South Korean exchange students, Lee Serim and Ban Yoojin, share their experiences in Finland and talk about their studies at Karelia UAS.
Toimitusryhmä: Jenna Elo, Niklas Heikkinen, Teemu Koponen, Heidi Kuhmonen, Sanna Luukkonen
Lee Serim, 21, and Ban Yoojin, 22, came to complete their exchange studies in Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland, at the beginning of January. Their exchange period will last until June.
At Karelia UAS, Yoojin is studying Information and Communication Technology (ICT), whereas Serim is studying International Business. Back home in South Korea they both study at Seoul Women’s University, where Yoojin is majoring in User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI), and Serim in Christian Studies. Even though Yoojin and Serim study at the same university in Seoul, they didn’t know each other until they found out they both had chosen Finland as their exchange destination.
Have you enjoyed studying at KUAS?
Yoojin: I’m happy to study in Karelia. I like communicating with people and practicing my English skills.
Serim: It’s a great experience to meet other exchange students and being able to study in English with people from other countries, not just Finland.
Studying here has been easier and more chill than in Seoul
How does studying here differ from studying in your home country?
Yoojin: We have different majors here. In my home university, my major is User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI). So far, studying here has been easier and more chill than in Seoul. Other than that, it is not that different in my opinion. There are team projects here, but I am used to those due to my major in Korea.
Serim: My major in Seoul is Christian Studies. I agree with Yoojin that it is more relaxed here. However, I am planning to double major in International Development and Cooperation, so keeping up with the coursework in International Business is quite challenging to me. What surprised me here is how active and talkative students are during classes and lectures.
It’s very safe, even for a woman working alone.
Have you enjoyed living in Finland and Joensuu?
Yoojin: I think it’s very safe, even for a woman working alone. I love smaller cities like Joensuu. Though sometimes the high cost of living is tough on me.
Serim: I really love it. It’s peaceful and less crowded than Seoul. It has given me a mental break and time to reflect. I also love the fact that here it is much colder than in Korea, so I can enjoy some winter sports like figure skating or watching ice hockey.
What do you do on your free time?
Yoojin: I like to edit videos for my YouTube channel where I post vlogs about my exchange period. I also like to watch sports.
Serim: I make reels for Instagram, and I keep up with Korean baseball.
It’s considered rude to call the teachers by their first name.
Have you encountered moments of culture shock?
Yoojin: To be honest, not really. Finland is IT-advanced and I adapt quickly.
Serim: I haven’t had a big culture shock, but in Korea, it is considered rude to call the teachers by their first names, whereas in Finland that is normal. Also, every building here has a sauna!
Is there anything you miss from your home country, that is not available or present here in Finland?
Yoojin: I miss the quick delivery system. In Korea, when you order something, even late at night, it will arrive the next morning already. The markets open earlier in Korea, and we have more 24-hour stores in general.
Serim: In Korea, especially in Seoul, there are many systems of delivery service from cosmetic products to household items.
How about the food?
Yoojin: It is a little bit different, but luckily there is spicy and hot food here, too.
Serim: We miss Korean food, but Yoojin is a good cook, so she can cook Korean food for us! They also have Asian markets here that sell Korean food.
Is there something here in Finland that you wish you had in your home country?
Yoojin: The night sky and the stars are more visible in Joensuu, and you can see Northern Lights here, too. I also like visiting second-hand shops here – we don’t really have those in South Korea.
Serim: I, too, wish we had second-hand shops in Korea; there are stores for vintage clothes and person-to-person trading on this app called Danggeun Market, but not physical second-hand shops like here in Finland.
We were very worried at first because we struggled to find any information about Finland.
Is there something else you wish to talk about your experiences here in Finland?
Serim: It is not very common for Korean students to come to Finland, I think it’s the distance. We were very worried at first because we struggled to find any information about Finland. I love the kind people and the relaxed atmosphere. I have also started taking weekly figure skating lessons via Sykettä here, which is something I could not have done very easily in Korea because there aren’t many ice rinks there.
According to Serim and Yoojin, most South Korean exchange student choose to study in Germany and Italy. They wanted to experience something new and unique, so they chose Finland.
Because of the massive distance between Finland and South Korea, after their studies at KUAS, Serim and Yoojin wish to explore other Nordic countries and Europe in general. Serim is also planning on spending another semester as an exchange student here in Europe.
