Welcome to Korea... now what? Surviving in Korea is not easy -- let alone as a foreign student. There are many things that you need to consider to survive but allow me to show you what I have learned so far. The most basic is that you need FOOD - SHELTER - CLOTHING - TRANSPORTATION
FOOD
Food is relatively expensive in Korea compared to the Philippines. I have tried Mcdonald's, Burger King, and KFC here and all of them are two to three times the price that you pay in the Philippines.
My verdict is to avoid fast-food chains as much as possible. Try them once but do not rely on them as your food in general. For foreigners like us, these are considered a luxury.
There are other ways you can save. One is to get your electric cooker (if your dorm or one room allows), then cook on your own. You may go to a grocery store and get bags of rice, eggs, bread, instant noodles, etc. Pretty much all you need to cook can be found here - sometimes even better. The food is generally spicy here, so if you are not a fan, go and cook on your own.
Another way is to go to food shops. They are a little pricey, ranging from 200-300 pesos. There are a lot of food stores available here -- from noodle shops to coffee shops, from bakeries to shabu-shabu, you can get the best Korean food if you want to go local.
SHELTER
Scholarships normally include free accommodation or allowance for you to find a dorm or "one room". A one-room is similar to a studio-type unit where you are just in a single room with a toilet. Just like DASOLMIGA! Probably the best in Noryangjin.
These are great for one person as you don't necessarily need a lot of space for yourself. These can cost from 20,000 to 25,000 pesos per month depending on the unit. Still pricey, but you are living in Korea, a first-world country.
These places have wifi, washing machine, and CCTVs so please consider what specific needs you have.
CLOTHING
Koreans are regarded as fashionable. It is normal to see people here wearing clothes as if they are attending a fashion show. The brand doesn't matter (actually yes they do) but makes sure you wear clothes that you can afford and are comfortable with. Think of UNIQLO and H&M. The clothes they sell are casual but contemporary. These fit in well in the fashion world of Korea. Nike, Adidas, and Uniqlo are brands that people normally wear.
Learn about the sizes (the US to Korea) before shopping for clothes as they normally have a different numbering compared to the ones we have in the Philippines.
TRANSPORTATION
The best thing about South Korea is its efficient and reliable public transportation. They have subway and bus systems that cover pretty much the whole metropolis.
If you haven't gotten your ATM card yet (which also acts as your ticket everywhere), you may purchase a TMoney or BeeCash card (similar to Beep). You may use them everywhere and they are reloadable. This way, you can enter and ride buses or trains without having to buy a ticket all the time.
You also need to download Naver, Kakao, or Google Maps. These are very useful to know where and when to get on and off.
And there you have it. Good luck with your basic survival!
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