Overall, I had an amazing time studying abroad in Korea, growing as an independent individual while having a great time with my newly-made friends. I totally miss Korea and would love to come back as soon as possible!
One aspect I will definitely miss about Korea would be the cafe culture! Basically, on every single street, you will be able to find various different cafes with unique vibes at each location. Sometimes, certain cafes even host special birthday events/giveaways for K-pop idols: I definitely saw a ton of BTS birthday/anniversary events throughout my semester abroad. These cafes provide the perfect environment for a studious student, making a mundane task such as homework become an eventful outing to explore the coffee shops around the area.
Another aspect of Korea that was phenomenal was transportation methods to get from destination A to destination B. There are three main methods: bus, subway, or taxi, all being very affordable and efficient. I truly loved having a T-money card method that was accepted on all three options, making paying transportation fares simple and easy. In addition, transportation was always on-time with no questions about it.
Lastly, Korea definitely succeeds in terms of events, having all of my favorite places and concerts to attend. They have PC Rooms, Archery Cafes, Board Game Cafes, and so many more themed locations to go for an outing with friends, making each day a new adventure. In addition, there were so many concerts happening every month with a wide range of music genres from EDM, K-pop, K-R&B, and so much more. I will always cherish these memories in my mind.
A tip for any study abroad student would be to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Initially, at the beginning of the program, I was definitely scared to be in an unknown situation and to make new friends; it has been a long time since being surrounded in a new environment, so I thought I forgot how to make friends. However, once I took the first step in introducing myself to others and adapting to the environment, I was able to have the most amazing time with my newly-made friends, becoming very close by the end of the semester. Life is what you make of it, so make the most of it!
