LET US ENJOY KOREA AND THE MONEY GIVEN TO US THUS FAR

I am not being pessimist; I’m being logical.  I can foresee I will FAIL all my classes this semester, or I will pass them with very low scores.

First of all, this semester I have one of the most disrespectful and stuck-up professors I have ever met in my entire life within the 4 different countries I’ve studied so far, including this one.  We clashed so I doubt she will grade me accordingly.

 Second, this time around no English questions in the exams and no take home exams, which mean I will not have the time or resources to translate.  By the time I finish translating and understanding the questions… TIME IS UP.  I’ll be screwed. 

It seems to me that because I got the highest score in a mandatory comprehensive exam for graduation, now professors think I can read and understand Korean perfectly well, which cannot be further from the truth.  What they DON’T KNOW is that since the professor said the questions were going to be taken from the midterm and final exams, I PRETTY MUCH MEMORIZED THOSE QUESTIONS, which means, I ACTUALLY DIDN’T READ THE QUESTIONS, as soon as I RECOGNIZED A FEW PHRASES AND WORDS, I ASSUMED IT WAS THE SAME QUESTION AS QUESTION NUMBER SO AND SO FROM THE PREVIOUS EXAMS, and I answered according to them.  It wasn’t because I understood what I was reading at all.

But it’s alright.  I already cried enough, and I already started packing for my return to Panama.  Not because I am giving up, but because from now on my grades will be so low that I am going to lose my scholarship… eventually.  So I am just getting ready for it.

I’ve only regretted a few things in my whole life; staying in the Journalism Department of Kyung Hee University is one of them.  I was so stupid and naïve to have let this Department convince me they were going to give me support with my studies.  THEY KNEW PERFECTLY WELL THAT I WAS ONLY TOPIK LEVEL 3 and my Korean skills were not enough; still they convinced me to stay.  My greatest mistake so far, here in Korea, was to TURN AROUND AND STAY in this Department when I was already ON MY WAY TO THE NIIED TO CHANGE MY MAJOR TO AN ALL-ENGLISH TRACK. 

Well, nothing I can do about it anymore.  I am just happy and grateful I was able to show that I am not stupid, and that I am not here wasting my time.  Until now, I have been an A student in this University; so I think I have proven more than enough that Hispanic students, no matter which age, are more than capable students. 

So all being said and done, I will continue studying for a test I am not going to understand at all and will most likely FAIL… just for the heck of it XDDDD; just because I really like the subject and I want to learn more about it, because my grandmother taught me to do my BEST and try until the end in everything I do, and because I have to justify the money I have received so far from Korea… I am getting paid to study, so study I will XDDD.  IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

However, I WILL NO LONGER KILL MYSELF studying.  I will study and do my assignments LEISURELY and PLEASURABLY.  I will not strive for perfection anymore because, at the end of the day, it will not matter since my KOREAN PERFORMANCE seems to be the most important thing lately, and in that respect, ladies and gentlemen… I SUCK BIG TIME XDDD.  Therefore, if I am going to fail, ANYWAY, I might as well enjoy the rest of my stay in Korea.

Since it will take some time for my scholarship to be taken away and for me to be sent back to Panama,  I will cut down some study and project-working hours, and I will spend more time touring, eating delicious food, chasing celebrities, attending cultural events, spending time with friends, and simply put, JUST ENJOYING MYSELF here in Korea.  I will no longer make a BIG FUSS about not understanding or not being able to do something because it is IN KOREAN. If my classmates want to help me, GOOD; if not, also GOOD.  If the professor does not want to listen to my presentations because they are not in Korean, GOOD; I will sit down.  If I cannot answer the questions form a test because they are in Korean, GOOD; I will just write my name down and leave earlier. 

In all honesty, I am too old already to be concerned about GOOD GRADES, and not even when I was younger I was concerned about grades.  Not when I was 5 years old, nor when I was 15 years old and my mother could SPANK the life out of me for having bad grades was I concerned or worried about having good grades.  So forget it!!!  I am not going to start FRETTING about it now. I have demonstrated more than enough that I am not stupid; and honestly, I don’t need to prove that to anybody; it is more than enough I KNOW IT, period.

So… let’s go back to LEISURELY study for a little bit more; and then get ready to enjoy the money that Koreans have given me while taking a nice stroll along the Han riverbank; and finally, let’s end the day by going to bed early (NO MORE LOSING PRECIOUS HOURS OF SLEEP) since there is NO POINT for killing myself studying when the Korean Language Barrier will not let me show how much I did.

LET US ENJOY KOREA, AND THE MONEY GIVEN TO US THUS FAR… until they take it away from us XDDDD.  At least, the nice memories and the good times will always remain.

ACADEMIC LIFE IN KOREA (Part II): South Korea, why do you invite foreign students to study in your country if you don’t want them here?

… so to speak.

Note: In these series of articles I will present my views of the GOOD, THE PRETTY, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY of being a foreign student in Korea.  I am only addressing the “studying in Korea” topic, not the “living in Korea” topic. Also, it is based on my PERSONAL experience so it may be somewhat biased (although I will try to be as objective as possible).  I sincerely hope that through my experiences and accounts many prospect students, especially Panamanian students, can weigh on the balance the pros and cons of studying in Korea and can make the best decision for them.

I will resume the topic from my previous post, but first, I would like to clarify the meaning behind the dramatic title for this article.

 In reality, it is not true that Korea does not want foreign students on its ground.  On the contrary, Korea offers a vast array of cultural activities for foreign students and foreigners in general.  Especially the big cities, such as Seoul and Busan, are so vibrant and full of life, cultural, and popular entertainment that, as I mentioned in my previous article, it is FANTASTIC to be a foreign student in Korea.  Even within the high-education institutions, many Universities (some more than others, and some that do not really provide anything for foreigners) offer mentor and buddy programs, have different clubs and activities where international students can participate and make Korean friends, provide international student services, prepare cultural events, and offer language-exchange programs.  However, within the ACADEMIC SETTING; in other words, within the Department, the major, and the classroom itself, Korea is not so welcoming for international students, ESPECIALLY, international students with limited Korean skills.  As a matter of fact, the attitude and behavior of SOME members of the faculty and SOME Korean students within the classroom can make you feel that foreign students ARE NOT WELCOMED; hence, the title of this article.

As I explained in my previous article, the international student body of Korea is divided into two classes: a) The ones who are proficient in Korean, and therefore, can perform their academic tasks in Korean, and b) the ones who are very limited in Korean proficiency, and therefore, cannot perform their academic tasks in Korean.

The first group of students are usually students WHO HAD ALREADY STUDIED KOREAN IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS, who had worked with Koreans for a long time, who have had plenty of contact with Koreans because their countries have a big Korean community, or their countries have very strong political and economic ties with Korea; or plain and simple, they are students who are one of those rare cases of language-talented geniuses that are able to master a language in one year or less no matter how complicated that language may be.  The students from the second group, on the other hand, do not know ANY KOREAN or only know a few expressions that they have learned from dramas or songs; they have not had ANY CONTACT with Koreans or the contact has been very limited, and have not had the opportunity to study Korean in advanced because, PLAIN AND SIMPLY, THERE ARE NO FORMAL KOREAN CLASSES in their countries. 

Obviously, the first group of students can adapt and perform better within ALL-KOREAN departments, and they are regarded better by the Korean professors and Korean students; they are perceived as more competent and more interested in the Korean culture than the students from the second group.  Now, I am not stating that everything is easy for fluent-Korean-speaking students, or that studying in Korea is a walk in the park for them; but at least, they do not get pressured, criticized, and ridiculed in front of the class for not speaking Korean or not being able perform in Korean. 

The students from the second group are constantly compared to the foreign students from the first group.  Since those students are actually able to write their reports and make their presentations in Korean (even if it is a broken Korean or not perfect Korean), they set the bar, with which all other foreign students are going to be measured against, very high.  This creates a problem because limited-Korean-speaking students are then expected to perform at the same level of proficiency of fluent-Korean-speaking students, which puts them under a lot of pressure and emotional distress.

Korean professors FAIL TO UNDERSTAND that there is a huge difference between these two groups of students.  Also, they FAIL to understand that there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between foreign students in Korea, and foreign students in America, for example.  Foreign students in America are accepted into Colleges and Universities because THEY ALREADY KNOW ENGLISH.  Therefore, ALL FOREIGN students admitted into high-education institutes in the United States START WITH AN EQUAL FOOTING.  THEY ALREADY KNOW ENOUGH ENGLISH before getting into College, which is not the case in Korea.  Korea accepts students who only studied Korean for one year into their high-education programs; one year of Korean language studies is not enough to pursue a degree in Korean. 

Unfortunately, because Korean professors FAIL to understand this, they also compare international students with limited Korean skills to Korean students who go to study abroad.  “But, Koreans also have a hard time when they study abroad.” “It is also difficult for Koreans to write reports in English and make presentations in English, but they do it… at least they try; so there is no excuse for you.” These and similar expressions are constantly thrown to the face of limited-Korean-speaking students.

Not only do limited-Korean-speaking students get compared to other international students who are fluent in Korean, to Koreans who are fluent in other languages and study abroad in high-education institutions; but also, THEY GET COMPARED TO THE KOREAN PROFESSORS THEMSELVES.  Since many of these professors also studied abroad, they compare themselves to the limited-Korean-speaking student, and regard students, who cannot perform in Korean as lazy or as wanting to take the easy road when in reality, those students work twice as hard as proficient-Korean-speaking students and Korean students. 

It seems that these Korean professors CONVENIENTLY FORGET that before they went to study abroad, they spent, AT LEAST, 5 YEARS OR MORE studying English or whichever language they wanted to target.  (I mean, seriously, let us not try to cover the sun with one finger.  It is well known around the World how obsessive Koreans can be with education and how they spend hours and hours studying a language since elementary school, middle school, high school, PLUS “hagwons” , or language institutes.)  If, by any chance Koreans are not fluent in English or any other language, and they go to study abroad, usually, it is PRECISELY TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE, not to enroll in a Master or Doctorate degree program, which is precisely the MAIN DIFFERENCE between them and the limited-Korean-speaking international students.

These students are in Korea to pursue A DEGREE PROGRAM, not to study the language.  In the case of government scholarship students, they are offered a ONE YEAR Korean language program so they can SURVIVE within the Korean society, not for them to be able to PURSE A DEGREE IN KOREAN.  Or, are Koreans really THAT NAIVE?  Do they really think their language can be learned, let me correct, MASTERED in one year???  Especially for foreigners whose language structure is completely different from Korean, do they REALLY BELIEVE those students can become fluent in Korean in ONE YEAR?  As I mentioned before, except for those few rare exceptions, it is obvious that is PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

Aside from this, limited-Korean-students are judge by SOME Koreans to be only interested in K-Dramas, K-pop, and Korean celebrities, and that they do not really care for the Korean culture and society; reason why they don’t know Korean.  How far from the truth is that.  Of course, some internationals students only care about those types of things, but it is not the case with the majority of international students. 

These Koreans do not even STOP to think for a moment (it seems to me; I may be wrong) when they interact with foreigners who cannot speak Korean, that perhaps those foreigners have only been here for a few months or a year at the most; hence, reason why they still cannot speak Korean.  They assume –as I read in an article written by a student or faculty from KAIST—that the moment an international scholar finishes the language course, THEY DO NOT CONTINUE the Korean language study; hence, reason why they still cannot speak Korean.  They don’t stop to think for a moment, that once a scholarship student moves onto his actual major, he or she NO LONGER HAS THE TIME TO CONTINUE WITH FORMAL KOREAN LANGUAGE COURSES; and that in spite of that, they always try to make the time to continue to learn Korean because those students ARE VERY WELL AWARE THAT the more Korean they know, the more pleasant and comfortable their life in Korea will be.

Cut from the article from Kaist that severly criticizes limited-Korean-Speakers

In sum, as you can see, LIMITED-KOREAN-SPEAKING STUDENTS face harsh criticism from Korean professors, Korean students, and Koreans in general.  ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, THE ENTIRE KOREAN POPULATION IS NOT LIKE THAT.  There are some Koreans that are so warm and understanding that they can literally bring you to tears of joy and gratefulness.  However, the underlying perception, the prevailing assumption, is that limited-Korean-Speaking students do not try hard enough.

Now, I may be completely wrong in everything I have said so far.  However, there is an undeniable truth that can always be perceived by BODY LANGUAGE, which is more powerful than words.  Moreover, many Korean professors DO NOT ONLY USE THEIR BODY LANGUAGE to display their attitudes toward foreign students with limited Korean skills, they also couple that with words (as it was my case with the Korean professor I mentioned in my previous article.  She not only uses words but emphasizes them with her body language so I can understand very clearly that she is very DISPLEASED with the fact that I don’t perform in Korean).  Unfortunately, the behavior of these professors, the anecdotes that I have heard from other international students (graduates and undergraduates) lead me to believe that I am not that far from reality. 

So, after reading this, will you come to Korea to purse a degree?  Honestly, it is up to you.  Just keep in mind that this is the present situation that many international students are facing here in Korea (me being one of them).  Studying here can be very rewarding.  You receive high-quality education, you get to experience a new culture, you get to meet people from all over the world, you get to eat delicious food, if you are into Hallyu, you get to see your favorite stars in person, you can visit the places and do  stuff you have seen in your favorite Korean dramas, you get to buy the best makeup and skin products ever, you can buy the latest and trendy fashion; of course, the most important thing, YOU GET TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE.  However, keep in mind that the main reason you are coming here is to STUDY A MAJOR; which means that it is within the academic world that you will spend most of your time.  And it is in this setting where you will face the hardest criticism and pressure.

Therefore, if your student profile fits within the NON-PROFICIENT-IN-KOREAN profile, it would be better to carefully weigh the pros and cons of coming here.  If you can get easily offended and hurt, should you come?  If you don’t want your idealized image of Korea to be shattered, should you come?  If you don’t want to spend many nights without sleeping for doing assignments just to have the professor criticize or ridicule you in front of the entire class the next day, should you come? Just think about it.  And if you still want to come, just be ready to take the bull by the horns.  At least, now you know what to expect.  I didn't when I came.

Choose an all-English track program, learn a lot of Korean before coming, or just come with the attitude of I DON’T GIVE A F***… and be happy.

ACADEMIC LIFE IN KOREA (Part I): Will I encourage Panamanians to pursue a degree here?

My answer is NO.  DO NOT COME TO STUDY TO KOREA unless…

Note: In these series of articles I will present my views of the GOOD, THE PRETTY, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY of being a foreign student in Korea.  I am only addressing the “studying in Korea” topic, not the “living in Korea” topic. Also, it is based on my PERSONAL experience so it may be somewhat biased (although I will try to be as objective as possible).  I sincerely hope that through my experiences and accounts many prospect students, especially Panamanian students, can weigh on the balance the pros and cons of studying in Korea and can make the best decision for them.

I always get a bunch of messages in my inbox -- especially during the months of January, February, September, and August—from people, mainly Panamanians, who are interested in applying for a scholarship or are interested in studying in Korea.  They want to know about the application process, they want me to give them tips on how to get the scholarship, etc.  But the one question that never fails to show up is: How is life in Korea?

Well, if I must be honest, I would say, life in Korea, for a student, is FANTASTIC.  I am not being sarcastic.  It is the truth, at least for me.  But, the ACADEMIC LIFE IN KOREA is a totally different story, and today I am going to be very honest, open, and straightforward about it even if I might offend Korean susceptibilities.

Academic life in Korea, for a FOREIGNER, is not easy; it is not a walk in the park; but, as surprising as it may be, it is not due to the degree of difficulty of the subjects, or because classes are in Korean, it is because Korea DOES NOT HAVE AN ADECUATE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.  Korean high-education system is not GLOBAL, and it is millions of light-years behind the American educational system for foreigners.  It is not well organized and it is not accommodating or welcoming for foreign students at all.  Why?

Well, first of all, Universities allow foreign students with basic Korean knowledge to enroll in their institutions, but once they are enrolled, those students are expected to perform with and advanced level of Korean, which is basically IMPOSSIBLE.  IF the student cannot perform in Korean, he or she is immediately put on the spot by most of the Korean faculty; and he or she is not welcomed in group-projects by many Korean students.  In other words, most of the time foreign students who cannot perform 100% in Korean are seen as “kwichantta” (tiresome, troublesome, or in good, plain-old-English, a PAIN IN THE NECK).  Indeed, a limited-Korean-speaking student becomes a burden in class… or at least, that is how SOME Korean professors and students make you feel.

For example, yesterday, I had a 30 minute presentation in class.  I killed myself researching academic articles, preparing for the presentation; I even went to the extent of typing my whole presentation to share it with my classmates precisely because I felt bad for doing the presentation in English, which of course, makes it difficult for Korean students to understand; but of course, IT WASN’T ENOUGH. 

The moment I began my presentation, the professor cut me off, and asked me why I was not doing the presentation in Korean. “Aren’t you in Korea?” “You are supposed to study in Korean and give your presentations in Korean.” “Aren’t you studying Korean?” So I answer, “Yes, I still study Korean but my level is not good enough to make master’s presentations in Korean.” The professor continued saying a bunch of things, that if I am going to be honest, I only understood half of it; but I understood enough to know that she was telling me that I SHOULD TRY to do my presentations in Korean.

 After that, everything went down the spiral.  Being put on the spot coupled with the fatigue affected my presentation.  At the end, the professor DID NOT LET ME FINISH MY PRESENTATION, she said it was enough, criticized EVERYTHING BUT the content, and finished the class almost 10 minutes earlier (which SHE NEVER DOES. Actually she is the type of professor that always finishes right on time or a few minutes later).  Moreover, after the presentation the professor asked the other students if they understood what I said and if they were able to read my power point slide’s content, and when the students replied “Yes” –out of kindness, I am sure, because most likely they didn’t understand everything I said—she SMIRKED.  It was a total “yeah right, as if… you guys didn’t understand anything” type of mocking smile.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind HARSH CRITICISM as long as it is related to the academic content.  This same professor, pretty much destroyed my research proposal last week, but you see, I didn’t feel offended, I didn’t get sad.  On the contrary, I felt good.  Why? Because, at that time, the professor’s harsh comments were directed to the ACADEMIC CONTENT of my presentation; she pointed out many flaws in my proposal and provided me with guidance on how to address my research problem.  I, being a student who has never conducted research before, welcomed all those comments with open mind, ready to apply them into my research.

However, this time around, I was criticized for NOT SPEAKING KOREAN.  This is not the first time this happens.  At the beginning of the semester, a similar situation happened in my other classes.  The only difference is that once those professors accepted the fact that I cannot write long, complicated reports in Korean, or I cannot do long, complicated presentations in Korean, they let it go.  They don’t make disrespectful gestures, they don’t make harsh comments in front of the class members, and until now, they have never touched the “not being able to speak Korean” subject again.

Now, many of you might be thinking: “But why don’t you do your stuff in Korean anyway? After all, you are in Korea, aren’t you?” Or, “why did you decide to study in Korea to begin with? Don’t complain then.”

Well the answer is simple.  When the Korean Government offers a scholarship, when the Korean high-education institutions advertise their education programs outside, they make it sound so INTERNATIONAL, so GLOBAL, so open and tolerant for foreigners and foreign cultures that many of us cannot help but fall in the trap of studying in Korea.  Now, academically speaking, Korean education is beyond good.  There is no doubt about it; but the ACADEMIC LIFE, the system structure, the thing that goes beyond the books and academic journals IS NOT.  In sum, to my point of view, KOREA IS NOT READY TO RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WITH LIMITED KOREAN SKILLS.

I stress the point of LIMITED KOREAN SKILLS for one very important reason.  In Korea there are two types of FOREIGN STUDENTS:  The ones who speak Korean (or at least know enough Korean to be able to understand, speak, read, write, and perform academically in Korean), and the ones who don’t speak Korean (actually, they speak, understand, read, and write enough to be able to survive in Korea). This second group of students, which is the one I belong to, HAVE A VERY HARD TIME IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD of Korea. 

The second group of students is not very well regarded by many of the Korean faculty, many Korean students, and Koreans in general.  I would like to emphasize the word MANY, which means not all Korean faculty, not all Korean students, and not the entire population of Korea has a bad perception or intolerance toward foreign students with limited Korean skills.  However, there is, indeed, a prevailing perception of foreign students with limited Korean skills as being lazy, not interested in the Korean culture, not interested in learning Korean, not willing to make an effort, and only looking for the easy road to make their assignments in English.

Therefore, if you belong to the second group of students, students who are not skilled or proficient in Korean; my sincere advice is DO NOT COME TO KOREA TO STUDY unless you are the type of person who does not give a “fuck” about anything, or whose skin is thicker than the alligator’s.  Otherwise, be prepared to get hurt. (In my next article, you will see why).  And if you still want to come, make sure, and by this I mean, MAKE REALLY SURE, you will study in an ALL-ENGLISH TRACK program.  Do not attempt to pursue a major within an ALL KOREAN department because you will face little tolerance and understanding.  Don’t expect that the 1 YEAR you are going to study the Korean language will be enough for you to study in Korean; therefore if you still would like to pursue a major in Korean, and you do not speak Korean, make sure you are mentally and emotional prepared to face criticism for NOT SPEAKING KOREAN. 

In my next article, I will expand on the topic and I will present some of the challenges that the limited-Korean-speaking students face while coursing studies in all Korean Departments.