here, you will most likely end up buying new clothes. I would pack light and depend on the seasons. For example, during the Winter season, I packed minimal jackets and pants so they wouldn’t take up that much room in my suitcase. I also knew I wanted to buy spring/summer clothes here, so I didn’t bring as many tops, so I had room to purchase new ones. Also, you don’t need to worry so much about packing a lot of toiletries and necessities because there will be stores that will sell them. For example, I went to Daiso to get all my necessities.
Applying for an ARC – Applying for an Alien Registration Card involves a lot of paperwork and appointments fill up fast but, I recommend you book an appointment online and as soon as possible because with all the exchange students coming in around the same time, it gets hectic. This is crucial as you need an ARC within your first 90 days of staying in the country. I would recommend you aim to get an appointment within the first two weeks of your arrival, so you can get it out of the way! It also takes 2-3 weeks to process and as it gets busier the processing time gets longer.
Tip #7:
Prepare a bucket list in advance – As I thought I had enough time to do everything I wanted; it turns out that five months goes by in a blink of an eye. I sometimes found myself being stuck with nothing really to do besides going to new cafes because it was the quickest option for me that day. Preparing yourself with a list of activities will be helpful and save you a lot of time.
Tip #8:
Transportation system – Korea has one of the best and most efficient transportation systems and everyone uses it to get around the city. They offer the bus and underground subways and it’s also affordable and clean. It gets you from one place to another fast and saves me a lot of time getting around to further cities. It’s also easy to use once you get the hang of going in and out of the trains quickly and switching lines. Other than that,
another thing I like about Korea is that you can walk to many places nearby. I often find myself walking a lot to nearby stores and restaurants for convenience.
Tip #9:
Safety – I find South Korea to be one of the safest countries as it’s safe to walk around during the day and at night by yourself. But it’s always important to be cautious of your surroundings still. I also like how I can leave my belongings at any place, and no one will touch it. For example, when I go to cafes to study, I like to leave my bags there to save a spot. I can just leave it there and come back without worrying someone will steal my things. Overall, the environment feels a lot safer but if you’re out late at night, I would still recommend going home or walking in a group of people.
Tip #10:
Places to Go – South Korea has many different big cities besides Seoul. I would recommend going on weekend trips outside of Seoul though to places such as Busan, Jeju Island, Dajeon, Paju, and more. It only takes a few hours on the KTX train or an hour or less by plane and it’s affordable for a roundtrip. I wish I had time and planned more accordingly to go on those weekend trips outside of Seoul because I realized if I ever came back to Korea, I would most likely only stay in Seoul and wouldn’t have the time to go to the further cities. There is so much more to explore outside of Seoul so I definitely would suggest going out of the city even if it’s for a day or the weekend.