South Korea

I took an unique opportunity to study for one semester in South Korea,

at Kangwon National University!

In Erasmus you do not have to deal with anything except accommodation and transport. However, for bilateral agreements, in many cases you have to think about visas, which take weeks to process and don't always go smoothly. What all is needed?

....or how to survive 60 hours on the road without an hour's sleep, what's included in a 5* airline deal and how not to get lost in Asia's biggest airport?

I have never lived in a better accommodation (school) complex! Lovely rooms (each with Wi-Fi in the room), plenty of storage space, nice facilities, modern 15 storey building with a canteen on the ground floor. Unfortunately not everything was as it seemed :D

This is where I experienced the most amazement, surprise and honest enthusiasm. The incredible area of the campus offers all the facilities besides the modern huge buildings. Huge libraries, study halls, a football stadium, a super-modern sports centre, rest areas, several dormitories, a park, ponds, countless cafeterias, fast food outlets and its own museum and much more!!! Here one can find really everything!

Generally Korean cuisine is very spicy, hence I was quite looking forward to it. But I didn't know what I was getting into yet.....

"Don't expect Korean students to treat you like we treat our Erasmians", I was told. Or just rely on yourself, make friends and keep in touch! Golden rules in Korea.

School - South Korea´s school system is believed to one of the best in the world. Well, I was a bit surprised and dissapointed

Visa

You do not need a visa to enter South Korea provided you intend to stay for a maximum of 90 days. This condition is supplemented by the fact that the purpose must be tourism or visiting family.

However, a visa is required for study purposes and it is a good idea to deal with this as soon as possible. In our case, the visa process was quite short. The issuance itself took about 10 days. However, the more time-consuming part is getting all the necessary documents to apply for a South Korean visa.

What all was needed?

1) A completed application,

2) passport + copies,

3) passport photo,

4) proof of booking a return flight,

5) original "Certificate of Admission".

6) fee - exact amount, cannot be changed! (over 90 days single entry v. 1,620 CZK/60 USD, multi entry not possible),

7) proof of study here in the Czech Republic, student must have completed at least one semester,

8) copy of "Certification for Business Registration" - provided by the Korean University,

9) in the case of an exchange student, a copy of the cooperation agreement between the two universities,

10) original letter of invitation,

11) bank statement certified by the bank - uncertified document or printscreen from e-banking cannot be used, the statement must not be older than 1 month - please refer to the document confirming admission to the Korean University (Certificate of Admission) - item 7 or 8 for the required amount. If the student is going to Korea for less than one year, a minimum of the sum of the amounts for "Tuition and fees" (point 7.a) + 600 USD for each month spent in Korea is required. Parents' bank statement can also be used, but then you must prove family relationship (copy of birth certificate).

12) Letter of recommendation from the home university with the signature and stamp of the rector

From my experience with the administration at the faculty/university, I started to deal with everything in advance to to avoid time "overruns" and to avoid a situation where something would accidentally drag on. Foreign Department office of the university delivered the necessary documents quickly, so I only had to wait for the documents from side of the foreign university, fill out the application and provide proof of the account balance. In the end, there was no need to provide either airline ticket. Btw, really buy the plane ticket in advance. We bought it about a week before departure (one way only) and it cost us 11,500 CZK. Visa application is done at the Korean embassy in Prague. Within ten days of filing, we got a call that it was the visa was ready and ready to be picked up. Our visa was granted for 6 months (awesome!).I was surprised that the visa was not only valid right from the date it was made, but that the time was counted from crossing the Korean border. In other words, the 6 months starts when we enter their territory andnot the date of issue.

Flight

Our ticket was a bit complicated. We flew from Prague to Beijing on February 24, where we were supposed to have a 15-hour layover and then continue to Seoul for two hours. We were to arrive directly at our destination (Chuncheon) on the afternoon of February 26. That was the plan. (Just for info, one-way ticket 11.500 CZThere was also an option to have a layover in Beijing of only 2h50m, but after advice from friends and reading reviews, we rejected this option and decided to stay in China for 15 hours. Well, when will I have the chance to visit China again? And it was worth it! I arranged a Layover-tour of the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City with a personal guide and a car. Cost $135. Find more about the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City here.

The flight from Prague was perfectly fine. On time takeoff and arrival. We flew on an Airbus A330. Beautiful equipment, food pit as much as your throat can handle, tablets with countless movies, music, games, GPS on the seat in front of you, remote control. Calling flight attendants, pillow, socks, toothbrush, blindfold, earplugs, blanket.

The plane is very quiet. However, the same could not be said of the Chinese passengers. I thought to myself, "Golden Czechs". The first hours passed quickly. But ten hours on a plane is ten hours. Since I can't sleep in any vehicle, I suffered for the last few hours. Time passed by monitoring the outside temperature, speed, current location, altitude, time at destination, which was displayed on the GPS. Really fancy!

Arrival on time. For the record, Beijing is the largest airport in Asia. That's why we circled the runways for a good 15 minutes.

Good to mention for others planning to travel to Asia that if you use Hainan airlines and the layover in Beijing will be 6 hours or more, you are entitled to request a hotel!!! Free of course. A taxi will take you there directly from the airport and will also take you back to the airport at the agreed time! Due to visiting the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City, we didn't use this cool service, but at other times it would be nice to take a nap in a quiet room and take a hot shower after a long flight.

Right after getting off the plane, we were all directed to immigration and security checks. There is no other way to describe it than horror, stress, long waiting. Hundreds of people, unpleasant staff, and the fear of not being granted a visa will most certainly guide me on my next possible transfer out of China. I had heard from a friend that it was a strength, but I didn't know exactly what to expect. It's not uncommon for them to dislike you, misunderstand your visa, or have a staff member in a bad mood and not let you in. Disinterest. I even saw one Arab family refused entry. Screaming, crying and despair ensued.

Fortunately, there were enough Czechs around us (the young ones by the older ones). We shared our experiences and plans, laughed and that helped us a lot to get through the two hours or so of waiting. The check in itself took 5 minutes. It is possible to get a transit visa for 72 hours if you have a valid passport and already bought a ticket to a third country. We were only given a 24 hour visa without any hassle. Then we figured that China doesn't have much of a problem with tourists and if we were flying in 15hrs, surely a one day visa was enough! Our luggage was already checked directly into Seoul, so we only had a backpack in China. The return flight was fine again. Similar quality and service. Boeing 777 aircraft, seats 3-3-3

After so many hours of flying and walking, we were looking forward to Korea. The fatigue subsided as soon as we entered South Korea. Beautiful environment and care for international passengers. Several classes better treatment in every direction compared to China. Beautiful arrivals hall, red carpet, staff caught us right away, took our Arrival Card which we filled out on board, advised with a smile, guided us through everything. Passport and visa check was done in a flash. Photo, check, fingerprint, data check and visa validity, goodbye!

The final threat was to find our luggage, which we had last seen in Prague. We spent some time looking for them. Since the immigration check took us longer than the Koreans, our luggage was the last one to buggage customs. That put the hardest part behind us!

We had "only" 11 hours (!!!) to wait for the first pick-up service. However, the pleasant environment of Seoul airport helped us to shorten this time.

We were surprised that many people slept without fearing for their belongings (iPhone loose, luggage). In short, we gradually experienced culture shocks. After 11 hours we finally arrived. A pick-up service was waiting for us. we met about 20 of our future friends, classmates

Accommodation

Thanks to the scholarship, I'm staying in the best dorm. 15-story, two-block modern building. I have one roommate in my room. Toilet and bathroom in the room, plenty of storage space (under the bed, cupboards, shelves). View of the whole campus and part of the city. Free Wi-Fi in every room. so if you go to someone's room or need to do something quick on your cell phone and you're in the middle of the building, there's no problem connecting anywhere. There's a large dining hall on the ground floor of the dorms, and a minishop in front of the building. There's a gym on the ground floor and a small study room with a print shop on the first floor.

Campus

The campus here is the best!! It's practically a city within a city. Dozens of huge buildings, a football stadium and other sports fields, a new multifunctional sports hall, a clinic, libraries, study rooms, a park with a lake, plenty of green space, places to relax, a cinema, cafeterias, fast-food restaurants, a copy and print centre, a barber shop, mini-shops. In short, everything that is so necessary. I won't belabor the point, sit back, the campus tour begins.....

Food

As many of my friends probably know, I'm a food lover and I eat a lot (even if I don't look it). So one of my first concerns when I got accepted to university was how they would cook, would I like it, would the portions be enough?

I found out from friends who studied at a Korean university that Korean cuisine is very spicy. Great, I thought. I also knew that our stipend included three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner...even on the weekend). Again, great, I thought. Last but not least, it was brought to my attention that Koreans eat a lot of vegetables and less meat. The third super was completed. However, there was a big "but" behind everything.

Upon entering the dining hall, which to our delight is located on the ground floor of the dorms, I was immediately drawn to the vastness of the dining hall and the orderliness. There is always a lady at the entrance who wishes you a good day and smiles. You can splash your hands with hand sanitizer. You pick up everything yourself (vegetables, kimchi, side dishes, but for some it is written how many pieces you can take), only meat and soup are given "on ration". It's no problem to come and add more. We strategically go towards the end of the serving hours because what's left can be broken down.

There are 3-4 people supervising everything, checking to make sure nothing is missing (and also that you don't take too much), constantly cleaning up and keeping order.

Needless to say, the main tool in the dish is chopsticks. If you don't know how to use them, you're folks are screwed.

If I didn't have my meals paid for by the scholarship, I would be paying 4,000 W per meal - roughly 80 CZK. I'd be crazy to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day

People

One of the key things when starting out in a new country and culture is to get to know and interact with the locals. That's what I've always done and it's always worked to the best of my ability. The exception proves the rule. Korea is that exception.

Before arriving, I was told not to expect much from Korean students. First of all, I shouldn't expect them to want to hang out too much with international students, be helpful or spend time with them. I have no problem acclimating quickly to a new environment and making friends anywhere. However, the students here have really surprised me.

In general, the students here are very shy, uncommunicative, withdrawn, don't show their emotions, and are generally kind of "greasy non-salty". Until today (March 12) I have about seven solid Korean friends, I call them European-type Koreans. They are fun to be with, have decent English, and are not shy. However, the thing is that most of them have studied/lived abroad (Europe, USA) and have become disillusioned with their conservative lifestyle. Here, for example, it is not customary to go between lectures (exercises) to sit and chat. Instead, they all go to study rooms and libraries. They spend practically the whole day at school. When we asked what they do in their free time, the most common answer was: "we have no free time". Students don't communicate much with each other, let alone with international students. Another surprising finding was that when a country is very developed and still growing and globalizing, 90% of the students don't speak English, at all! Czech students are still doing very well. It seems to me that these students are deprived of a social life. They're locked up in the university, they're always scrapping. The study halls here are full even on weekends! Aside from their lack of communication and their lack of English, I have to praise their efforts to help. Even when they have to work their teeth to spit out a 6-word English sentence, you can see their willingness to help, to be nice. At first, I thought just the opposite when I saw their facial expressions. Well, different country, different morals.

What I enjoy a lot here are the looks they give (to us). They look as if they have never seen a white man 1,9m tall. As Jirka (a colleague from Mendel University who is studying here with me) and I walk around the campus, we observe Korean students looking at us. Once, when we met a cool Korean guy, we learned that everyone finds us terribly beautiful (boys and girls). We are said to have sharp facial features, long noses, big eyes, prominent cheekbones, we are tall and we speak super English. I'm not saying that's not nice to hear and know :D. Unfortunately, there's no way to take advantage of it ( :D ). Unless the girl in question (now girls will excuse me for not talking about Korean guys) has been abroad, it's very hard to get close to her. It doesn't work like it does here, we like a girl, we reach out and ask her out for a night out/wine/go to the movies. Here it's more complicated. You have to have preferably joint lectures/exercises with the person in question, get to know each other there and then it is possible to think about something more. Something more is meant firstly just talking, making contact, maybe later an invitation.

As for the older generation (>30), we had a nice surprise here. Regardless of the language and cultural barrier, everyone wants to help us very much. Whether it is shopping, pointing the way or ordering in a restaurant, everyone is really nice and willing to help.

South Korea is known for having the best education system in the world. So I was curious about the level. I already had a small clue when it was Sunday and the study rooms were full, people were lying in books, pounding calculators. Well, I won't get ahead of myself.

I want to say that I meet people from literally all over the world every day. Today I met a girl from Mozambique and Peru, guys from Morocco, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Canada, Sudan, USA, Cameroon.....It's so great to hear their stories and experiences, what they went through, what opportunities they took advantage of, what plans they have, what opinions they have.

In general, Koreans are crazy about studying! The study halls are full every day. There's even a reservation system in place :D You don't reserve, you don't study :D They think (I don't know if this is right or wrong) that studying and GPA (grade point average) is the most important thing. I tried to explain to a few Koreans that experience is more important than what they read in books and memorize. They said that I might be right, but that employers, school and others look at the average first. So I don't really get it, but at least I know why Koreans go straight from school to study hall and spend practically the whole week at school. When I asked a few what they do in their free time, they said nothing, that they have almost no free time....It does translate into teaching though. Koreans are not very active and not very interested in expressing themselves during class. They get goosebumps when they hear the word "team project". They have no problem cramming dozens of pages, definitions, lessons. They're really good at it. But when it comes to oral presentations, their own opinions, applying what they've learned to reality, they're stumped.

So I'm more worried about the teacher asking for definitions and knowing the book backwards. I'm really not up to that :D Hopefully I'll catch up with projects, essays and presentations.

I have five classes in total (Global project, Global e-business, International Business, East Asia Economy and German for Major 3). Overall, it seems challenging to me. But not in the substance discussed, but in the style of how the problem is discussed and the amount of things that have to be done outside of class.

In all subjects (not counting German) there is at least one semester-long group project. In two cases it is two projects. A book is required for two courses. The books here are super business. They are expensive and they are required. Students don't address this. The teacher said we have to have it, so I just have to get it for the five grand. So we (Exchange students) are not going to stamp that style and somehow make other arrangements. After all, we have a limited budget.

So, one thing at a time - the first class I took was Global Project on Friday - the best class. It's taught by a guy who is in his 50s, from Venezuela, father is Italian, studied for years in America but has lived in Korea for over 20 years. He has tremendous charisma, very expressive, native American English. He explains everything beautifully and especially shows emotions, smiles, raises his voice, praises, gesticulates... I miss that in Korean professors. There is no rehearsal, no cramming, no book. The evaluation is based on the project. It consists of creating an international project that solves a problem. It can be about anything (sports, culture, history, events, travel,...). We have to divide the roles in the team, do research on our topic, report and update every Friday and complement each other with other groups, discuss.

East Asia Economy - good subject in terms of topics - Indicators of Japan growth, Asian Dragons, Lost Decades in Japan, Current issues and prospects of Chinese Economy, Global Finance criss in 2008, ASEAN Economy etc). It's taught by a professor whose English is so broken, I often have to engage a lot of imagination to fill in the context. But otherwise he's nice and you can tell he's knowledgeable. There are two projects, quizzes, an exam.

Global e-business - The Korean teacher's English is at a lower level than hers. The subject seems to be beneficial though. We will be taking the development of the internet and its impact on businesses and marketing, implementing strategies, how the internet affects different industries, the development of new technologies in conjunction with marketing.

International business - This is where it gets off to a rough start. In the first class, right off the bat, SWOT. I described 4 A4. 2 reports every week, a quiz once every 14 days, group project + Final report at the end of the class. So all hell broke loose. The course is about international business and is based on going through different situations from the past and analyzing them (how managers acted, what should have been done, how to create and implement global strategies, how to move from a global environment. In the first class I took Joint Venture, Franchises etc, international treaties (NAFTA, WTO, MERCOSUR...) and their purpose.

German 3 - At least this is okay, level is lower than mine, but at least I'm hearing German again, speaking, practicing. The teacher is a native German. He's lived here for over 20 years. Very nice. This is three times a week and we always have homework. There's an exam at the end.

The facilities and opportunities - I really appreciate this! Everything can be found here. Huge study rooms on every floor, computer labs, a (foreign language) library, quiet places.