Class Registration is Stressful

So, I Would like to point out that I'm a international FRESHMAN student.

I have never ever registered for classes before

And all of my exchange friends keep talking about the horrors they went through while registering for classes. I'm SO nervous~~~~

I had orientation yesterday, which I would like to say was pretty useless. Most of the international students are Chinese, there are only like 15 non-Chinese international students so basically the entire orientation was about what Chinese students need to do for visas and stuff.

She only covered class registration for a minute. She didn't say anything about what credit I need or anything. She just said "You need 130 credits to graduate and I recommend you do 12 credits your first semester"

12 credits of what?!!?! Am I required to take a science? or a math? or even History? Because if you don't tell me I'm going to avoid those subjects at all costs.

So basically I chose all the English classes I could find (that weren't any of the subjects stated above) There aren't very many classes in English, but there are definitely enough to have a couple semesters of just English classes, which is nice.

So hopefully my schedule will look something like this:

Intermediate French Tues-Fri
Korean for beginners Mon-Thurs
Language and Culture Tues & Thurs
English and Human Mind Mon &Weds
Syntax Mon &Weds

Once again, I pray this will be my schedule. Sadly, I don't really have any days off, but that's okay. I'm new at this. I can perfect my scheduling later when I'm not so stressed.

There were only 3 classes related to my linguistics majour in English and the level wasn't specified. So, I just signed up for Syntax just in case all the other classes were junior level classes or something. I can always drop the class.

I have 6 back up classes just in case I don't get any of these, but I'm REALLY hoping I can get those. Based on the horror stories from my friends and my parents I'm probably going to end up in some really stupid class taught in Korean.

I don't speak Korean.

On the bright side!!!
While I was at orientation I started talking to this one girl and SHE'S FRENCH! So, I'll have a 4-yr undergrad French friend!! I'm so excited. I think there is also another international linguistics freshman. So, hopefully i can make a few non-exchange student friends. I do love my exchangey friends, but they are leaving me in a few months sooo..... yeah.

I woke up 3 hours before  registration begins because that's what everyone recommended I do so I have nothing to do right now...

I'm just going to listen to some kpop and refresh the registration page until I die.

xx

In which I forgot mt iPod...

I’m writing this from my wonderful window sit on my United flight to Seoul, South Korea! It’s been about 5 hours since we’ve taken off and I’m sitting in the darkness so that the plane can sleep. I don’t understand why everyone is sleeping though, I mean it’s only 7:00pm in the US and it’s 9AM in Korea. Shouldn’t they stay awake so they won’t be jetlagged??

That’s my plan anyway, I’m not going to sleep anymore. I don’t have enough battery on my computer to watch any more movies though…. And this plane doesn’t have those TV things on the back of the seat like I’m used to, they only have the really big ones up front and you can only watch the movies they choose, which is stupid. I don’t want to watch Wreck It Ralph. So, I have no idea what I’m going to do for the next 7 hours… I’ll probably read.

I started reading Of Mice and Men on the 6 hour flight from Raleigh to San Francisco, but I was sitting behind an obnoxious kid who wouldn’t stop crying. That’s awlays the greatest, isn’t it? Having a long flight and listening to a whiney 2 year old scream the whooooooole time…. Wanna know the worst part?

I
forgot
my
ipod.

Yes, I’m an idoit. I forgot my iPod which leads to very difficult and boring travels. I’m literally on the verge of dying because I don’t have my wonderful kpop. I’m so stupid.

Anyway, I get off the plane soon and hopefully my luggage made it. Also, hopefully Keith’s mom didn’t forget about me. I texted her yesterday telling her I was getting on the plane soon. I hope that she’s excited to hang out with me. I mean I really don’t want to impose. My mom said that she would be very excited to let Keith stay with her regardless of my presence. I pray that Keith’s mom feels the same way.

Ugh, my knees hurt. I’d like to point out that I have VERY long legs. I’m crammed in a small seat and the person in front of me decided to put her chair all the way back, I mean who can blame her? But still, I can’t move. Literally, I can’t do anything with my legs because there is no room. So, very uncomfortable flight, but I’m still going to Korea.

Which brings me to my next point. It still hasn’t hit me. I said goodbye to my parents today and I didn’t feel anything because it didn’t feel like I was going anywhere. It hasn’t hit me that I’m going to be away from them for possibly a few years. I’m sure it’ll hit when I land. I’m not prone to get homesick though, I’m used to being away from home, so it won’t be hard. I’m sure at some point I’ll call mom missing her though. It’s weird, I’m sitting on the plane 7 hours from arriving in Korea, which has been my dream for the past couple years and I’m not nervous/excited/scared. Anything. I’m so indifferent. I think my brain thinks I should be sitting on the couch at home or selling shoes. It can’t comprehend the fact that I’m embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. So strange….

I still can’t believe I forgot my iPod…. That needs to be mailed to me ASAP. My computer is dying, I should stop writing anyway. This post is getting kinda long.

See you in Seoul!

xx

Packed!!!

I'm so totally finished with packing. I literally packed everything. I don't have anything to wear for the next three days.

Mom and I went shopping again, so I ended up with WAY more clothes than before. Both of my suitcases are teetering the 50 pound limit >_<

I did buy this REALLY cute dress to wear on the plane so that I look adorable when I see Keith's mom. I just hop I can get to my make up when I get off the plane to touch up so I don't look like a zombie.

My mom and I packed ALL of my stuff before we realised that we hadn't packed Keith's mom's present yet. The thing with Koreans is they are so hospitable Everytime Keith or my friend Bonnie came and stayed at my house they brought an inordinate amount of gifts, like simple traditional Korean trinkets and stuff. Being that I'm from American, we don't have any "traditional" "cultural" things. So mom and I ran around trying to think of stuff to give her. We finally got a good amount of little things and one super nice thing.

I'm getting super nervous. Everytime I go through my Korea workbooks, I think that I'll be okay for 3 days with Keith's mom. I know enough vocab and grammar to converse with her.... but then she'll send me a text message or something on kakoatalk and I don't understand a word of it >______<

I'm so screwed. I just hope I don't shut down and become super awkward, I need to try. The least I can get from her is kudos for trying so hard. ㅋㅋㅋ

I'm thinking about taking the innocent look while I'm with her. I'm not going to out on too much makeup. Just some mascara. Unless I look like a train wreck, in which case lots of eyeshadow and eyeliner will be involved.
I
am
so
nervous.

But once the three days have passed I move into my beautiful dorm!!!! It's going to be awesome. I need to buy sheets though, and pillows and a phone. I especially need a phone. I can't decide between and Samsung Galaxy SIII or the Note II. My friend who has used both phones says that the Note II is so much better. I can't decide though...

I should go help my mother clean though.
I probably won't update until I arrive at the dorm the 23.

xx

Shoes!!

So, I used to always judge girls when they told me that they always pack a bag dedicated to shoes…


Now I understand. I have literally filled an entire suitcase with shoes. I didn’t even realise I had this many shoes. I guess that’s what I get for working at a shoe store. I’ve heard from multiple resources that Korea doesn’t really make shoes larger than a 8…. I’m a 9.

WHY IS KOREA SO SMALL?!

I am literally not going to be able to buy anything there because I’m too big for all the clothes/shoes. *curses*

But I do get to hang out with Keith’s mom soon! Part of me is very excited and the other part keeps repeating “don’t get nervous and shut down, don’t get nervous an not talk” in my head. 

I need to collect some courage and not be scared to talk to her in Korean regardless of how incomprehensible it is. 

She’ll appreciate me for trying! (I hope….)

I still don’t know how I feel about calling her mom, I know it’s totally normal in Korea, but it’s not a western thing to call your boyfriend’s mother “mom”
It might be weird for her too, I mean I am a foreigner. 

SO NERVOUSSS!!!

Too early to pack?

So I leave in 15 days.

I feel like 2 weeks before departure is a reasonable time to start packing… right?

Except, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PACK!?
I’m going to have to bring a lot of clothes because I don’t exactly have a Korean sized body, especially in the chesty area. Everywhere I read says that if you wear larger than a B is going to be pretty hard to find bras/shirts that fit. So, basically I’m screwed!

WHY, MOTHER, HAVE YOU CURSED ME WITH LARGE BOOBS?! ALL I WANT IS TO WEAR CUTE KOREAN CLOTHES.

*sigh*

I might be able to fit some of the “one size fits all” shirts, but come on, their Korean. Their “one size fits all” really means “you might be able to wear this if you normally wear a medium, otherwise don’t bother.” My boobs wear a large (sometimes XL, it’s bad)… the rest of me is medium. I’m so disfigured >___<
Anyways, I don’t know if I should focus on packing warm clothes or cold clothes because it is going to be REALLY cold when I get there, but it’s almost spring and it gets REALLY hot too. Ooooh the conflict!

What about shoes? I don’t know how that works in Korea. I wear a 9USA/40EU/7UK, I have no idea what I wear in Korea or if they make shoes that big. Do Korean women have big feet?? I dunno….

So, I’m basically going to be staring at my closet for the rest of the day. Wish my luck!

xx

16 More Days!

So, I basically spent my entire last semester at high school dreaming of leaving for Korea. It’s getting so close and it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m excited, but it still feels like a distant dream.

I mean come on, Maggie, you’re going to be living in Korea for the next 4 years!!! 

It’ll take me awhile to get used to the idea. It still hasn’t really clicked in my head that I spent all last year in France. 

Anyways, it’s taking a lot of effort to prevent me from packing now. I still have two weeks. I need to wear something! I just have no idea what I should pack and what I should buy there. 

Speaking of! So, my boyfriend is Korean and he’s in the army doing his mandatory service. But, he told me a few weeks ago that I should arrive in Korea 3 days before I actually need to be there because he might be able to get a break and hang out with me for three days. Obviously I was very excited because I haven’t seen him since he randomly showed up at my door 7 months ago.

Guess what he told me a few days ago? He wasn’t able to get his break. So I was going to arrive in Korea 3 days before the dorms open with no where to stay.

“Don’t worry Maggie! You can just stay with my mom, she’ll pick you up from the airport.” 
Keith (that’s his name), your mom doesn’t speak English. My Korean is beginner. I can have a small conversation involving the whereabouts of cats
“고양이가 탁자 밑애 있어요— the cat’s under the table” I can understand stuff, but that’s only because I watch WAY too many kdramas. I’m basically learning my Korean from Lee Min Ho (bless him). 

Well! Screw it! I want Keith’s mom to like me, she seemed like she liked me when I visited last year. So I’m going to be spending three days with my boyfriends mother without said boyfriend. 

I’m FREAKING out. I speak enough Korean to get by without starving or dying, but I don’t know formal conjugations. Formality is very important in Korea. And I know Keith’s mom will not be insulted by my speaking informally to her because I’m a foreigner learning Korea, but I still want her to know that I respect her and I would speak formally if I knew how!

Why is Korean so difficult?!

Anyways, I can’t wait to move into my dorm. I was originally supposed to stay in Anam hall, which is the cheapest dorm. However, they filled up fast and now I’m staying in the Frontier House which is awesome! I GET MY OWN BATHROOM! I’m so excited. I’ll only have on roommate instead of 2. And we have our own bathroom.

This is long, I’ll try to keep up with this blog better than my blog to France, I kinda failed with that. 

xx