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ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� College Utrecht student Lara den Hartog Jager left for an exchange semester to Seoul at the end of February, and very soon had to face the reality of distance learning. “Meeting your professors and fellow students only through Zoom is definitely not something you expect when going on exchange,” she reports.

In spite of the coronavirus measures that were in place also in South Korea soon after her arrival, she decided to stay. Majoring in Art History, Philosophy and Political Science, Lara takes a mix of classes in those fields at Underwood International College, a sub-division of Yonsei ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��.

“Before I left, it had already been announced that classes at my exchange university would be pushed back for two weeks and that all orientation activities were cancelled. I doubted for a little bit whether I should go, but since the travel advice was still positive I decided that if it got worse I could always come home.”  

Her first weeks were spent in relative leasure, although orientation meetings were arranged through Facebook.

“Because the outbreak was initially mainly centered in the south of South Korea, it was still possible to explore and enjoy the city. I met new people, discovered new neighborhoods and tried a lot of Korean food. Of course the atmosphere was different, but daily life more or less continued, although the situation was unclear and people were cautious. Once the virus spread more towards Seoul, it became necessary to take more strict measures. Luckily there is currently no complete lockdown so it is still possible to go outside and study in a cafe, of course while wearing masks and using lots of hand sanitizer.”

Although cafes in Seoul are open, universities are closed and classes have moved online, Lara tells.

“It is definitely very strange to meet your professors and fellow students for the first time through Zoom. Initially I had some hope that we would still go back to real life classes, but since the date is getting pushed back more and more and the virus continues, I doubt that I will ever experience my exchange university in real life.”

“Of course this is disappointing, but at the same time both students and professors get creative and try hard to make it work. I never had a lot of doubt about staying. Things have actually started to slowly improve in South Korea and the government seemed to be handling the situation well. I’m lucky to have a good place to stay, great friends and I love the city. So even though the situation is complicated, I try to make the most of it and hope that it will get better soon.”

Scenes from Lara's exchange student life in Seoul. Click on the pictures for a large image.