“Here everyone is obsessed with programming, simple communication is not interesting to anyone”

University student Innopolis Anastasia Kozar told why in South Korea it is not necessary to know the language and how the Russian girl lives among Asian programmers. Details under the cut.

“Am I missing from the lists? How so? I could not register in the system in which there is information about all the students coming on the exchange. As it turned out later, problems were with the registration system itself - it is still not believed that this is possible in developed South Korea. But there was no registration. There is no registration - there is no application for a hostel, and therefore, housing in Korea, which I was counting on. Documents are ready, tickets are purchased, and the suitcase was full of things for all occasions. But at that moment I was very uncomfortable.
')
My name is Anastasia. I am a fourth year undergraduate student at Innopolis University. At the beginning of this school year, I went on an academic exchange program to Korea. I study computer science and engineering at the faculty of information technology at Seoul National University (SNU) for the first semester.

When they ask me how I decided on such a long journey, I answer that curiosity drives me, the desire to learn and compare studies abroad with studies in Russia. I heard a lot about the benefits of exchange studies: the experience of living in another country and meeting students from different countries, their culture and customs. I wanted to know about it personally.



When choosing a university, I stopped at Seoul State University. There are several reasons. The university is located in the top 30 technical universities of the world and has been accepting students for academic exchange programs for decades. And I have never been to Asia and heard about the high level of Asian programmers. This is an additional opportunity to test yourself and your skills.

Preparations for the 6,000 km journey began with a study of Korea on the Internet. I watched a dozen informative videos about Korea and its capital, read guides and travel tips. Before coming to the new environment, it is important to understand the traditions, culture and way of life in order to more easily adapt to the peculiarities of the local mentality. Even then, I was surprised by the look of Seoul and saddened by the well-known situation with dogs, if you are looking for information about Korea, it is almost impossible not to stumble upon a post about the fact that Koreans eat dogs.

Live capital of South Korea struck me much stronger. Here skyscrapers, imperial palaces, the underground and above-ground subways and huge shops with endless shelves are combined in an unusual way.



The first stage on arrival was the search for housing, where problems decided not to get round me. On the website on couchsurfing, where people help each other with a free night's overnight while traveling, I met a few guys from Seoul. They were very friendly and promised to help me with the issue of housing. The plan was this: on arrival, I live for a couple of days with a new acquaintance, at the same time looking at options from the Internet. But, coming to inspect the apartments and rooms, promises and reality had nothing in common with each other, as did prices. However, I was lucky: through an acquaintance, I found a room and received a discount from the hostess. She said that for a beautiful smile.



I know people who consider exchange studies an easy and exciting journey. Yes, it is fascinating, but not at all easy. In addition to the standard two lectures and homework once a week, we get a lab, which is comparable in scope to a project for a month. There is also a three-hour practice and knowledge test of the assembler, machine code, computer device and operating systems. With the latter, I am greatly helped by the course of the Operating System by Professor Giancarlo Succi, which I took at Innopolis University.

I am writing this text in order not to fall asleep while waiting for the lecture by Professor Berhard Egger. He leads the most difficult of the three courses I have chosen for the semester - System Programming. Even before the trip, I was warned that these courses will cost me sleepless nights if I am set to good grades.

Despite the complexity of the material, the Scandinavian professor finds time to tell interesting and unusual facts. From time to time he shares with us unusual ways how to kill his laptop. So I remembered that, using programming skills, you can build the “Fork bomb” - this program creates its own copies and continues to work, eating up all the memory and processor time.

I give all the control and laboratory tests for maximum points, but it seems that I spend more time on this than the Korean guys. With exams harder. There are no results yet, but the premonition is not very good. The exam was a question on the non-passing topic, and it cost 25% of the total assessment. The local guys finished in 20 minutes, and the exchange students looked at each other in bewilderment. At that moment I only worked on the second question out of seven.



I still can not understand what the level of Korean programmers is, but they are much more assiduous than visitors. Although in my opinion, it is significant that the head of the programming department is Swiss, not Asian.

In the world SNU rankings higher than any other Korean university. Several friends tried to come here for 5-7 years, but to no avail - the selections are very tough.

As at Innopolis University, it is impossible to combine study with work here. For one lab course in System Programming, I spend a full 5 days with breaks for sleeping and eating.

Speaking of food. At first it was difficult to understand how to eat all the dishes with chopsticks and spoons - only these two cutlery are in the SNU student cafeteria. It was even harder with the dishes. They are so sharp that sometimes I tried not to breathe, so as not to burn the room. Fortunately, there is water on every table to save the lives of inexperienced foreigners like me.



Koreans are masters of cooking rice dishes. They boil it, fry with vegetables, make wine and sweets out of it. Once at the university they fed soup with snails. And once in a bar-bar they served pickled beetles and compote from sprouted bean sprouts, which looked like vegetable soup.



I especially remember the trip to Gyeongbokgun - the palace complex of the Joseon Dynasty. Having learned that there you can go for free in hanbok, traditional Korean clothes - we decided to rent it. Prices for these lush dresses go up to $ 5,000. Rent costs $ 30, and we got them for $ 15 apiece, thanks to a group discount.



Involuntarily compare Russia and Korea. Yes, everything is more modern here, but I do not feel that this country has fled far ahead of us. Although it is very cool that Wi-Fi covers the whole territory of the country. I will not describe in detail the talking toilets with heated seats and a bunch of buttons. I will say that sometimes the usual things here are more technological. In the subway there are screens everywhere with the location of the desired train; in the summer, each car has a different level of air conditioning - you read on the car and choose a comfortable temperature for yourself.

The university has its nice things: there are small lockers in the study rooms for recharging the phone with all kinds of wires. Online you can see the menu in the cafeteria, book a place in the library.

Since the university is a whole district of 50 buildings, a free shuttle runs between the buildings. A student card (not to be confused with a bank card) confirming that you study at Seoul National University is a universal means of payment with which you can pay for travel, shopping at a store or a restaurant bill.



In the daily life of the Korean capital, there are surprises around every corner. For example, older people are not at all senile life and do not lag behind young people in using gadgets: someone diligently write messages or take pictures with friends on a smartphone. In Seoul parks in the evenings there are dances and gymnastics for retirees, where grandmothers and grandfathers rhythmically move to Latin American music.

More often I communicate with the French and Germans, but I cannot say that I have found friends here. Everyone is obsessed with programming, simple communication is not interesting to anyone here.

As in Russia, there are few female programmers, but I also don’t feel any special relationship in this regard. But on the street I am in the center of attention: they constantly take pictures with me, make compliments, twice offered to become a model. The funny thing is that many people stick out of the cars to look at me: the wives call their husbands to look out the window, and the kids from the school bus all together ask the driver to turn in my direction. It is very nice to feel a special relationship to yourself at every event or party. This is how club owners treat foreigners who come to relax. We are free to go to parties, entertain at the expense of the establishment and invite Korean DJs to follow-up performances.



Sometimes we go out with friends to explore the city. As I said, the main part of my acquaintances are French and Germans, but I communicate well with guys from other countries: Kia Yong from Singapore, local boy Byonhun, Jadamba from Mongolia and Katya from Moscow.

While exploring the city, you pay attention to the fact that local guys are dressed stylishly and tastefully. Interestingly, the girls necessarily close the upper body. Sometimes it seems strange: under a dress with a neckline, they put on a long-sleeved sweater, and under short shorts there are still black shorts that look like underwear. Another interesting detail: most couples dress the same way here. Either they have the colors completely combined, or the same shoes, or all the details of the clothes are identical.

Computer games are adored here: gamers are considered to be stars and parents' pride, and girls want to meet with virtual athletes. I went to two Starcraft II finals, but he is not very popular among Koreans. Now everyone is playing League of Legends and Overwatch. In Seoul, at every corner of computer clubs, cafes: there is, without interrupting the game, very convenient.

There are a lot of people in Seoul - this is immediately apparent. Comparing with Petersburg, I found that the Korean megalopolis is 2.5 times smaller than its area, but at the same time, twice as many people live in the Asian capital. Most people speak English, so I don’t learn Korean. Recently, I calmly talked to the bus driver. Therefore, if you know English, you will feel comfortable here.



I miss my loved ones and homemade food and enjoy when I come across a regular chicken in the dining room. But there is no time to be sad: on the street - plus twenty, the guys are funny, the study is interesting and life is full!