Since this is my last semester, I didn’t want to miss out on anything in college! I have been part of college clubs since my first semester, and it has been a really fun way to meet new students—both Korean and international. Clubs (동아리) provide a safe environment to step out of your comfort zone and experience something new. They’re also a great way to practice and learn Korean, make new friends, pick up a fun hobby, or simply create lasting college memories.

This time, the college club festival felt even more special to me because it was my last one. It was held on March 5-6, 2025, and the students had enthusiastically set up their booths. The festival was full of energy, with food, dance, music, and games at every booth. Despite the language barrier, the club teams were incredibly welcoming and warm. I can speak some Korean, but at that moment, I really wished I were fluent!

I also discovered clubs I never even imagined existed—paragliding, scuba diving, Kendo, Taekwondo, a Buddhist club, various gym/health clubs, a tarot and magic club, multiple sports clubs, music-related clubs, English clubs, and more! It was a pleasant surprise, and I found myself thinking, Where was I in the previous semesters? The best part? All these clubs welcome international students!

Some of the clubs that were particularly open to foreigners included the paragliding club, scuba diving club, Buddhist club, tarot club, and English clubs like Haram and MECS (both pretty popular with international students). The health/gym clubs, Taekwondo club (a lot of foreigners joins this club) , and photography club (though only open to undergraduates) were also welcoming to international students. There was also a debate and study club that accepted international students, but the main challenge was the language barrier. So, if you’re a foreigner fluent in Korean, you’ll have a much richer club experience at universities.

I visited several booths and even got a tarot reading—the person was fluent in English, and I had a wonderful time hearing insights about my future!

I was very tempted to join the taro, paragliding and scuba clubs. But as a last-semester master’s student, time is a luxury! So i ended up joining the Grigogrim (Painting and Fine Arts Club).