Freshman Tips from a Senior!

Hello! I’m currently a student at a university in Korea. Recently, many new freshmen have joined, so I wanted to share this post in case it helps those who might be having similar concerns! 1. Course Registration Course registration can be really stressful 😭 Depending on the university, some schools assign your first-semester courses through the international office, but in many cases, you have to register on your own. I used Notion to organize the classes I wanted to take in advance. For each course, I set a first and second choice, so if I didn’t get my first option, I could immediately switch to my second. Since there are required courses you must take in order to graduate, it’s really important to plan ahead and stay organized! The number of credits required may vary by department, but you’ll usually receive guidelines from the international office when you enroll, so make sure to check those. 2. Making Friends Before entering university, I was really worried because I didn’t have any friends 😢 However, most universities offer things like buddy programs that connect you with Korean students, student councils and exchange programs, and clubs for international students. There are also many related accounts on Instagram, so I highly recommend looking them up in advance and getting involved! 3. Keeping Up with Classes Even though I had TOPIK level 6 when I entered, I still felt quite nervous at first. However, depending on your major, there are quite a few classes taught in English. So I balanced my schedule by taking both Korean and English classes. If you manage this balance well, it can really help you maintain good grades! Good luck to all freshmen 💪✨ (edited)