Balancing daily life affairs, classes, mandatory program meetings, and exploring my host country has proven to be a learned skill. During my first two weeks abroad it was easy to visit the local

war memorials, art museums, and local hotspots such as Myeondong and Hongdae. Classes were still short, and it was highly encouraged to go and explore the city! But as my time here continued I realized it’s easy to fall behind in my daily responsibilities when I am always in a food market near Sinchon.

Classes have become way more intense than I am used to in America. Everyone on campus wakes up at 7 am Monday through Thursday to grab a quick breakfast at the local E-mart on their way to 9 am classes. Why wake up at 7 am when classes are at 9? Most classes are located at a minimum 20 minutes walking distance uphill, or for others a 40-minute bus ride and 15 minutes walking distance to get to classes. Going to and from classes takes around 1-2 hours a day.

Classes last an hour and a half each, but there is little to no community discussion during class time. Professors lecture very quickly utilizing smartboards and chalkboards at the same time. Students write down as much as possible as quickly as possible in hopes of having enough information to study on their own time. Each class takes a break halfway through for peers to ask each other questions on the lecture or exchange notes. Otherwise, stay focused and write quickly so you can review later in study groups! Because of this class structure, almost every class has a corresponding study group once a day that generally lasts two hours.

So to review, a typical class day begins at 7 am. First, you grab breakfast on your daily commute to your 9 am course. This course stays in session until 10:45. From here you walk with classmates to grab a quick coffee on the way to your 11 am course. This course lasts until 12:45. From here most students grab lunch with their peers and then head into a study group at a local cafe or Samsung library. (The library, by the way, is so technologically advanced it’s amazing). You are generally out of the study group by 3 pm which gets you home around 4 pm to freshen up from the humidity and heat in preparation for dinner.

Dinner is eaten in groups because portion sizes are so big! After dinner, it’s generally 7 pm, which is enough time to call family, wash clothes, or do chores you may need to do outside of school. In the beginning, visiting all the local attractions seemed easy, but now I almost solely rely on my host program outings every weekend to see what Seoul has to offer. Advice, some up for university or host program excursions as soon as you can, it may be the best way to fit visiting Seoul into your schedule!