What are you doing this vacation? Will you return home or stay in Korea and experience the country? As you know, Kookmin Universi-ty's(KMU), ‘Center for International Student Services(CISS)’- hosts a number of programs. Before the start of the second semester, I hope students will participate in some of their programs. This will help students not only learn about their majors in Korea, but also learn Korea and Korean culture. 

1. <Sungkok Global Family>
Mentoring Program
This project consists of mentors, a university faculty member, Korean student, a foreign student, or mentee. Three foreign students will meet as a “Family” every semester, and at the beginning of the school term, students can apply this program. They have an opening ceremony, an activity with Sungkok Global Family, and a closing ceremony. Students should have at least six activities with their families. There is also a tutoring program for international students. This is for students who need help with their majors or learning Korean. Students can apply to the CISS.

2. Special Events
There are some special programs for international students. Every month, there is a ‘International Cinema Day’, and in September, there is ‘Songpyeon Sharing Festival’ or ‘Bukak Mingling Festival’ Songpyeon, a type of rice cake, is a food made on Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, in thanks to ancestors and the sky after harvesting fresh fruits and new crops. Every semester, there are also cultural experiences through which international students can learn about Korean culture. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, experiencing other countries’ cultures help students broaden their perspectives. 

3. The Korean Language Center
At the 'Korean Language Center’, there is program through which students can learn Korean and have cultural experienc-es over three weeks. They have class for three hours four days a week, two or three cultural experiences per a week, a connected curriculum, and scholarships. This provides students with a chance to understand Korean culture. 

These days, a lot of international students who come to Korea because of K-pop. There is a class that Kookmin University has prepared specifically for those students. It is called “K-Pop Camp”. Students have the opportunity to not only learn Korean but also participate in auditions, watch K-pop events, profile photo shoots, and finally have perform during the last course's week. They have Korean class, K-POP Korean, K-DRAMA Reading, K-FILM Acting, and SNSing Korean. This class is the opportunity to get more interested in Korea and K-pop.

The following book is for international students and will help them adjust and register for courses and activities around campus. If you search the KMU homepage, there is an abundant number of files and programs in which you can participate. Take a look at these but don’t forget to take part in orientation if this is your first time at KMU. 

Ji-su Han
The Kookmin Review Cub-Reporter
jisusarah@naver.com