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.