Student Life

Hey guys! Masha here ^^

 

As anyone who might be familiar with Korean culture might know, the everyday life of a Korean student is quite different than that of an American student.  I wanted to share a video on the topic and talk about how these differences have affected my exchange experience.

So, here it is:

As an exchange student, I don’t stay at school for the same hours as the other students, nor am I expected to stay for 야자 , the voluntary self-study time that most students participate in. Honestly, I’m not given near as high expectations as the other students.

So the problem is, that because students are so busy, even though you can make friends, it’s hard for them to make time to spend with you.  Last weekend I met up with some of my friends for the first time since I got here; it’s been nearly two months already since I arrived. 

Even my host sister is affected by this. Even though I’m close with my host sister, she has nearly no time to spend with me because she’s either being tutored, staying for 야자, or going to her 학원 (special additional academy)— which even includes Sundays. 

It seems the only free time that students really have is after their testing periods, which is the only time I have ever been able to really spend with my Korean friends here.

However, that’s not to say that students are all work and no play here. During class breaks, my school can get quite loud, and at least the high school classes I’ve attended don’t really seem to be that serious or militaristic.  But it is true that students here have far less free time than the typical American student.

As for me, I’m hoping to meet up with some more of my friends during winter break, and spend time with them before they enter their third and final year, at which point they will be completely engrossed in their studies so that they can pass their university exams.

Bye!~~

--Masha