Registration + Start of School

Registration for the fall semester was held around mid August. Yonsei uses a mileage system, not a time based one, for the first round (so thankfully I didn’t have rush to register as soon as it opened). Basically I was given 72 points and could allot these points to any classes I wanted, at any amount. You can also check to see the average mileage for classes from the previous semester, which is what I based my mileage on. For example, on average students allotted 19.91 points for the Korean Popular Culture class last semester, so I allotted 20 points towards that class. The first round of registration closed after 5 days and we could check the results the next day. Luckily I got all the classes I wanted that round (the second round of registration was first come first serve). When looking at classes, you need to make sure they are offered in English AND are open to foreign exchange students. Some classes I was interested in were taught in English, but were only for regular students. Overall, all the classes I wanted were either from the business school (course code BIZ) or the study abroad program (IEE). A lot of my classes were hybrid and would meet both in-person and online (only one was completely online).

I would recommend checking Yonsei’s classes from the previous semesters as soon as you get accepted. You won’t be able to see what classes the upcoming semester will offer until around a month or two before the semester starts, but this is still useful to do. Shidler has a list of pre-approved classes you can take and that transfers as credit, but certain classes might not be offered anymore by the time you go abroad. For example, there was an accounting class I wanted to take, but after I checked Yonsei’s classes from the previous semester, I saw that it hadn’t been open to exchange students for a while. When I checked classes again to see what was offered for the upcoming semester, I was expecting it wasn’t going to be offered and already had a new plan on what to take. Checking before registration also gives you time to look for other classes that you could potentially petition for to transfer back as UH credits.

It is also helpful to have a backup list of classes to take. I was very lucky to get all the classes I wanted the first round, but some other UH students didn’t and so needed to register for their backup classes instead. Making a list of backup classes also gives you time to petition for any if needed. In addition, it is also helpful to make a spreadsheet to prepare for registration.

The classes I registered for (and the corresponding UH credits) are IEE1154: Korean Popular Culture and Korean Wave (BUS 376I), IEE2060: Principles of Marketing (BUS 312), IEE3341: Korean 1 (KOR 101), and IEE3347: Corporate Finance (BUS 314). Below is my schedule, which is pretty spread out over the week (however, a lot of students get Fridays completely off).

School started on a Thursday (September 1st) and earlier that week we picked up our student IDs and Certificate of Enrollment (which is needed for the ARC application). We had an in-person orientation where they talked about academics, important locations on campus, and clubs (e.g. Mentors Club, where Korean students get paired with exchange students). We also got a student handbook and a free Yonsei bag!

On the first day of school, I had my Korean 1 class (in-person) and Korean Popular Culture class. In both classes, we mostly just introduced ourselves and reviewed the syllabus and in the Popular Culture class we also started watching lectures. Since all my classes are IEE (for study abroad students), all my classmates were exchange students (mostly from America, some from Europe and Asia).

That week I also ate a lot at the school cafeterias. Yonsei has many cafeterias located around campus and there are three located in the Student Union building alone. Each one has different types of food: Korean, Asian/Western, and pastas. You buy a ticket at the ticket machine or cashier counter and then stand in the corresponding line to get your food (there is a container to put your ticket in after grabbing your food). It is very cheap, I usually spend around $2.50 to $5 a meal. In addition, you can also get kimchi and other side dishes at the self-serve counter. The food at the Korean cafeteria changes every day and has things like soups/stews, meat and rice (e.g. pork belly), ramyun, and rice balls.

Update: A Couple Weeks Later

Now that it’s been a couple of weeks, I’m pretty adjusted to my school schedule. Since I only have 1-2 classes a day, I usually have the entire morning or afternoon free. After classes, I go to the library/cafe to study a bit more or just walk to Sinchon and Hongdae to do shopping, eat, etc.

Random tidbit, one of my classes does not allow the use of computers during lectures. After having online classes for so long, I’ve kind of forgotten what it’s like taking notes by hand, so I’m still figuring out the best way to do so. Also, most of my classes release the lecture slides before class, so I can look it over before the lecture.

I’ve also ran into some other people living at my goshiwon who also go to Yonsei (the goshiwon is located at a very convenient spot for Yonsei students, only a 5 minute walk to enter campus via the West Gate). Unfortunately, most of my classes are located in New Millenium Hall, which is located on the opposite side of campus from the goshiwon. As I've also dormed at UH, the walk to NMH reminds me of the walk to Shidler (which is also located on the exact opposite side of campus from the dorms).