▲ International students who participate in Cheering Up Challenge are receiving masks (By Office of International Education)

 

SeoulTech Exchange Students’ University Life During the Pandemic

SeoulTech has continued to attract an increasing number of exchange students over the years, but COVID-19 has had a negative impact on this growth. However, as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available, the number of exchange students will increase this semester compared with Spring 2021. Therefore, we think SeoulTech should prepare for future exchange students to make campus life better. In the last issue of The SeoulTech, we discussed the results of a survey we conducted with exchange students. From the responses, we found out the biggest problems exchange students faced. Surprisingly, though, all of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their time at SeoulTech. Notwithstanding, some expressed dissatisfaction about their dorm life. Based on that finding, we thought it would be important to have an interview with an official from the SeoulTech dormitory to discuss ways to improve exchange students’ university life. Also, we describe the International Students’ Club (ISC), which plans programs that help international students adjust to life at SeoulTech and in Korea more generally.

 

Interview with a Dormitory Staff Member

We sat down for an hour-long interview with Sangjun Kim, the official who is in charge of selecting and managing international students in the dormitory. In this interview, Sangjun Kim replys our questions as the interviewee.

Q1. Hello, we are The SeoulTech. Can you introduce yourself?

SJK) Hi, I'm Sangjun Kim, a dormitory official.

 

Q2. What responsibilities are you in charge of?

SJK) I'm managing international students in general. In particular, I am in charge of selecting occupants before the beginning of the semester. According to the report card from their home institution, officials decide whether a student is eligible to move in. Also, I plan an orientation to help occupants settle into their dormitory life. Previously, orientation was held one-on-one. But, due to COVID-19, we now have orientation through documents and videos. Lastly, after their move-in, I check occupants’ overall living situation constantly.

 

Q3. What is the most frequent question or request from international students?

SJK) There are several questions that international students ask us every semester. First, 'How can I get a single room?’ Second, 'Do I have to eat all three meals in the cafeteria?’ Lastly, 'How can I get a scholarship?’

I ‘How can I get a single room?’

This is the most frequent question I've gotten since I was first assigned to this role. We know that many students prefer single rooms, but now we have only 40 single rooms in the ‘International Students’ Dorm’. So the number of single rooms is limited. We're sorry that we can't offer every student a single room. To give you a tip, if you have an adequate score from your home school, the faster you enroll with SeoulTech, the higher the chance you have of getting a single room.

II 'Do I have to eat all three meals in the cafeteria?’

No, you don't have to. But if you want, you can choose between one meal, two meals, or three meals a day. Also, there are some students who are not familiar with Korean foods. So, we're offering multicultural menus (western-style breakfast, for example) for them. Also, for those who want to make their own meal themselves, there is a shared kitchen. You can cook any food you want there (except one which has a strong aroma). In addition, there is a shared refrigerator, which is not allowed to be brought into your room. So, you can keep your food in there. These facilities are only for international students; Korean students don't have any of these.

III 'How can I get a scholarship?"

Although there is a scholarship for the dormitory, we're not in charge of the scholarship. Actually, the Office of International Education selects scholarship students. As far as I know, they consider the score of your home school, so please check the information available on their website or office.

 

Q3. Do you have any requests for occupants?

SJK) We'd like to ask them to keep some rules. We're giving them constant notices about policies, but not all students are alert to these rules. To make a cozier dormitory, please be aware of the following rules.

① Please always manage your room on your own.

We can't check students’ rooms every day, so occupants have to clean their room themselves. If they don't, it can lead to a bigger problem, like the appearance of bugs. Also, be aware of eating something in your room. We understand, on some level, but please clean up after yourself as soon as you finish eating. Lastly, cooking and drinking in your room are not allowed for any reason. Please use the shared kitchen outside of your room. Cooking in our room can be related to fire issues, and drinking can be related to severe cleaning and noise issues. So please don't cook or drink in a dormitory room. There have been some issues with students hiding empty bottles in their room. We heard that many students don't like spot checks, but we have no choice if the same kind of cleaning problems happen repeatedly.

② If a problem comes up, please let us know ASAP.

We're here to make your living situation better at SeoulTech. So, if a problem happens, please let us know immediately. Small problems can get bigger if international students try to solve complicated things themselves. We will help you as much as we can. For example, every semester, we give students three weeks to enroll in courses. Also, if a bank problem happens, we give students extra time to transfer dormitory fees. So, don't worry; let us know in advance. If you don't let us know about your enrollment problem, we will have to take your name off our list. Like this, please inform us about any problem you have.

 

Q5. Thank you for spending your time with us. Are there any comments you want to add?

SJK) As I mentioned already, we're here to help international students, so let's make a cozy dormitory life together. Thank you!

 

As we can find out from this interview, dormitory staff are in charge of the residential life of international students. At the end of the interview, the dormitory staff added that they hoped,international students could welcome a new, refreshing day and wrap up their day nicely in the dormitory. Likewise, dormitories are responsible for the overall residential life of international students. But beyond simple residential life, international exchange students to Korea will want to experience more places outside of school. Also, there may be questions about Korean culture as they do so.

 

In the next section, we will cover an organization that is helping international students get out of their dorm and experience the overall school life.The name of the organization is 'ISC’, and it is an independent volunteer organization for Korean students of SeoulTech.



 

ISC: A Channel That Helps Exchange Students’ with their University Life



While the dormitory staff and the Office of International Education are more than happy to help international exchange students, sometimes it would be more comfortable to talk with peers. Exchange students can also get support from the International Students’ Club (ISC). The ISC is an officially recognized club at SeoulTech and aims to help international students in three areas - Korean Language Learning Students, Exchange Students, and Undergraduate/Graduate Students. About 50-60 Korean students who passed through an application process, including an interview, are working as buddies. Among them, the president of ISC selects head officials through an interview. Then, head officials assign each international student a Korean buddy. Approximately, one Korean buddy supports 3-4 international students.

 

▶ What Does ISC Do?

From arrival to farewell, ISC helps international students with their life in Korea. Before exchange students’ arrival, ISC plans an ‘airport pickup’. Korean students send their buddies an email, letting them know that ISC will pick them up. On the arrival day, ISC prepares a small snack package for exchange students who might have had a tough time on the airplane. Then, ISC members go to the airport on a bus they rented. After ISC members meet their buddies, they greet each other and take them to the SeoulTech dormitory. Currently, due to the recommendation of the Korean government, airport pickup has been suspended. As soon as the pandemic situation improves, ISC will resume the pickup service.

 

Right before the semester, ISC also runs a ‘Campus Tour’ to introduce the SeoulTech campus and history. For about 4 weeks before the semester starts, ISC members prepare a tour program (rotations of the tour, Korean members' role assignments, etc.) and mini-games that contain information and tips for exchange students. The Campus Tour runs for about 4 hours. After the tour, Korean members give each other feedback to prepare for a better tour next semester.

 

During the semester, ISC helps international students with their overall school life, like dormitory enrollment and registering for classes. Also, Korean members and their buddies have to meet up at least twice a month, as ISC members. This is necessary because ISC members can get to know each other better and can understand more about different cultures, through periodic meetings. Actually, that is the main goal of ISC.

 

After the semester, ISC prepares a farewell party for exchange students. In "Two Of Us’, the coffee shop near the international dormitory, all Korean and international buddies gather to say goodbye. They watch a video that shows ISC's activities, and buddies share memories together.

 

▶ How Can I Get In?

Korean students: Before the semester starts, ISC announces recruitment on the online school board (S}AFS4]) and Instagram account (@seoultech_isc). Then, students who want to join the ISC have to write a self-introduction on the SeoulTech portal site. After prospective members pass the initial application step, ISC holds an interview with them. If the candidates pass the interview, they can be a member of ISC.

International students: After arriving at SeoulTech, visit the Office of International Education and register for a buddy from ISC.

 

▶ What is ISC’s plan for the pandemic situation?

① Mask distribution and pandemic prevention education

Last winter, there were limitations on purchasing masks to protect against COVID-19, so international students had difficulty securing masks. As a result, ISC and the Office of International Education coordinated to provide masks, mask straps, and hot packs for international students. Like this, ISC will manage to solve problems international students face as a result of the pandemic.

Also, every student who is going to live in Korea needs to be aware of quarantine guidelines as long as the pandemic persists. Quarantine guidelines are different for each country, so ISC is going to remind international students about Korean guidelines.

Lastly, we are also going to inform Korean buddies of all the updated quarantine guidelines. If Korean buddies are not aware of recent news about the pandemic, they can't help international students properly. So, we will provide regular information sessions to Korean buddies, too.

 

② Alternative plans due to restrictions on outdoor activities

Due to COVID-19, ISC cannot run its usual plans as easily. Instead of outdoor activities, ISC is planning online programs that are related to Korean culture and life. For example, they are planning an online K-pop quiz contest for international students who like K-pop, an online cooking class where participants learn to make Korean food through Zoom, and a Korean speaking contest that introduces and investigates famous Korean historical sites.

 

The Key to Improving Exchange Students’ University Life: Listening to Each Other's Voices

As introduced above, SeoulTech has various organizations which are active in various fields to help international students living in the school. However, now COVID-19 has led to restrictions on the organizations’ activities. Nevertheless, SeoulTech's dormitory administration, the Office of International Education, and ISC are trying to continue their activities to help exchange students have more meaningful experiences in SeoulTech. One example is the 'Cheering Up Challenge’ organized by the Office of International Education and ISC. The event gave international students masks, hand sanitizers, and some snacks because the students had difficulty getting masks. This event could be completed successfully due to exchange students’ active compliance with the quarantine system and consideration from the university. This event is one of the examples of successful and productive communication between exchange students and SeoulTech. It shows that in order to facilitate communication, both sides need to make an effort, not just one. When both sides try to listen to each other's needs and concerns, future exchange students will have better school lives, and our university can continue to grow. To foster meaningful experiences between exchange students and SeoulTech in the future, we need to listen to each other's voices and make mutual efforts, which is a task that SeoulTech and international students will continue to engage in for the future.



 

Reporters,

Yougyeong Yoon geannie0611@seoultech.ac.kr

Gayeon Han hgy1228@seoultech.ac.kr