Karan Tsai

Yonsei GSIS Newsletter, Junior Editor

As a new international student arriving in a foreign country, finding housing can be a challenging experience, especially for students who do not speak the local language. Housing contracts, high deposits, and contacting real estate agents can all become stressful obstacles. These concerns might even discourage students from starting their journey to study abroad. Therefore, many students will consider dormitory as their first option when arriving in Korea.

Yonsei University has two major dormitory areas. One is the Muak dormitory area near the North Gate, where most students live. The other area is near the East Gate and includes Beophyeon House, I-House, and SK Global House. Most graduate students are eligible to apply for Muak Dormitories 3 and 4, as well as Beophyeon House. Besides their convenient locations, each dormitory also provides facilities that make student life more comfortable.

Therefore, dormitory life may be more exciting than students expect. In the Muak dormitory area, students can easily access many convenient facilities. Muak 2 has a student cafeteria that provides three meals a day at affordable prices. There is also a 24-hour convenience store and a coffee shop which opened during the day. Students living in the Muak dormitory area only need to walk a few steps to access these services. In addition, the school provides an on-campus shuttle bus service between Baekyang Nuri and the Muak area from 8 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. In short, these services make students’ lives much more convenient and comfortable, especially during the monsoon season and snowy days. In addition, the dormitory environment also allows students to build friendships and connect more easily with other students from different countries.

Roommates could play an inseparable role in dormitory life. Through the Yonsei Portal system, students can choose their own roommates; otherwise, the system will automatically assign one, who could be either a local or an international student. For many international students, having a roommate can greatly reduce homesickness while studying in a foreign country. 

Living together also gives students the opportunity to meet people from different cultural backgrounds and experience new cultures through daily interactions. Additionally, roommates can help reduce loneliness, make it easier to build friendships, and create the new community within the dormitory. Many students also enjoy cooking their hometown food together, which can help relieve homesickness and bring comfort while living abroad. These shared experiences make dormitory life warmer, more memorable, and full of meaningful connections. 

Living in the dorm is more than just having a place to stay. For many international students, it becomes a place where friendships begin and unforgettable memories are created. Students have opportunities to meet both local and international friends, experience different cultures, and support each other while adapting to life in Korea. Whether it is studying together, cooking hometown food to relieve homesickness, or simply spending time together after class, dormitory life can make students feel less lonely in a foreign country. In the end, dormitory life at Yonsei University is not only convenient, but also an important part of students’ university experiences and personal growth. In the future, it will also become one of the most unforgettable memories for international students during their time here.