Expectation vs. Reality: My First Week in Seoul

Before coming to Korea, I spent months wondering what the biggest adjustment would be. Would my Korean be good enough? Would navigating Seoul be overwhelming? Would I accidentally commit some huge cultural no-no? Would I hate my roommate or be lonely? After one week here, the biggest surprise is that almost none of those worries became reality. Instead, my first week has been a blur of meeting new people, exploring Seoul, late-night PC bangs, convenience store runs, averaging more steps than I thought humanly possible, and eating way too much food. 

Preparation Actually Paid Off

Before arriving in Seoul, I was worried about whether or not four semesters of college-level Korean would be enough to get by. You never really know if classroom Korean language skills will translate into real life until you're actually standing in a restaurant ordering food. Lucky, I was pleasantly surprised by how naturally things started to click and how much I can understand. While knowing Korean is in no way at all necessary for a good study abroad experience in Seoul, I've found that knowing baseline conversational skills has tremendously improved my experience and ability to adjust to Seoul. Knowing even conversational Korean has given me the confidence to order food, ask questions, clear up misunderstandings with store clerks, and even set up a membership at a local gym. Occasionally you'll run into someone who talks like an auctioneer, but as a whole people are very friendly and happy to repeat things for you, and if your Korean isn't quite there, almost everyone speaks decent English. 

Seoul Was Easier Than I Expected

I spent two weeks prior to the start of the program exploring China with some local friends. After the experience in China, coming to Korea, I expected a similar difficulty getting around and engaging in simple daily interactions. This was not even slightly the case. First of all, unlike the parts of China I was in, Seoul is filled with foreigners. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, you will see non-Koreans. Along with this, almost everyone knows English. The Korean school curriculum has a heavy emphasis on English, which has ensured that almost every young Korean is baseline conversational at minimum. More than the people themselves, Seoul as a city is extremely English friendly. Road signs, subway maps, menus, price tags, etc., all have both English and Korean. Even the subway audio announcements are in both Korean and English. The only slight inconveniences I've noticed because of lack of English are nutrition labels, our washing machine, and restaurant name signs. If I didn't have a decent vocabulary and didn't know how to read Korean, these could be the tiniest bit of a bother. Especially with restaurant signs, knowing whether a place is a bar or a Korean BBQ place or a coffee shop from just reading the sign is definitely a plus. Still, in the program there is a wide range of Korean levels. Some students are fluent, while others came here knowing nothing but "hello." Yet, everyone is having a great time, and even the students who know no Korean seem to be having no trouble getting by and adjusting to our home in Seoul. 

The Best Surprise Was the People

Before arriving, I was genuinely nervous about having a roommate. Especially because we'd be sharing a bunk bed. As someone who likes personal space and time alone, the thought of being in a foreign country, having to navigate a different language all day, only to come home to a bunk bed and a random stranger sounded like a nightmare. How wrong I was. Having a roommate has been truly a blessing. This first week has been a nonstop blur of social events and meeting new people, and having that forced connection on the first night immediately pushed me and helped me to be more social and connect with a wide range of people. We're only a week in, and yet I've felt like I've already found my people and made friends for life. Without classes, as a group we've been able to do so much. Every day exploring a new neighborhood, eating piles of Korean food, nonstop runs to 7/11 or GS25, hitting late-night PC bangs or going out, and even climbing a mountain together within a week of meeting. I truly can't recommend studying abroad more to anyone. Even though it's only been a week, it already feels like I've known these people for years.

Looking back, I spent months worrying about whether I'd be ready for Korea. After just one week, I've realized that all of those years studying the language and learning about the culture gave me the confidence to jump right into the experience instead of worrying about it. But even if you don't know any Korean, don't let that stop you from studying abroad here. Seoul is an incredibly welcoming city, and if my first week is any indication, the next five months are going to be unforgettable.