Please introduce KUISA.

So-mi KUISA is a volunteer organization under the auspices of the Office of International Affairs that helps KU's full-time foreign and overseas students adjust to Korean and school life. Through KUISA, students can experience the school cheering culture by participating in large school events together, take part in monthly events where they go out in groups, or form small groups with students who share the same hobbies. Every semester, a sports day is held where we can all sweat together and become closer.

 

I’m curious about why you came to Korea.

Shiva I am from Iran. I was very interested in machinery, so I tried to study abroad in Germany. However, when I traveled to Korea with my family in 2019, I liked the Korean way of valuing courtesy and consideration, which is similar to Iran, and that convinced me to change my academic career path and come to Korea.

Yong Sin I have loved K-Pop and K-Dramas since I was young, so much so that my mother first suggested I go to Korea. My favorite group right now is The Boys (laughs). After attending Korea University's language school for two years, I decided to go to university.

Yong Sin When I first came to Korea, I didn't know anything, but I was surprised to learn that there was an organization called KUISA. I also received a lot of help when registering for classes. It's fun because you can meet a lot of other international students and chat with friends as part of ‘Bapjo' (Meal Buddies), where you eat together, or at various after-party events.

How has KUISA helped you with your school life?

Yong Sin When I first came to Korea, I didn't know anything, but I was surprised to learn that there was an organization called KUISA. I also received a lot of help when registering for classes. It's fun because you can meet a lot of other international students and chat with friends as part of ‘Bapjo' (Meal Buddies), where you eat together, or at various after-party events.

What is your most memorable KUISA activity?

Shiva The sports day and the Insa-dong tour were great, but I remember the MT (Membership Training) the best. The most fun was singing along to the noraebang machine in the dorm.

Yu-jin Right. I sang songs that are popular in Korea, such as Big Bang's ‘Red Sunset', and songs from various other countries. During recreation time, we played the ‘Body Speak' game, and even though they might be the same words, the way of expressing them is slightly different in each country. We laughed a lot when we saw things we didn't understand. We also celebrated by making a choco-pie birthday cake for a friend.

Yong Sin I'm looking forward to December's MT since it's my first time. I have great memories of participating in the Ko-Yon Games together with KUISA.

Have you ever had a rewarding moment as a Korean student helping a buddy?

Yu-jin The experience of helping a foreign buddy when he couldn't enter the department's group chat room, and of sharing information with a buddy who didn't know how to get an alien registration card, were fulfilling.

Which students do you recommend KUISA activities to?

So-mi To students who want to have a more diverse school life by interacting with regular international students and overseas Korean students, I would like to say, 'Why not KUISA?'

 

 

What kind of community is KUBA?

Sung-hyun KUBA (Korea University Buddy Assistants) is a community under the International Affairs that guide and helps Exchange/Visitng students adjust to Korea University life. We help each group build fond memories by going out on weekends together, participating in sports events or going to the ISF (International Student Festival) together. We plan a variety of programs with a focus on creating an environment where you can become intimately familiar with each other over the short period of one semester.

 

Please tell us about the IISMA program in Indonesia that gave you the opportunity to visit as an exchange student.

Estefany We all received scholarships through the IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) program supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, and came as exchange students to Korea University in the second semester of 2023. To be selected as an exchange student, you must pass document and interview stages, and competition is fierce due to the large number of applicants.

What are the advantages of your experience at Korea University so far?

Nathalia That there is KUBA. My friend, who is an exchange student at another university, was disappointed that there was no buddy program there.

Anjou I'm having a really great experience both academically and otherwise. In particular, the cheering orientation and the excitement of the Ko-Yon Games were great. My alma mater in Indonesia was small, but I am excited to be able to connect with a larger community after coming to Korea University.

What efforts do you make to adapt to Korea?

Gede I learned that it is culturally polite to allow elders to start eating first. In order to connect with Korea as much as possible, I try to engage with the culture even when eating out with other foreign students. Also, in Indonesia, there is no culture of bowing your head when meeting other people, but in Korea, you have to be careful to avoid moments when you may be misunderstood as being impolite. I am learning the Korean culture through first-hand experience.

Nathalia Participating in KUBA activities where we eat together once or twice a week is really helpful. I like being able to meet and become friends with other international students in the same situation.

Clockwise from left
Anjou Kothari, Jonathan Edward, Nathalia Anggraini, Seong-hyun Jeon (Department of Home Economics Education, '20, President), Gede Prasidha Bhawarnawa, Estefany Fortuna Chandra

What do you think you need most in your immediate future life in Korea?

Jonathan It would have to be understanding the language. I think that if you don't know Korean, there will be a barrier to understanding Korean culture. Learning a language is not just about learning foreign words, it is also about learning the perspectives of other cultures.

Anjou You need to respect the culture of the country you visit. I believe that through respect, we can become more connected to and accepted by society.

As an exchange student who joined KUBA, what advice would you give to future students?

Gede I would like to suggest that they actively participate in events held by KUBA. I think that the experience of communicating with Korean students and those from other countries, even if it is just over a meal or a cup of tea, is only possible at KUBA.

 

How does KUPT’s tutoring program work?

Ji-Ho KUPT is a program of the Center for Teaching and Learning that supports students in studying through help from their peers or seniors. A student who has previously taken a subject and achieved excellent grades becomes a tutor and regularly assists the tutee in his or her studies. Tutees can receive the learning knowhow necessary for their subjects from their tutors.

 

I’m curious about why you decided to participate as a tutor?

Ji-Ho I received an A+ in Biochemical Toxicology but in no way was the process easy. I received a below-average score on the midterm exam because the questions were asked differently from the way I studied the course material. While preparing for the final exam, I read the textbook carefully, asked questions of the professor, and tried to understand the concepts accurately. Especially in the case of descriptive writing, if keywords that must be included in the answer are omitted, no matter how much you write, you will not receive any points. Therefore, I studied by narrating the story step by step based on a perfect understanding of the concept involved. In the end, I received excellent grades, and I applied to become a tutor with the thought that I would not want other friends to go through the same trials and errors I had.

What do you focus on most when helping your tutees learn?

Ji-Ho We encourage tutees to clearly understand the relevant concepts and say it out loud. If tutees can become each other's tutors and teach each other the relevant content, they can prepare for any type of test.

Is there a moment when you have felt rewarded as a tutor?

Ji-Ho Tutees faithfully participate in every class. Also, when I checked last week's class content, I felt proud of the tutees' meticulous study preparation. Above all, when my tutee gets good grades on the final exam, I feel that the activities we have done have not gone to waste.

How did the tutoring program help you?

Ji-eun I applied because I had difficulty studying on my own. By getting help from the tutor first before asking questions of the professor, I was able to understand the content much more easily.

Seon-young I learned the ability to put what I learned into my own words. It was good because this capacity has benefited me in my major subjects. I think I learned how to study by looking at the forest rather than the trees.

Which students would you recommend the tutoring program to?

Ji-Ho Tutoring is recommended for students who study hard but do not get good grades. I think you will be able to study efficiently without needless trial and error with a tutor who has already studied the subject.

Seon-young I recommend it to students who want to confirm that what they know is correct. When you have questions, you can find a solution with your tutor.

Ji-eun I had to submit a weekly report on what I had learned, so reviewing material happened automatically. Thanks to this, I was able to study in advance instead of cramming during the exam period. I would like to recommend this to students who are always pressed for time and who want to meet and become friends with others from the same department.