Going to study in South Korea for one semester was one of the most exciting and daunting things I have done in my university life. It was a great experience to adapt to a new culture and meet exchange students from all over the world. It helped me get out of my comfort zone to seek something that interests me and will help me develop my professional career through all the transferable skills I have gathered. The courses at Inha University were well-structured, and the English-taught courses offered there were just as diverse as the Korean courses. Even though the academic environment was quite different from Westminster, it was manageable. There were weekly assignments and submissions so I always had to stay organized and manage my time carefully. I took seven modules which rounded up to 19 credits and was equivalent to 60 UK credits. I took some interesting courses as part of exchanges, which included narrative and digital media, financial literacy, human resources, digital marketing, golf, etc. When choosing courses among the English-taught courses, there were a lot of options to choose from which was good.
I stayed in the university accommodation which was a bit cheaper than staying outside the campus, but overall the cost of living in South Korea isn’t that high. For transportation, I had to buy a T-Money card from the convenience store which could be loaded to use for transportation for buses and subways. Seoul is quite close to Incheon (where the university is!) by subway, so I would go there to check out the restaurants and to shop for souvenirs. For travel outside of Incheon and Seoul, I had to book train tickets separately which the transportation card doesn’t cover. The food options were quite diverse and affordable as well. Behind the university gate, there was an area where there were a lot of restaurants and cafes. After the classes, I would go with my friends there to have dak galbi, tteokbokki, or Korean fried chicken for dinner and finish up with bingsu (a Korean traditional dessert)! Even though most of the things are cheap in Korea, I always kept a budget for my expenditures, which helped me stay organized with my finances. The language barrier felt a bit intimidating to me at first because I had to speak in a language I had never spoken before. However, since I already had a basic knowledge of Korean it was easier for me to navigate through my everyday task and adapt quickly. I also took a Korean language module as part of my course. The university had student unions dedicated just to the exchange students so the exchange students could always feel welcomed and socialize with other international exchange students. The student union also had planned trips, and events with the students to make everyone comfortable with South Korean traditions.
Before I went to Korea, I bought an e-sim beforehand which was helpful so I didn’t have to go through the hassle of finding a network shop in the airport and getting a physical sim. I also went to a lot of Korean festivals and I was surprised to see that some of them are free! During spring, the universities around Seoul and Incheon organize festivals which are free to visit if you are a student in Korea. I went to a lot of those festivals with my friends and enjoyed the live music and the vibrant culture. I also traveled quite a lot despite having classes 5 days a week.
During the weekends I planned group trips with my friends to places like Busan, and Jeju- which are some of the must-see places outside of Seoul. Studying my exchange semester in South Korea was a life-changing experience for me which was filled with challenges and learning points and also with unforgettable memories.