Judith A.

Spring 2026 South Korea, my reflection on the challenges and experiences of balancing multiple responsibilities during the final weeks of the semester. I share how this period pushed me to grow both personally and professionally while adapting to new situations. Through these experiences, I gained valuable lessons about time management, perseverance, and personal development. I also discuss the significance of reaching important milestones and preparing for what comes next.

Making friends in Korea as an introvert presents challenges of adapting to a new environment, and relationships played an important role in that process. Through these experiences, I learned valuable lessons about communication, cultural understanding, and personal growth. I also share how the people I met helped shape my experience abroad.

A firsthand guide for POC and plus-size college students living in Korea. It covers the reality of being visibly different in a largely homogeneous society, how to find community and familiar food in Seoul, what hair and skin products to pack (and why Coupang is your best friend), the truth about clothing sizes and the 10–14 gap nobody warns you about, and why getting a Korean number is a must. The tone is candid and personal — written by someone actively living the experience, not just summarizing it from the outside.

Second-time CIEE study abroad student, now living in Seoul at Hanyang University while simultaneously interning at a marketing company in Gangnam. She reflects on the fast-paced adjustment of settling into a new city, finding Hanyang's workload manageable but self-directed, and navigating Korean professional culture at her internship. The post closes with a promise to document the full, unfiltered experience, not just the highlights, and an encouraging note to anyone considering a similar leap.