03/08/2019
It has been a week since we've arrived and its been amazing so far. I live in an Airbnb with Derek, Vicky, and Kyleen separate from the SNU campus. I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed I didn't try to apply for the dormitory. The amount the each of us pay per month (approx $625/mo) is the same cost to live in the dorms for the whole semester (approx $650/sem). We thought there was a curfew, like how most Korean universities have, but SNU doesn't enforce it. Oh well, you live and you learn.
Weather is slowly starting to warm up, but the air quality is more or less the same throughout the week. We downloaded an app called 미세미세 (misae misae) which measures the PM (particulate matter) in the air. I also found another app called "Sh*t I Smoke" (pardon the vulgar language) that equates the air quality to the amount of cigarettes you would be smoking. With that being said, buying a mask was the first thing I did once I reached a convenience store.
My class schedule is pretty lax compared to most students. I have a 4-day weekend because I only have M-W classes, but class registration is a lot different compared to UH Manoa. To be honest, we are really blessed to be able to use STAR. At Seoul National University, there are only 2 days dedicated to registering for classes. Once those days are over, you're locked in until school starts and the "add/drop" period opens. Overall, it was not intuitive and a bit frustrating. If I could give a bit of advice, be especially aware of the timezone differences.
With that being said, I am a little anxious since it has been a while since I've done schoolwork, but I am still excited to see how rigorous Korea's #1 school really is.
