Within what seems like the blink of an eye, it has already been a little over a month since classes began at Seoul National University (SNU). I find myself settled into a somewhat steady routine. After a few weeks of adjusting to life in Korea, my days seem to flow with a comforting regularity. Some people prefer a lack of routine, but I tend to lean towards routine and pre-planned spontaneous excursions. Here is a glimpse into a week in the life of an exchange student in Korea.
Sunday: I’ve spent the past few weeks checking out different churches in Seoul. I came to Korea already having some recommendations of churches from family and friends and have also discovered a few through the recommendations of people I’ve met here! I have attended both Korean speaking and English speaking services. It’s been such a blessing to see the ways that shared faith connects individuals beyond differences of language, culture, and country of origin. This past Sunday, I went to a church with one of my friends and got lunch with her afterwards. We took advantage of the nice weather and also went to Hangang (Han River). We listened to music and read our Bibles in the sunshine!
Monday: Usually the highlight of my Mondays is editing my weekly vlogs. I’ve been vlogging my experience abroad weekly for my friends and family and have particularly enjoyed sharing my mundane and exciting moments! SNU’s campus is very big and in some ways is the opposite of GWU. SNU is a large public university located near the mountainside, whereas GWU is a small private university located in the middle of the city. Springtime in Korea has been especially beautiful and I’ve been taking photos and videos of flowers left and right.
Tuesday: My class on Tuesday begins at 3pm, so I usually take the morning to go to a nearby cafe to finish up my readings for the week ahead. My class on Tuesdays is called, “Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in International Organizations.” It’s taught in English and the class is made up of primarily exchange students. I’ve been impressed by the Korean students in the class who not only excel in their English skills, but also come the most prepared to answer questions and discuss the readings. Generally speaking, everyone at SNU seems to take their education seriously! I’ve been reminded of the great privilege it is to have access to higher education and pursue a degree that I am interested in.
Wednesday: On Wednesdays, I take a class called, “Global Citizenship Education for Global Public Health Promotion.” It’s a UNESCO sponsored class and is hosted by SNU’s School of Dentistry (so interesting!). I am the only exchange student in this class and the rest of the students are primarily dental students. A few weeks ago, a group of international students joined our class to have a discussion about what it means to be a global citizen based on concepts such as “ubuntu” (I am because of who we all are) in African philosophy, and “'sumak kawsay” (harmony within communities, ourselves and nature) in Quechua. Having these conversations with both Koreans students and international students was an especially meaningful experience.
Thursday: Thursdays are my class-heavy days. I have two three-hour classes with a few hours in between for lunch. I’m taking “Social Geography” and “Two Koreas: Modern Korean History and Society.” I have class from 9am-12pm and again from 2pm-5pm. I’ve gotten know some of my peers in these classes and usually get lunch with a few of them in between the two classes. Each week, they’ve kindly recommended places for us to try each week ranging from school cafeteria food to hidden student-run cafes.
Friday+Saturday: I don’t have any classes on Fridays so I usually block off Friday and Saturday to explore different parts of Seoul! I’ve been trying to soak in all of the cherry blossom magic and cafe culture on the weekends. This past Friday, I went to Seoul Forest to enjoy the cherry blossoms and tulips! On Saturday, I went to Seokchon Lake to do the same exact thing. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the magic that comes in the form of cherry blossom petals falling like snow!
None of my experiences may seem particularly striking, but I’ve cherished the process of becoming a part of the SNU community and navigating life in Korea as a (wannabe) local! Looking forward to enjoying each day and the blessings that come along the way.
Havin Baik
Spring 2024
GW Exchange - Seoul National University
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major