Dominique Bornilla, Staff Writer
I honestly cannot remember what my daily school life looked like before Covid. The most prominent memories would probably be going to classes during the day and going to the gym to either workout or play intramurals at night. During the lockdown, I got up to attend class online and then only went out of the house to go to work. However, now that I’m studying abroad, I finally feel a sense of normalcy in terms of college life.
Before I arrived in Korea, the students were given the notice from the university that classes would start online with the prospect of transitioning to in-person courses a couple of weeks into the semester. I was a little worried about having to do online classes again because it wasn’t the most beneficial way for me to learn back in the U.S, but here in Korea, even if classes are online, they are stricter about attendance and participation in class. During the first week of classes, we were told that the university policy on attendance is that two absences equal an automatic failure in the class, and this made me discipline myself to make sure I attended every class. This being said, I made a routine that I could stick to every day and had alarms set for everything that I needed to get done. I went to cafes with my roommates to get work done and attend class. Overall, being out of the house and being able to explore helped me to remain proactive.
Since my class schedule allows me to have more free time on Wednesdays and Fridays, I like to take advantage of that time and explore. Some notable places I’ve visited in Seoul were the Seoul Tower, the Starfield Library, Cheonggyecheon Stream (seen in a lot of K-dramas), Gyeongbokgung Palace, and more local places in Itaewon and Hongdae. One thing that I found very interesting was how many small shops they have in the subway stations. About a week ago, my friend and I were on our way to this popular mall and at the station exit, there was a pop-up shop that was basically like a thrift store. At the shop, you pay by weight instead of by item. We spent less than twenty dollars on ten pieces of clothing altogether!
Speaking of clothing, I’ve definitely had to step up my fashion game living here in Korea. I think it is safe to say that casual means something completely different in Korea than it does in America. If I were going to run errands back in America, I would typically wear sweats and slides to be comfortable. However, in Seoul, if you are going to wear sweats with your outfit, you have to dress it up in some way, whether it be layering it with a nice jacket, accessorizing, or pairing it with expensive Nikes. I take a little longer getting ready now because I have to take more time to plan my outfits.
Now, when I am not out and about doing class or exploring during the day, I am usually out with my roommates at night. I’ve had to adjust to the nightlife here in Korea. It is very popular for students and workers to stay out at night after work or school, whether it be at bars or cafes. Back in Washington, I would avoid going out at night because I didn’t feel safe doing so, whereas here in Seoul, there are always so many people out late that I can feel comfortable. Sometimes when I stay up late doing my homework, I will take walks down the trail by our house and there will be older couples and families still walking at eleven o’clock at night. My roommates and I like to relax and have fun by going out to a bar or a noraebang (karaoke room) once or twice a week.
Having to adjust to this new lifestyle has honestly been so great for me and my character development. I learned to be more independent and to push myself out of my comfort zone. I have gotten more comfortable ordering in Korean at restaurants, walking by myself to local places to explore, and learned to overcome the social anxiety that I developed being in lockdown and quarantine for so long to make friends. I’m very proud of myself for having learned how to adjust to a different lifestyle in a different country. So, if you want to test your strength and capabilities and gain newfound confidence in yourself, try studying abroad!
The Belltower 