A guide to SeoulTech: from academic plan to exams, Korean style

Anastasia Kazmina, a 3rd-year student of the “Business Informatics” programme, put together a detailed guide based on her semester in Korea and shared what SeoulTech came to mean to her.

Choosing a University

Ever since I started studying at HSE University, I’d been thinking about going abroad for an exchange semester. When I visited the HSE International Academic Mobility website, I was amazed by the number of programmes and countries available. When it came time to choose a country and university, I realized I was more drawn to Asian countries. I had always admired the hard work, sense of responsibility, and deep respect for education in those regions. That’s why Korea turned out to be the best option for me. This is a country that, in a relatively short time, has achieved huge economic and technological breakthroughs, while preserving its rich culture and traditions. At the time I was applying, HSE had an agreement with SeoulTech (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), so I decided to apply there.

Application Process

I took part in the university-wide competition, where you can apply to up to three universities, ranking them in order of preference, but in my case there was only one university.

The first step is applying through HSE. The application consists of the form itself, an individual study plan (ISP), a budget estimate, a motivation letter, and recommendation letters. On one hand, there are quite a few documents, but on the other hand, they are all useful. By making the ISP, you can see whether there are any courses that align with your study plan at HSE. Budget planning helps assess the cost of living in the host country. Another important part is the motivation letter, which makes you reflect on what you want to get out of your academic mobility.

Paperwork

Once you pass the HSE competition, you receive a nomination email. A month later (in my case), SeoulTech sent me an email with a list of documents required by the host university.

Getting a visa for the Republic of Korea is not difficult. All you need is a printed invitation from the host university, a completed application form, and a health certificate, which can be obtained from one of the accredited clinics. My visa was ready a week after submission.

Scholarships

I applied for two scholarships — the HSE Endowment Fund scholarship and the GKS (Korean Government Scholarship). It’s important to note that you can’t receive both scholarships at the same time. Two days after applying for the GKS, I found out I was nominated for the Endowment Fund scholarship and withdrew from the GKS competition.

Arrival in Korea

I flew with Korean Air, because I wanted to start immersing myself in another culture from the flight itself. A big advantage was that Korean Air has a partnership with HSE, and students receive a small discount on the ticket, as well as one extra piece of baggage (+23 kg). Since in Korea, from the end of August to the end of December, temperatures drop from +30°C to below zero, I needed to bring a lot of clothes, and the extra baggage allowance helped.

At the airport, SeoulTech’s International Student Club (ISC) students were waiting for us all day, and buses were organized to take us to campus.

Housing and Meals

SeoulTech provides dormitories for all exchange students who indicate this need in their application. Under the agreement with HSE, accommodation in Sunglim Women’s Dormitory (for girls) and Sunglim Men’s Dormitory (for boys) is free. The girls’ room has two beds, two desks, and a bathroom. There’s also an air conditioner and underfloor heating. Washing machines and dryers are on the first floor and cost a small fee. There is one shared kitchen located on the eighth floor.

As for meals, at SeoulTech you can choose to eat at the dorm cafeteria (breakfast/lunch/dinner combined or just selected meals). The food at the cafeteria is quite good. Before the trip, I was a bit worried about Korea’s reputation for spicy food. Occasionally the food was very spicy, but that was the exception rather than the rule.

SeoulTech Campus

I think SeoulTech’s campus deserves a special mention. When you study at HSE and live in the Odintsovo dormitory, it feels like a real gift that at SeoulTech all academic buildings and dorms are located on the same campus. The campus is very beautiful, and during my first few days I often walked around just to enjoy the scenery. On one hand, there are many academic buildings, but on the other, the entire campus is full of trees and greenery—it doesn’t even feel like a university campus.

Also, apart from academic buildings, the campus has grocery stores, stationery shops, several cafés, a football field, a gym, and much more.

Studying at SeoulTech

In Korea, I took 5 courses. Four of them were in my major, plus a Korean language course specially designed for exchange students. The teaching style in Korea is completely different from HSE—there is no usual division into seminars and lectures. At SeoulTech, professors only give lectures, and all slides are available on e-class (similar to LMS). A big plus is that each subject has a specific textbook used for the lectures, and if something is unclear, it’s easy to read the material yourself and figure it out. In my opinion, students in Korea have more freedom, but they are also given more responsibility. You could say: if you want to study—then study, do extra assignments, read the textbook. Professors are always ready to answer your questions; some are even happy to offer extra sessions on difficult topics. On my faculty, homework was often submitted just to check the box—sometimes we were even sent the answers in advance so we could understand the material before the exam.

Since I prefer independent study, everything I’ve described was a big plus for me. At first, it was difficult to understand everything in English, but I was helped by pre-reading the textbooks and translating unfamiliar terminology. Moreover, SeoulTech gives you everything you need to study. There are two libraries on campus, one of which has 24/7 study rooms, and plenty of cafés where you can work—finding a study spot is never a problem.

The grading system is somewhat similar to HSE’s, but the key point is that for every subject, 5–15% of the grade comes from attendance, which is regularly monitored. A certain number of absences or lateness can block you from getting a good grade. Usually, the midterm counts for 35%, and the final for 45%. Some subjects also include small portions for homework and group projects.

In Korea, just like at HSE, there are two exam sessions per semester, but here you take an exam in each subject twice (in October and December). Some professors may even hold four exams. Despite the large number of exams, the session felt much calmer than at HSE. What’s surprising is that professors can leave the room during exams, and no one whispers or talks. Once, a professor asked everyone to move away from their friends, and it was amazing to see how everyone immediately got up and shifted a few seats. So Korean students clearly understand that everyone should do their work honestly and independently, which made it very comfortable for me to study and take exams in such an environment.

Extracurricular Life

In my opinion, Seoul is a city you could walk around forever. Skyscrapers of major corporations are combined with mountain views, and business centers are next to ancient palaces. One of the most famous palaces is Gyeongbokgung. Because of the intense study schedule in Korea, I didn’t travel much.

ISC (the International Student Club) organized various activities in the first days, including campus tours. They also arranged a few city excursions, but I didn’t attend. Exchange students often organized trips themselves, both around Korea and to other countries like Japan, and always came back happy from those adventures.

It was very nice that there were many exchange students from different countries during my time at SeoulTech. Most of them were from France and Finland. As for Korean students, they don’t always speak English well, so they’re often shy about approaching you. But if you start talking to them, you’ll be surprised how different their communication style is (and Asian culture in general) from that of Europeans. Even small things reflect their culture.

Final Impression

For me, Korea is first and foremost about the people I met here. It’s amazing that, thousands of kilometers from home, in a country with a different culture and mentality, you can find so many like-minded people from all over the world.

SeoulTech is the kind of place where:

• You walk out of exams happy and smiling.

• You live in the library and only drop by your dorm to sleep.

• Professors always support you and help you navigate your academic path.

• Korean language classes feature K-pop.

• Students are always ready to help, even with learning Korean.

• The people around you make you stronger, and studying in the library with them becomes real joy.

• SeoulTech becomes a second home.

I want to say a big thank you to HSE and the Endowment Fund for this fairy tale. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the academic office of the “Business Informatics” programme for their help in creating my ISP and solving organizational matters.