#ipekaist

[umichenginabroad]

Week 16: KAIST - Finals Week and beyond

Hi all!

The semester has been wrapped up.

I finished all of my exams and moved out of my dorm. I moved in with a friend living in an apartment before I leave to the Philippines and America.

The moving-out process was relatively simple. I bought so many things in Korea. I wish I had more space in my luggage to buy and carry more before I leave. To move out, I had to pack up all of my things and take photos similar to when I moved in. There were some forms online to complete. I had to clean and scrub the place to make the dorm look cleaner than when I got here. It was a slight bother, but I felt relieved to move out. I had plans the day I moved out, but I needed to get my stuff out asap.

After my exams, I felt relief and joy. I was excited to finish the semester and spend the rest of my time travelling, spending time with friends, and spending nights out.

I recently bought a ticket from Daejeon to Incheon Terminal 2 using the Tmoney GO app. I needed some help, so I asked a friend to help me out. I used a Korean bank card to pay for the ticket. I don't have to worry about spending the day taking trains.

I was able to attend a baseball game in Daejeon for the Hanwha Eagles. It was the most fun baseball game I've ever been to. I loved it and would highly recommend anyone interested in Korean culture to watch and attend baseball games. I am currently following up with more of the baseball teams and seasons.

To wrap up my time in Korea, I am contacting my professors and friends and preparing to return home.

I can't wait to get home, but I love my time here.

- Anton

[umichenginabroad]

Week 15: KAIST - Embracing Connections and Finals

Hi all!

I am done with classes and focused on studying. I enjoyed my last moments in classes and prepared for finals. Among this, I have found more friends to connect with.

Studying the material at KAIST has been a struggle. Some of the courses slides aren't as useful as UMICH. There is definitely an importance for students to find material to practice in some of my classes. Some of the expectations in my semiconductors course are unclear. There are very few assignments for me, but they do cover some exam material. Comparatively, I have received more resources to learn and understand material better at UMICH. KAIST does okay, but the feedback is minimal.

(KAIST Munji Campus courts and fields)

To rest, I have been enjoying playing volleyball for some time. I am even connecting with others and bringing them to enjoy Korean restaurants. I have been to these restaurants with other foreigners and Korean students, so I feel honored to share other people's first experience in this part of the city.

As the season changes and more good weather comes, I look forward to learning about summer events I will miss. I was interested in the sports entertainment of Korean culture. I look forward to seeing soccer or baseball games and having those genuine experiences. There is so much more that only 5 months of this study abroad can offer. I cannot yet fully understand Korean life after a full year. I plan to study the Korean language more and come back to experience more Korean life.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 13: KAIST - Weekend in Seoul

Hi all!

I will tell you about my time in Seoul with my international friends!!

Hongdae (홍대):

This week was a great and productive week, followed by a celebration in Seoul.

This weekend I stayed mostly in Seoul. I went to celebrate with friends from the neighboring university. We celebrated a friend's last days in Korea.

At night, we went to Hongdae clubbing, dancing, singing, and having a good time. We stayed in a hotel for the night. We walked 10 minutes from Hongdae to get to our hotel. The corner stores are open late, so we grabbed ramen and cleaned up for some well-needed rest. In the morning, we got food at a Japanese restaurant. We went shopping again near Hongdae and visited a popular tea house called Osulloc.

We had planned to visit the Hangang River, so we grabbed some treats from Osulloc to eat by the River. There are stores where people can borrow picnic blankets from. So we didn't have to lug around blankets all day.

Han River (한강):

Popular boy group "Seventeen" held their outdoor concert for their 10th-anniversary celebration.

Sitting by the river after a night of clubbing was a beautiful and calming experience. The riverside is full of families, friends, and coworkers sharing a meal or enjoying the good weather.

Itaewon (이태원):

For the last place in Seoul, I visited Itaewon. It was a great and quite popular place for foreigners. I have been trying to look for places to shop for a cleaner style. Here in Itaewon, I found little luck. There were many name-brand clothing stores here. I think the best clothing shops I've visited are still in Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Daejeon. I spent most of the time in Itaewon walking and talking with my friends.

As for my friends, we are starting to feel the weight of the beginning of the end of our abroad experience, but are still making plans to enjoy every moment. There are still many more places I need to visit. I often ask foreigners and Korean natives for more recommendations for places to visit. It seems like some Koreans haven't visited all of Korea. Similar to how it seems quite a task to travel all over the United States. I have found that traveling with Koreans to places they haven't visited is a pleasing time for all people involved. Finding new things to experience in Korea is always better with company.

I'll talk to you all soon!

- Anton

[umichenginabroad]

Week 14: KAIST - Jeju Island and Studying for Finals

Hi All!

For this week, final classes and review sessions started. My last few days of volleyball are concluding. My chances and Korean life are now changing into traveling and studying. I have only a few more chances to travel around Korea while finals approach.

This week, I began to prepare for finals. The dates and review sessions are coming out for each class. I have most of my final homework and quizzes coming up next week before Finals week. I have begun to prepare, but also spent time with some friends in Jeju Island. I had high expectations and was also very stressed for finals week. My mentality was to rest for the following week. I wanted to take the stress off of learning and wanted to enjoy the abroad experience as well.

This trip was my first time planning and organizing my schedule to travel by train and plane during the school season. I never planned a flight during the semesters in Michigan. After all the planning was done, I finally got to enjoy myself. The trip, flight, and road to the hotel were all special moments for me. I got to see different landscapes. Even if it's not the "traditional" tourist route of experiencing "everything" there is in Jeju, I enjoyed every part of the journey.

(If you come to Jeju, plan to take a taxi, bus, or rental car)

Taxis are pretty expensive if you are travelling across the entire island. Buses often take double the time to get to a destination. There are a lot of places to visit here. Mountains, cafes, beaches, hotels, museums, arboretums, and amusement parks.

I mostly had grilled meat and fish, Korean barbeque, and sushi. Cafes have been wonderful there. They were the best places to rest and relax after walking so much.

The opportunities to speak Korean and explore Korea have helped me grow in a way I never expected from myself. I am learning about how much I need to prepare for myself on these trips. I didn't bring a lot, because I planned on shopping.

At the beach, I spent a lot of time observing the landscape. The beaches in Jeju are simple and relaxing. The water is clear, the sand is clean, and there’s usually a nice breeze. It’s a good place for a walk, to sit for a while, or just to get away from everything for a bit. It was a comfortable spot to be. I wish I had more time to spend there. It seems like there is more to do year-round, but I didn't have the time to try everything.

I definitely enjoyed my stay.

Thank you, Jeju.

- Anton

[umichenginabroad]

Week 12: KAIST - Music Festival Season

Hi all!

This week was exciting. For this season in Korea, many popular music artists and school performance groups perform. For KAIST, we had different girl groups, boy groups, bands, singers, and dancing groups. We had Paul Blanco, Young Posse, ifeye, Hash Swan, POW, and NMIXX. Other universities have popular groups as well. This was our selection.

These festivals allow students to take a break from their intense academic routines, celebrate their university identity, and connect with classmates, alumni, and faculty through music, food, games, and performances. Inviting popular K-pop artists also boosts morale and makes the university more appealing to prospective students. The scale of the festivals can be more appreciated when seen in larger universities, especially amongst the SKY Universities (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University). Universities in Seoul often have the most popular South Korean artists in the world. I advise others to take a trip to see life in Seoul during these festivals.

As for the weekend, I played against another University team in Daejeon. It was some of the best volleyball experiences I've had. I am grateful to be active and pursuing more than just academic goals at KAIST. Staying active brings me more energy, just like festivals. I advise all to stay active in new environments they are adjusting to.

Thank you for tuning in for this week!

See you again!

- Anton

[umichenginabroad]

Week 11: KAIST - More to Seoul

Hi All!

Due to the break, I could stay in Seoul for a Day after the Philippines.

While in Seoul, I visited Myeong-dong and Hongdae Street. I went clothes shopping for some new outfits for the warm weather. In both Hongdae and Myeongdong, there are some great vintage stores for shopping and essential clothes stores. It's much cheaper and easier to style than I find in America. I have intended to spend more money looking for new outfits. In the meantime, I rested at cafes and spent time walking by the Han River. It's a beautiful place, yet I wish I spent more time there. There are many people and even festivals near the River. It's a common leisure spot for Koreans.

To travel around from Seoul Station to Myeong-dong and Hongdae, I had to recharge my T-Money card. Luckily, there are a lot of corner stores that I can recharge them at on the streets of Seoul. I used the Metro to get around, and I found it relatively easy to use. I have travelled around Seoul previously, but I got used to it relatively quickly.

Traveling around Seoul is really nice for me. I often reflect and embrace the sounds and views on the street. There are lots of different shops and stores selling different stationery, outfit accessories, and home decor.

I was able to spend time with some friends in Seoul as well as back in Daejeon. In this last week, I have been trying to make sure I have all my plans set up each weekend and my departure from Korea. In the past, I have been able to make plans only a few days before travelling, but I am getting busier with school and need to plan much further than previously.

Personally, I feel my journey in Korea is great. I still feel like a tourist, but my social anxiety and Korean language practice have provided a sense of pride for my accomplishments. I am still slightly in awe that I am here and made it this far, but feeling sad that the end of the semester is approaching.

Thanks for sticking around!

-Anton

[umichenginabroad]

Week 10: KAIST - Break and More

Hi!! I am studying harder than I have before. I have started to set up a proper system for studying. I am reaching out to my TAs, lab professor, and course instructors. I have also received confirmation that I would be getting credit for my engineering courses I am taking.

Traditionally, the courses people take are pre-approved for study abroad. Although the courses I am taking now were not taken by any student prior. I had to submit Transfer Credit Approval Forms. My biggest issue was in submitting sufficient materials for the University to approve the course. The catalog for the courses of my semester came out only 2 weeks before the start of the semester. The instructors for classes were changing, and some courses were not being continued, so I could not use the previous semester's catalog reliably for preparing the courses I wanted. With persistence and help, I reached out to my professors for exam material and syllabi to send to U of M's credit approval team. It was stressful for a while, not knowing whether I would get credit or not. I started searching for courses and trying to get approval for 1 year.

It has been a journey, but it takes determination and effort to get my story to reach the right people. The University of Michigan has people who will provide for people in special cases like mine. The world is not as black and white as I thought. Many things aren't the end of the world. There are many solutions to problems. There are many ways to get the things I need. I just needed a push in the right direction.

I have also been able to visit my Family in the Philippines with one holiday of the semester. I had to register my flight details and some emergency information for the flight. The process was very short. Since I received my ARC, I can travel outside of the country and return to KAIST with relative ease.

I'll reach out next week with updates!

[umichenginabroad]

Week 9: KAIST - Start of the Second Half

Hi!

This week I have had lots of time to think about what I'm going to do for the next 5 weeks. It is almost done, and I am worried about how I will spend it. It's a great time here. I have had many different experiences just in Daejeon as a foreign student. Even more so as a traveler. I have made many friends and connections allowed me to see the world in a new perspective. By meeting and conversing with Korean students, I have learned so much about current Korean culture. I have heard stories and gained some perspective on their thoughts on Korean politics, education, and Korean Life. I love listening to the stories of each person I meet here (foreign and native).

For school, I have been struggling to set up a proper system to stay caught up in studying and socializing. I have a pretty hefty course load, but I plan to reestablish a method soon. I am using this abroad experience as one of the first steps to learn how to prepare myself for changes and new environments. I am learning about getting the things I need done first, then making a plan for the next step. I am also managing my own mental health. This whole experience is a blessing, but also very stressful while being away from Home. I found myself being more comfortable traveling and using services now compared to when I first arrived.

I am learning to be okay with not knowing how everything is "supposed to go" or "normal". It's a part of exploring and learning. There is no harm in doing things the "wrong way" or a "different way". I just need to learn and be wise. The reflections I can have while here are quite different. I am still in awe that I have made it here in Korea. I am in awe that I'm traveling without my family. I am in awe that I can navigate and socialize in a country where I can barely speak the language.

My love for this culture and country is growing. This time is becoming an essential and core part of my life. I am grateful. For this opportunity. I would encourage anyone else to challenge themselves to learn about and study in another country where they do not know the language too well.