Exchange at Sogang University, South Korea

Hi all,

I am now a month into my UTS global exchange at Sogang University – and absolutely loving it! Here I’ll share a bit about my experience so far, and some tips for prospective students coming to Sogang.

As I’m taking on this exchange as part of my International Studies ICS electives, the courses I’ve enrolled in centre around Korean language and culture. Korean Politics, Social Change, History of Korean Philosophy, and the Mediums of Korean Cultural Modernity are my ‘primary’ subject load. In addition to these subjects, I have enrolled in the KLEC (Korean Language Education Centre) KGP60 language class. This is the only Korean language course offered for undergraduate exchange students, as the other more intensive language courses run during the daytime (and thus, may disrupt your class schedules for ‘primary’ subjects). This is something to take note of if you wish to sign up for language studies here!

Class times vary from 1-3 hours per class, each held twice per week. The classes are generally like an informal lecture, however some classes are more involved with weekly debate and discussions. The Korean university teaching style overall is quite similar to the U.S., so personally I took some time to adjust to the fast pace! My professors in each subject have studied in the U.S. previously, so it’s really interesting to hear their experiences there and in Korean society. On top of that, the class is full of international and Korean students – there are so many interesting discussions happening comparing our histories, cultural norms, etc.

A few weeks into the beginning of semester, Sogang University Festival was held. For the whole week, there were different events happening all over campus: Market stalls were selling jewellery, vintage clothes, and pins. Temporary tattoo booths were opened, and you could sit for a 3 minute portrait of you and a friend for only 3000won! Food trucks were selling a wide variety of fast food snacks. The festival concludes with a concert at the end of the night – a tradition that happens in many Korean universities, and is super competitive to see what university can book which famous artists. This year, Sogang was headlined by the KRNB artist Jay Park!

Life on campus is always thriving and exciting, there’s something new happening every day for you to discover. Sogang famously has cats all around campus that will happily chill with you during lunch or dinner hours. As Sogang is in the heart of Seoul, there’s heaps of options for entertainment and food close to campus as well! One important tip I recommend to future students is before your first day of class, take a walk around the campus. You’ll find shortcuts to get to different buildings that can save you time between classes – especially considering how Sogang is situated on a hill, so there’s a lot of steep, uphill treks you should mentally prepare for! However, the beautiful nature throughout the campus makes it all worth it. There’s plenty of peaceful gardens around campus for you to discover, decorated with Jesuit iconography and historical Sogang figures.

My time at Sogang University thus far has been fantastic, from the academic opportunities to the people you meet here. If any prospective students have questions about Sogang University or Seoul exchange in general – feel free to reach out!

Lauren Klugt

Bachelor of Communications/Bachelor of International Studies

Global Exchange Student

Sogang University, South Korea

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant Recipient