INDEPENDENT LIVING & LIFE ON CAMPUS
Different views and opinions on living away from home.
JUNE 2021 ARTICLES
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING ALONE
by Wonjeong Jeong
When students graduate high school and come to university, they have some fantasies of campus life. For example, hanging out with friends at midnight or living away from their family. But unfortunately, the first fantasy I mentioned became hard to achieve because of the covid-19 situation. Nowadays, since we are doing online class via zoom, we cannot meet classmates face to face. However, some students achieved the latter fantasy. Although the university doesn’t allow and offer offline classes, a lot of students are living alone near the university and enjoying their own life. In this journal, I would like to help students who are considering living alone by introducing the advantages and disadvantages of it.
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There are obvious advantages. Firstly, you can have your own space, which is the most attractive reason for living alone. We often do not notice how important personal space is. If we live with someone else, we have to be cautious about innumerable things. For instance, caring about the lifestyle, habits, sleeping time, and sounds of others. Even if it is a family member. However, if you live alone, you don’t have to use headphones to listen to music and don’t have to care about your sleeping time because you are alone in that space.
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Secondly, you can invite your friend freely. If you live in a dorm or live with somebody else, you have to ask your roommates to bring your friend. However, if you are alone, it is totally up to you to invite your friends to your space! Thirdly, you can develop your habits to do something alone. Normally most people will live alone when they become much older. Then those habits will later help you live alone wisely.
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However, there are also a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, you have to be responsible for everything you do. Nobody will clean your room, wash your dishes, or cook for you. So it will be quite tough if you have depended on your parents. However, it will be an opportunity to live diligently. Secondly, it costs a lot. Because the price of monthly rent is expensive in Seoul, it can be a burden for students and their family to pay. Also if you live near the university, you will make an appointment with your friends for lunch and dinner, which also costs a lot. For these several reasons, living alone requires a lot of money.
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To sum up, living alone has both advantages and disadvantages. However, I’m sure that if you overcome these disadvantages, it will be helpful and useful for you later. I hope this journal helps readers consider living alone earnestly.
APRIL 2021 ARTICLES
LIVING IN THE DORMITORY: WHY NOT?
by Jiah
Accommodation has long been a source of concern for international students who travel long distances to study in foreign countries. International students in Korea are no exception, with many still debating whether to stay in dorms or rent a home. This article will clarify the benefits and disadvantages.
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PROS​
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1. Safety
For those visiting Korea for the first time, staying in a dorm might be the safest choice. Many universities have freshman housing as a support for those who are unfamiliar with Korean culture. Furthermore, dormitories are often staffed with security personnel and equipped with CCTV systems, ensuring a safe atmosphere for students, especially those in their first year.
2. Social bonding
Notably, in Yonsei University, there are also residential programs (RC program) for freshmen, such as book club, language exchange program or Self Magazine as you are reading now. By involving themselves in such programs, students may have the opportunity to expand their circle of colleagues.
CONS​
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1. Regulation obedience
The protection of the dormitory can be a double-edged sword, as students must strictly adhere to the dorm rules or face a penalty if she/he violates the regulations. For example, students may be discouraged from hanging out with friends late due to the curfew.
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2. Effects on daily routine
Living in a dorm does have the potential to disrupt your daily routine, especially your daily meal. Due to the distance between my room and the kitchen, I rarely go there to cook and usually eat an instant meal. As a consequence, my metabolism fails, which is clearly detrimental to my health. Furthermore, having a roommate necessitates that we adjust our schedule to best suit each other; otherwise, disagreements can arise, which we all do not want to occur.
DECEMBER 2020 ARTICLES
A GUIDE TO LIVING ALONE
by Yukta Tyagi
MY STORY
I first came to South Korea under the wing of my father as he was working here which was about a year ago. At the time I was still a bird who had yet to fly from its nest. Life is comparatively easy when you are not the adult figure taking charge of important matters, paying bills and many more. However, my father had to relocate which meant that I would start living independently.
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I have moved four times within 2020, thrice in Busan till I finally moved to Seoul. All I can say is what came out of living independently and who I became from it is quite interesting. Living independently is a huge responsibility and does get quite difficult from time to time. However, it is an experience in itself and I recommend it to those contemplating an individualistic lifestyle.
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THE INDEPENDENT LIFE
The following are some tips you can use to embrace your independent lifestyle:
Preventing Loneliness: Have a daily call with your loved ones or close friends. Talking to them will provide you with the encouragement you may need to get going the next day. If you require help from one, ask for it. Speaking up about your emotions will certainly help.
Managing Expenses: Budget your expenses. Budgeting will ensure that you have enough money for the things you need. It can also help with learning to save money incase you require and emergency fund.
Eating Healthy: Whilst living alone one can turn towards food from the convenience stores to either save more money or because cooking is not easy. Do not turn a blind eye to your required nutrition. Lookup simple nutritious recipes that are delicious yet pocket friendly. Either make them or eat out at a local restaurant. Your wellbeing is the first priority.
Exploring New Things: Now that you are living alone, you can get to know yourself better. You can try out new hobbies within your free time, read books that you have always wanted to, go out and explore places in the city you are residing in. Going out and experiencing the natural environment are important as well. Doing new activities and exploring will help you release those endorphins.
Creating a Relaxed Environment: Make sure that the house you choose to live in is a place you would like to call home. The house should inspire your creativity, motivate you to get your work done and make you relaxed on tiring days. A clean environment will stimulate your happiness as well.
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ARE YOU READY?
Living alone is a gutsy decision and a decision one should take a while to contemplate. While the decision may be easier for one to make, it may be strenuous for another.
When one is living alone, they can finally understand the struggles their parents went through to provide for them. Managing household expenses, paying the bills on time, eating well and many more responsibilities shower down on one. The occasional homesickness tunes into one’s heart making them feel lonely. If the loneliness you are experiencing is prolonged, then maybe living alone might not be for you. Nevertheless, you can get a roommate.
One can still be independent while having a roommate. The pros being that there will be someone to share the responsibilities as well as keep you company and talk to you during times you are feeling low.
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SAFETY TIPS:
As a student coming from India, I find South Korea is quite safe. However, I have had a few stalker encounters and unwanted knocks on my door that put a chill down my spine as I am not expecting anyone. The following are some tips to keep you safe:
Audio Clips on YouTube: For random and unwanted door knocks YouTube has its list of male voice recordings in both Korean and English that show the house has a male presence. Often using these audio clips drives away the unexpected strangers.
Carry a pepper spray or taser for times you come back home late.
Have a friend check on you: Arrange for your "buddy" to call you every day to check how you're doing and make sure you are okay or have reached home safely in case you were outside.
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OCTOBER 2020 ARTICLES
MY TOP 4 TIPS AND THINGS TO EXPECT WHEN BEGINNING INDEPENDENT LIVING
By Margarita Tsvetkova
Although moving away from your home and family can be exciting, it can also be quite overwhelming. Finally starting your own individual life is a big step and there is so much you should look forward to, but let me tell you this straight away, it is not going to be exactly like those young adult movies you've seen. But not to worry because you are now in charge of creating your own individual life in your own way! So with that said, here are my 5 top things you should expect when starting your independent living along with my personal and general tips on what you could possibly do in order to have a smooth transition.
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1. Handling money and spending.
After entering university life whilst living away from your parents/family, you will soon realise that you really need to have some kind of system with your use of money.
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My first suggestion is to assign a ​monthly or weekly limit​ that you follow with quite a strict guideline and only allow a small exception in case of emergencies. I personally used Notes on my phone to keep track of my daily spending. It also takes time to adjust to the new currency if you have just moved to the country. ​Be reasonable​ with your limit and you can always adjust it after testing out what fits you best. There are also apps that you can download to ​track your spending ​such as ‘Spending tracker’.
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Another suggestion that should help you with finance is ​making a list of ​what you need to buy beforehand. This keeps you organized and sets your mind up to know what is it you need because if you were to walk into a supermarket without a plan, you would most likely go with what catches your eye and end up spending much more than you should've.
Also, I suggest to look for ​good deals​ and sales however do NOT become obsessed with the idea that deals will save you money as sometimes, you are better off with what you need most than what is cheap. Along the months, it is important to note that​ it is okay to make some pricey sacrifices​ and investments so try to stay clear of the mindset that the cheapest choice is the best way to go. Most of the time you find that investing in a more expensive purchase related to cleaning, gadgets, needed furniture or even hiring someone to fix something is the right way to go and will ​benefit you in the long run​. Living comfortably should not rely on always going for the cheap price.
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2. Homesickness/Nostalgia.
Feeling homesick and missing your family and home is absolutely normal and is one of the most common things a college student studying abroad will experience. Changing your everyday lifestyle and setting is not easy and adjusting to the fact that your loved ones will not be around you is tough. I personally experienced a very hard transition when moving away from my family to study in a far away country and let me tell you that with time, everything will fall into place. Just don't give up! Keep yourself busy and remind yourself of the goals that you have built. This process will only make you a stronger individual in the future and act as the big step towards becoming independent.
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The first thing I want to tell you is to ​not completely isolate yourself!​ I feel like it is quite easy for us to convince ourselves that we are completely alone. ​Keep yourself social​ and do not be scared to make new friends. Socializing more and more will boost your confidence around people and take your mind off things. Although having too many people around you can become overwhelming, you can use this time to get out of the house and experience independent life with many other students who are in the same situation as you.
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Another thing that could help you occupy your mind is of course ​making yourself busy​. And whilst ‘busy’ can mean a lot of things, personally, I try to find activities around me or in my school that I find comfortable and interesting. ​Joining clubs and groups​ could not only develop your skills but you will also be surprised how many interesting people you will meet.
To make things exciting for yourself, why not ​create a bucket list of things ​you want to experience related to college life or if you happened to move to a new country you might as well start to create little adventures.
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Sometimes, it takes starting ​a daily blog or diary online/offline​ that helps you feel organized and makes you look back at many things in relation to you or your day. However, maybe ​a detox from social media​ is something that you would prefer and instead try to ​connect with nature ​and your inner self. This could be done through yoga, outside activities,meditation or a simple picnic.
I think the most important thing to remember is to always remind yourself of ​the happy little things​ that specifically relate to you throughout the day.
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3. Becoming Self-reliant and adapting to your new place.
Independent living requires you to know the basics of things like cooking, cleaning and fixing. I know most of us have a hard time adjusting to the fact that we do not have the usual warming meals from our parents. Remain positive! And use this chance to experiment and develop your own method or tricks in relation to cooking and cleaning.
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Although Korea has a vast variety of instant noodles, I can not stress enough that living ONLY off noodles will eventually have negative effects on your health. Cooking, something many new independent students fear or find bothersome. Yes it can be frustrating, messy, confusing and too much work, but no one is perfect and if you want to save money and create your own meal plan then do not lose hope! There is a lot that can be said in relation to cooking for yourself but I will share my personal tricks and tips that helped me get started in self-cooking. If you find yourself lost in where to start when beginning your experimenting, ​pasta and rice c​ an be your good friend for easy and filling meals and all it requires is boiling some water or a rice cooker. ​Canned food is not only affordable​ but you can really create delicious meals just by adding it on top of your pasta/rice/bread. ​Do not forget your veggies and herbs​! Onions, garlic, spinach and potatoes can easily add flavour into your dishes and other vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers can add a healthy balance. Culinary herbs such as paprika, garlic powder, basil and thyme are my personal favorite to add in order to spice up my meals. These things can be found at a great price and quality at ​a local market.​ Going on to ​protein​, this can be found in beans, nuts, chicken, fish or your own choice of meat. Another thing I found useful is exploring the ​frozen isles​ where you will be surprised to find already cut vegetables or potatoes. Although it does not always come across
healthy, it is quite affordable and can last you for a few days. If ever you have doubts, r​ead and explore the internet ​that has ideas and answers that will surely help you. Maybe cooking will become a new enjoyable discovery for you.
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Having a clean and tidy accommodation and environment will have ​positive effects​ on your work. If you are sharing an accommodation you should make sure to have a rotating routine​ that will be fair for everyone. Always wipe and​ clean spills or crumbs so that it won't sit there for days creating smells and sticky surfaces. Laundry can be rotated between ​odd and even days​ so your time slots can be every other day. Keep your cleaning ​tools accessible​ so you are reminded to clean and maybe even a little motivated. Find out on ​what day the bins are collected​ and make sure to work around that with your garbage piling. Don't skip the toilet and be encouraged to use the toilet brush and Domestos Bleach to keep the ​toilet bowl clean​.
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Putting these somewhat bothersome tasks aside, it is even more important to take care of your mental health alongside the place of living. With all these tasks to do around the house, why don't you take the time out of your day or week and just ​meditate or go outside for a walk​. Although some people find cleaning and cooking as a form of stress relief, some just get very overworked due to their studies on top of that. Keeping the place tidy can usually reflect ​the person’s inner state​ which is why it is good to keep both your mentality and accommodation peaceful.
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4. Staying safe and secure.
Now moving on to a topic that is usually overlooked and not discussed enough, how to make sure you are safe as a student living alone. There are quite a lot of small things that one can do to​ feel safe or just simply be safe ​when starting to live alone as a student. If you are not living with roommates or at a shared accommodation, it can sometimes feel quite unsafe all alone. The feeling of security is something everyone should have and pay attention to.
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When leaving your place, make sure you ​have turned off any gases and locked your doors or closed your windows.
Have some ​emergency contacts on you​ if ever something happens. If you do not have any family here, a close friend, neighbour, school teacher can be also considered. If you are coming back home late or going out late, texting a friend or just anyone you know about your whereabouts​ is a good way to make sure someone knows where to find you if anything comes up.
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Overall, beginning your new life as an individual away from your family is a big step and a big change. First few months will be hard and you will face challenges that you will have to deal with and solve alone. But if you are finding it difficult and it starts to become overwhelming, do not be shy or scared to ​reach out for support​. Staying in contact and pushing yourself to get involved will make this transition a little easier and perhaps distract you from getting too much inside your head. If you have doubts with things to do regarding household and safety there are plenty of ​resources on the internet​ that can not only give you helpful ideas but guide along the way. Some websites that were interesting were​ lazzzystudent.com ​and ​studentmindsblog.com​ where you can even write a blog to share your own thoughts and experience on university topics. There are plenty of ​youtube videos​ as well that share living in Korea alone and one of my favourite and well known YouTubers is "​cari cakes"​.
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Finally, enjoy your university life and build your individuality. Keep encouraging yourself to experience new things and make these years really memorable and special for you. Remain responsible and positive through this transition and in just a few years you will have a different perspective on everything.