Here We Go!!! | Minna's Korea Diary

The original post can be found in my new blog Minna's Korea Diary. I have decided it's for the best to start a whole separate blog for the exchange year. I am not sure how I am going to deal with this blog since I probably focus on posting on the Korea blog. However, I don't want to keep this blog on a hiatus for a whole year. It is most likely that I'll include the same posts here to keep you guys updated. Minna's Korea Diary includes posts both in Finnish and in English because I created it mainly to keep my friends and relatives updated on what's going in my life in South Korea. Nevertheless, here is the first post (slightly edited: I cut out the blabbering about Finnish and English) from Minna's Korea Diary:

original picture

This girl is going to South Korea in August! Absolutely unbelievable! If I was asked couple years ago, where I would like to go for an exchange year, the answer would probably have been Austria, Germany or some other German speaking area. (After all I learned German on an advanced level in school and upper secondary school.)

Even though I a math major student in the University of Helsinki Korean language is very dear to me and I want to learn to speak it fluently. My minor subject has been Asian studies and my intention is to apply for the Master degree Program in the East Asian studies. When I decided on Asian studies as my minor I had to choose a “major” language to study. The choice was not easy as I originally wished to be able to study Japanese. However, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t have chances as a minor student since Japanese is really popular among the Asian studies major students. Thus, I ended up choosing Korean and I haven’t regretted it even once to this day. The Korean culture has been part of my life for several years thanks to hobbies such as taekwondo, movies, TV series and cartoons (manhwa). Ever since I was little I have been interested in foreign languages and cultures so the Asian Studies seem much more fitting subject to study. However, the aim of this study isn’t to focus on my studies: the focus is on my life as an exchange student in Seoul, South Korea. :)

The journey to this next challenge wasn’t easy. The process is still ongoing and it will last till the end of the exchange period. Everything started last autumn the application period to exchange programs in Asian universities cooperating with the University of Helsinki started. The results came around December. In my case I didn’t get into Yonsei University I had originally applied into but instead I was offered a place in Korea University (KU). I accepted the offer. The actual application period to the host universities started in spring. In the case of KU the application period started in March 21^st and continued to May 14^th. The results were announced on June 9^th so approximately after three weeks from the end of application period.

The international Services of the University of Helsinki organized an orientation meeting for the leaving students. In the meeting we were told about things that need to be done before leaving the country, during the exchange period and after returning. We were also informed regarding the things one should be prepared for during the exchange period.

There is still a lot to do. I must apply for the Visa, buy travelling insurance; inform Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) about my exchange studies and submit a notification of a temporary change of address to abroad. In addition to this I need to make sure I receive suggested vaccinations and search for an apartment.

Here the adventure starts! Next time the intention is to write about the preparations regarding the departure.

Till next time!

xxx