Working international students share stories of juggling work, study

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While various organizations and government agencies in Korea offer many scholarships to support international students during their studies in Korea, the number of scholarships, compared to the increasing number of incoming students, is still small.

Most international students are still either self-funded or receiving support from their families back home. To work their way through universities, many have to work part-time on top of being a student.

Nonetheless, working and studying at the same time is a challenging task, according to them, with the biggest challenge being time management.

To pay for tuition fees and her monthly expenditure, Thi Cam Phuong Nguyen, a Vietnamese student at Paichai University, has to work almost 30 hours a week at a restaurant near her university. After five hours of working at the restaurant, she often finds herself exhausted from the intensive workload. Nguyen goes home when the day is almost over, so there is little time she can dedicate to academic endeavors.

Similarly, Nhi Au, a Soongsil University student, works part-time at a marketing company and barely has free time during the weekdays because of the overwhelming tasks from the company job and class hours.

This past semester, Au took seven courses, meaning she spent approximately 21 hours a week in the classroom. After classes, she said she spent the remaining hours working at her company until 7 p.m.

"The hardest thing about my job is to keep up with the daily tasks. Even though I only work about four hours a day, sometimes I have to work even during classes to keep up with the deadlines."

As a result, she usually stays up late to review her lessons again after work.

Eventually, students like Nguyen and Au have to devise ways to ensure that work does not get in the way of their academic performances. They shared some of their methods with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Set your priorities

"I am here to study, and I always have to remind myself that, even when I am working," Au said.

She added that since earning money sounds more attractive than getting good grades in school, many students focus on working and pay less attention to their studies. As a result, they might fail classes and eventually fail to be selected for scholarships, increasing the financial needs that are already a burden for many.

Au said paying for her education with her current salary is impossible after covering her monthly expenditures if she does not get tuition fee waivers from her university.

Worse, overworking could get international students in trouble with immigration. It is therefore crucial to set a boundary and know the related regulations.

"Do not overwork yourself and do not let the work distract you from your studies," Abror Iskandarov, a student from Uzbekistan at Jeonbuk National University, said.

He only works how much he can in a week to have enough time to study and has been receiving a full scholarship every semester for his stellar GPA of 4.1 out of 4.5.

Plan well and early

Most universities allow students to register for classes by themselves starting their second semester, meaning students have total control over their class schedules before the semester begins.

This is a great chance to set a schedule that suits their desired working hours. Many part-time jobs require employees to work consecutive hours, so students should consider choosing classes all in the morning or the afternoon instead of having them throughout the day.

Working night shifts at a convenience store, Iskandarov, for example, opted to take classes in the morning to get time to sleep in the afternoon.

Make a to-do list

Just as it is necessary to strike a balance between working and studying, it is also essential to make a to-do list before starting your day. Each school and work task has a different degree of importance, so you must keep track of your tasks. Having a to-do list will make it easier to do so. Now that you know which task should be done first, either from work or classes, you can make the most of your days.

Work more during the breaks

According to the Guidelines on Employment for International Students in Korea provided by the National Institute for International Education, international students with a Topik proficiency level of three or above can work unlimited hours during the breaks as long as they work in the permitted fields.

Hence, many students take these precious school breaks to work full-time and save enough for the upcoming semester. With these savings, they can work less and spend more time studying during the semester.

Sham Peter Gomez, a student from Bangladesh, is one of them. He worked full-time during his winter break at a restaurant and saved enough to afford to work only three days a week since February.

Take good care of yourself

For all four students, working and studying are essential parts of their lives. And to juggle between the two, they say it is important to stay physically and mentally healthy and that it is a challenge working students often face.

Iskandarov, who works night shifts, adjusted his biological clock to sleep during the day to make sure he gets enough rest. He, however, still finds it challenging to get in quality sleep.

"The problem is that daytime sleep is not qualitative and often makes you feel tired rather than comfortable," he said.

He said he tries to make up for it by exercising and working out regularly to keep himself fit and healthy, which helps him feel stronger and not get tired quickly during the day.

Nguyen also said she tries to get enough sleep and maintain a healthy diet despite her intense schedule and work hours.

"Only when my body is well taken care of [can I] work and study effectively," she said.

Meanwhile, Au and Gomez always make time to rest enough after work, especially on weekends, which they used to forget about both work and studying and focus on doing what they like. While Au often hangs out with friends or tries new activities in town, Gomez calls his family daily for mental support.

Most students work to meet financial needs, but working is also an opportunity to learn for many. Not only does it help the students with their expenses, but it also gives them an opportunity to learn outside of school.

"Life is not easy now that I have to work," Gomez said.

Studying entirely in English at Jeonbuk National University, he needed to gain sufficient Korean skills to work at a restaurant at first. As a result, he often got scolded by the restaurant's owner and customers.

"I have learned to take responsibility for my mistakes and learned from them," he said.

Another benefit of working in a Korean environment is learning the Korean language, the way it is actually spoken. Nguyen, like Gomez, at the beginning of her journey, also struggled with understanding her boss and her customers at first. But working helped her gain the practical Korean language skills she needed.

"As I continued working and learned from my mistakes, I got to practice and improve my Korean way better than before," she said.

Au echoed this sentiment, saying working has allowed her to learn a lot about not only marketing but also professional Korean and business etiquette.

Being a working student is daunting, but many good things come out of it, and the four students' tips may help you navigate how to make do. However, they say it is also important to come up with strategies that work for you.

Au, noting the importance of hard work and determination, said, "If I can do it, so can you."

BY STUDENT REPORTER NGUYEN TRAN THAO NGUYEN [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]