Life doesn't have to be lonely for new students in Korea

While many international students struggle with homesickness during their first few months — or even years — in Korea, these two students share how they managed to quickly settle in after making Korean friends.

Jasmin Chamacham, a 19-year-old from Iran, started her journey in Korea as an international student late last year, fulfilling her dream to study in the country.

After getting a nearly perfect GPA score and receiving numerous awards back in her homeland, Chamacham was finally able to get a full Korean government-sponsored scholarship to study nanoenergy engineering at Busan’s Pusan National University.

She’s currently enrolled in the university’s Korean language program and is expected to start her undergraduate studies in the fall.

Jasmin Chamacham, right, a 19-year-old from Iran who's enrolled at the Korean language program of Busan's Pusan National University, with her "Korean buddy" from school [JASMIN CHAMACHAM]

While many international students struggle with homesickness during their first few months — or even years — in Korea, Chamacham was able to quickly settle in thanks to the Korean friends she made through her university’s “Korean buddy program.”

“It gave a me a great starting point,” said Chamacham during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily. “Korean students who want to improve their English skills are paired with international students who want to improve their Korean speaking skills.”

Through the program, she stressed how she was introduced to “a whole new world.” Aside from the great improvements she made in her Korean, Chamacham said she was able to learn more about Korean culture and its warm hospitality.

"I was practicing Korean with one of my Korean language partners one day when suddenly, she started talking about the culture of Koreans buying meals to welcome newcomers,” said Chamacham. “Then she invited me to eat with her friends.”

That led Chamacham to make even more Korean friends she could lean on whenever she faced an issue regarding her studies, or technical matters such as banking. They were always ready to help.

“The thing that surprised me the most was that whenever they saw me, they kept asking if I had any problems, or anything I needed help with.”

One time, Chamacham was able to make a new Korean friend all on her own.

When she visited the school library for the first time, she couldn’t book a seat on the computer because it was in Korean. She approached a Korean student standing nearby for help and was able to receive a thorough explanation of the entire process.

Chamacham, center, with a Korean friend she made on her own at the school library, right, and another Korean friend that was introduced by the friend on the right [JASMIN CHAMACHAM]

They exchanged their KakaoTalk IDs and Chamacham was eventually invited to spend time with her at her parent’s house in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, for the winter break.

Don’t be afraid to make the first move, Chamacham advises international students, adding that many Koreans actually want foreign friends.

"Nowadays, many Korean students are able to speak English without any problem, and even if in some cases they don't speak English, they will try their best to communicate with you even by using translating apps,” said Chamacham.

Noureldin Raghda Mansour Kamel, a 25-year-old from Jordan, said she was able to make Korean friends by participating in school clubs at Busan University of Foreign Studies, where she’s currently doing a language program.

Noureldin, who also arrived in the country backed by a Korean government scholarship, is planning to study industrial engineering this fall at Kumoh National Institute of Technology in Gumi, North Gyeongsang.

“My first week in Korea was the most difficult,” said Noureldin. “I was trying to go somewhere but since I didn’t have a Korean SIM card and wasn’t familiar with online navigation apps, I couldn’t find my way and wandered around the streets for hours.”

It was then that she wanted to head straight back home. Luckily, that felling didn’t stick for long, she recalled.

School clubs usually try to recruit new members at the start of each semester by throwing live shows and demonstrations and offering free snacks around campus.

Due to her interest in acting, Noureldin wanted to join an acting club at Busan University of Foreign Studies.

Noureldin Raghda Mansour Kamel, left, a 25-year-old from Jordan who’s enrolled at a Korean language program at Busan University of Foreign Studies, with a Korean friend she made through her school acting club [NOURELDIN RAGHDA MANSOUR KAMEL]

“My first thought was that a foreigner would have a hard time fitting in to a club that only had Korean students, but I was mistaken,” she said.

“Almost always, the Koreans were welcoming and appreciated how good my Korean was. They were always willing to invite me out to eat with them and I always helped the team by preparing the stage whenever we had a performance, so it wasn't like they didn't want me to be there as I initially thought."

Through her time mingling with members of the club, Noureldin was able to immensely improve her Korean — far beyond what’s normally taught in class. She became familiar with abbreviations and other linguistic trends used by young Koreans in online chatting and in real life.

BY STUDENT REPORTER HELIA NIKZADDINAN [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]