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1. Make a decision to live in a dorm or goshiwon. I personally like goshiwon better because you are living by yourself, you have the freedom to leave whenever you want to, unlike dorms. They usually have a curfew of when you can be back home by (12am). If it is past 12am, you are locked out from the building and there is no way to enter until the security unlocks the entrance again. IF YOU’RE DOING GOSHIWON, READ THIS. Landlords only know availability rooms THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE. Tell them to notify you if the room is available on your coming date.

2. Make sure to not do your visa last second. It takes three weeks and if information is not accurate, there will most likely be a delay in getting your visa which will mess up your itinerary.

3. Do not bring many clothes. All you really need is two to three days worth of clothes because you will probably be exploring and buying new clothes during the first week. It will ease your big luggage. Make sure to also bring a plug adapter because US plugs will not work with Korea plug outlets. Please do not bring a hair dryer. Leave the unnecessary electronics besides laptop and a tablet at home.

4. Learn about some of Korea’s culture. I can not express this enough. Do not come to a different country without a single knowledge about their culture. Korea has a very different culture compared to the US so at least learn the basics of their culture like when to bow to others.

5. Bring at least $500 USD worth in cash. Not everything in Korea will accept cards. Make sure to also call your bank or credit card company that you are leaving the country so they can allow you to make purchases internationally.

6. BUY A T-MONEY CARD. One of the big reasons for needing cash before is to buy Korea’s transportation card. The first thing you would want to do is go to a convenience store and ask for a t-money card. The only way to recharge the card is to use cash.

7. Try making some friends from UH who are going to Korea during the same semester. I highly recommend this for anyone and especially introverts. Settling into a new country can be very very overwhelming as that happened to me. It is hard to come out of your room once you become culture shocked.

8. Make sure to enroll into the buddy groups if it is not mandatory. Being part of the buddy groups will make a huge difference in experience when you’re in Korea. You can meet Korean local students along with international students that can speak English. There are also group activities that the club hosts to show you around Korea. I highly recommend this tip because almost all international students will not meet many Korean locals.

9. For the party people. If you are planning to go clubbing, please keep watch for your drinks at all times. Korea is not 100% safe and there will be people who will spike your drinks. There are also a lot of other foreigners at some bars who do not consent to physical boundaries so make sure to be careful!

10. DO NOT USE GOOGLE MAPS. I AM WARNING YOU NOW. Using Google maps is ABSOLUTELY horrible. Instead, download Kakao Maps or Naver Maps for all your travels. Bus and train stations will also have English writing so do not be scared.