When it comes to higher education abroad, South Korea is quite an offbeat destination. However, over the years, the number of students and youth going there is rising. When my friend’s sister went there to pursue higher education on a fully paid scholarship, I was intrigued to look for more courses there. I always dreamt to study abroad and was already researching for a good foreign university.
Study in South Korea through fully funded scholarships
To encourage foreign students, South Korea provides various scholarships. I applied for the Global Korea Scholarship. It did not have an application fee and once you get the scholarship, everything including the airfare to South Korea is paid by the government.
Unlike many European countries where you have to get selected for a college in order to get a scholarship, here you can apply to both simultaneously. You can apply through two tracks — the embassy track and the university track. I applied through the former and the application process was fairly easy. You have to fill out the application form and choose three universities (two in group A and one in group B) along with the course you want to apply for. I don’t know much about the application process through the university track.
The three universities I chose were — Yonsei University (Type A), Seoul National University (Type A) and Pusan National University (Type B). The documents needed to apply for the universities and scholarship were Class 10 and 12 marksheet, university transcripts, two letters of recommendation (LoRs), study plan, Statement of Purpose, medical fitness and if you have extra certificates such as English and Korean languages proficiency then those as well.
Since I applied through the embassy track, I had to submit the documents to the Ministry of Education. Then it goes to the Embassy of Korea for scrutiny. Once it is done, they call you for the interview. In my panel, there were two Korean representatives and one MoE representative.
I got the scholarship as well as admission to Pusan National University. I started with International Studies as my major but did not find it very interesting so I later switched to International Trade, since I graduated with a BCom (Bachelors of Commerce) from Jamia Millia Islamia. Once I came to Korea, I had to study the Korean language for one year before beginning my course. I studied at Kangwon National University from March 2021 to February 2022. I know Korean till TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 5, and the highest level is 6.
I then joined my college in March 2022 and I will graduate in February 2024. My course is taught both in English and Korean, and we can opt for either language. As for future plans, I want to stay in Korea for some time after my PG and find a job here. While, I am open to working at other places as well, in the long run, I would like to return to India.
South Koreans– their lifestyle, food and culture
Busan and Seoul are the biggest cities in the country and are expensive as well. People here have good disposable money and the standard of living is high. South Korea is about to surpass Japan in terms of per capita income.
Though we are given a monthly allowance to bear our expenses, the government doesn’t provide us with accommodation. I live by myself in a one room kitchen apartment. Though a little expensive, it’s still spacious and comfortable.
I generally cook my own food. Additionally, there are Indian stores from where you can order. However, though I am a non-vegetarian it is not very difficult for me. The only dietary restriction I have is pork. But people who are vegetarian will find it very difficult to sustain themselves as the food is mainly non-vegetarian. The food here is a little more expensive than in India, for example, milk is around Rs 200 per litre while something like red masoor dal is around Rs 350 per kilo.
Friends in a foreign land
I have made friends here and my closest friends include people from Italy, Cambodia, USA, France, Uzbekistan and Korea. There are two Indians in my class.
The teachers here in Korea are very polite and helpful at all times. They would never disrespect or scold a student, especially in front of anyone. They are very cautious about how they are dealing with a student. Sometimes, the language might act as a bit of a barrier as teachers can have a certain accent or their grammar might be a bit off the place but they try their best. The teaching process, however, is not completely different since it is Asian, it is about memorising.
Whenever I feel homesick, I call up my parents or friends. If that doesn’t work, I go out with my friends here. I went home in January this year.
Travelling around South Korea
I often go out and explore the city and not just eat out or so, I go trekking, to beaches and more. Busan is quite a large city, in fact, the second largest city in South Korea. It is very beautiful and has a lot of things to explore — from beaches to mountains, so I go out twice a month. Other than that, I go out of the city once every two months or so. I have been to Jeju Island, Gangneung and even Pyeongchang, where the 2018 Winter Olympics were held.
For students who want to study abroad, I would suggest they be clear with what they want to study, the course, the university and everything. They should sort out their finances and not fall prey to the agencies that claim to get them admission to foreign universities and if possible they should try for scholarships. For students wanting to study in Korea, please check the course and language requirements for it like in which language the classes will be held. The culture and food are different and if you have some specific dietary restrictions then it might be a problem, but overall it is a good experience.
Courtesy : The Indian Express
