Last week I completed my first week of classes at Korea University. It feels a little crazy to think classes have just begun for me, while my friends back at Pitt are in the thick of the semester. Academically Korea University and Pitt operate in a similar fashions, you select your classes prior to the semester beginning, add/drop period is during the first week of classes and then everyone just gets into their flow for the semester. 

But unlike Pitt, KU operates on a period block system, meaning classes are held in one hour and fifteen minute or 50 minute periods blocks, period 1 starting at 9am and period 10 ending at 9:50pm. That was an interesting adjustment to make since I haven’t been on a period block schedule since High School, but it’s very convenient when it comes to scheduling around your classes. Another major difference is that KU has two separate campuses within the same neighborhood, one being the S.T.E.M. academic faculties and the other being the Humanities, Law, and Business faculties.

Since I’m taking primarily business and language courses I rarely go to the science campus, unless I’m going to their cafeteria (the food is really delicious over there, hehe). Currently I’m taking Management Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Intermediate Korean 2, Intermediate Korean Speaking and Introduction to Korean History and Culture. All of my classes are lecture style, but only my history class is held in a large lecture hall, all my other classes are held in typical classrooms or small lecture halls (similar to the small lecture halls in Mervis Hall).

What’s interesting is how different academic and student culture is here compared to Pitt. For most in Korea academic culture is extremely rigorous and difficult from middle school to high school in preparation for the Korean equivalent of the SAT. But once people enter their dream universities, things tend to relax a bit. Unlike Pitt where your grade is composed of multiple factors that contribute to your grade, here the only things that contribute to your grade are midterm and final exams and projects. Some language courses might include other things, but for most classes that’s the standard. However there’s also a work hard play hard mentality here, people study hard throughout the week and once its the weekend people go out with their friends for dinner, go to karaoke bars, etc.

Going from one large university to another, most of the skills are almost entirely transferable. Having skills like time management, problem solving, flexibility, and curiosity. While being a student abroad I need to have the ability to balance both academics and exploring the new city I’m in, but I’ve been making do so far. One skill that’s also important for my success here is some level of Korean proficiency, though it’s not a requirement needed to attend KU (unless Korean or English isn’t your native language), knowing some level of Korean is useful. It makes the transition easier because you don’t feel like a fish completely out of water, plus it makes relationships with native students easier to make. 

While being abroad there are a lot of Clifton strengths that I can leverage to maximize my time here. Whether that be being more responsible, being a learner and contributing input, winning others over and being empathetic or being an activator. Though I feel being responsible, embracing new experiences, and gathering more knowledge about Korea and Korean culture was already an obligation for my time in Korea, it can be a bit difficult. Embracing a new culture whether in an academic setting or socially can be difficult, I’m trying my best to try new things. Joining new clubs, going out to dinners, talking to people in class, going to museums, etc are some of the few things I’ve been doing to get the most out of my experience here. By doing so it makes it easier for me to make friends and expand my network and build mutual understanding between me and other people I’ve interacted with. Of course I still have a couple of months worth of my time here left, to jump into new opportunities and improve my language skills.