When I told my friends and family that I would be studying abroad this summer, everyone was excited for me, telling me how I would have such an amazing time. Instead of envisioning how much fun I would have, as everyone said, I was too busy stressing about how being an introvert would prevent me from having the ideal study abroad experience.
However, spending these past weeks in South Korea has taught me that being an introvert or extrovert has nothing to do with a good study abroad experience. What matters is your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and embark on new adventures. For my fellow introverts who want to study abroad but are afraid to take the next steps, here are some tips on how to have a fantastic experience abroad as an introvert.
Finding Friends and Making Memories
Because of my reserved nature, I didn’t have high hopes in my ability to socialize with people or make new friends in Seoul. I was afraid I would be that one person constantly holed up in their room because they couldn’t make friends like everyone else.
However, I was proven wrong the minute I landed in South Korea. The first few friends I made were at the Incheon Airport waiting to be picked up and taken to the dorms. Just because you’re an introvert doesn’t mean you can’t make friends like everyone else. All it takes is a little confidence and a friendly face!
Plus, there are many ways for you to make friends during the summer program. Participating in TEAN activities like the welcome dinner is a great way. Also, Korea University will assign you to a buddy group with a student mentor who will help you adjust to Korea and host weekly activities for your group to socialize with each other.
Alongside these newfound friendships came the task of making plans and creating memories with each other. Unfortunately, this just gave my brain another thing to worry about. I’d constantly hesitate when asking someone to go out together because I was afraid of getting rejected and looking stupid. But one day, I just decided to take a leap of faith and ask a friend if they were down to visit the night market in Myeongdong with me. Fortunately, she said yes!
Don’t ever be afraid to ask someone if they want to hang out. That person would most likely love to spend time with you! And even if someone says no, they are willing to work around their plans to ensure that you two can still go out together. Also, if there’s a situation when a friend has plans and you don’t, don’t be afraid to ask to join them. People here are always open to having an extra person tag along on their adventures. One night, a friend let me tag along with their buddy group to visit Seoul Tower, and it was probably one of the best nights I’ve had in Seoul!
Riding Solo
While it’s always fun and comforting to have company when going out, there will be times when you want a break from people and just time for yourself, and that’s okay! The first time I took myself out was to get my nails done and try a new restaurant in Hongdae. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy my time as much as I wanted to because I was too busy worrying about how “out of place” I looked as a foreigner on her own compared to the families and couples spending time together.
But the more I went out by myself, the more I learned to stop worrying about how others perceived me and appreciate my own company. Going out alone in Seoul seemed challenging at first since most activities here are catered towards friend groups. Yet even by myself, I found ways to have as much fun as I would’ve had with my friends. A trick I learned is to occupy myself with an activity to prevent my mind from running wild. Listening to music always helps ease my mind, so I always make sure to bring my headphones with me when going out.
There will also be times when you just want to stay in for the day and relax your body, and that’s okay, too! Don’t feel pressured to do everything at once since you’re abroad for a limited amount of time. It’s important to listen to your body and take time to relax when needed. My favorite way to relax is lying in bed and watching YouTube videos or catching up with a show on Netflix.
Fighting a Language Barrier
Now, if you’re like me and can’t speak any Korean or only know basic phrases, you may be more reluctant to go out because you don’t want to approach a language barrier. I will admit that there were a couple of times I hid in my dorm room because I felt my lack of Korean would make me a burden to others and prohibit me from having a good time. But the truth is, language barriers are a part of the traveling experience. Instead of avoiding them, you should confront them with an open mind and see them as opportunities to develop your problem-solving and communication skills. Additionally, don’t ever feel like a burden for wasting someone’s time because you don’t know the language. The people here are patient and willing to help you the best way they can, regardless of a language barrier or not!
At times, I would meet Koreans who could speak enough English for me to understand, and there would be places that provided English translations for foreigners. But for the times when English wasn’t much of an option, I would utilize other ways to communicate what I wanted. Non-verbal communication, such as pointing and nodding my head, came in handy a lot.
Translation apps were also a great alternative! One app I highly recommend is Papago. It allows you to type sentences or take pictures of an image you need to be translated. Papago came in clutch multiple times whether I needed to translate a restaurant menu or ask a question to someone who couldn’t speak English.
Closing Thoughts
Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life so far. It has shown me that going out of my comfort zone, although scary at first, can bring new, exciting experiences and teach you a lot about yourself and the world. I believe everyone should have a chance to go abroad at least once in their lifetime.
Ogechi Muruako, The Ohio State University, is studying abroad in South Korea with TEAN.
