Joining Clubs at Yonsei
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Why you should join a club (and why it can feel a bit confusing at first)
At Yonsei University, there is a huge activity fair at the start of the semester along Baekyeon-ro, the main campus road. Like any other college campus, they have so many clubs people can join, but for exchange students, the similarities end there.
The activities fair is really cool to walk through and check out, but many of the clubs aren’t open to exchange students because they require a minimum of a one-year membership commitment. Some clubs are also harder to join if you don’t speak Korean fluently. In addition, most clubs typically require a membership fee, which is different from Hope’s clubs. Finally, and probably the most confusing part for me and the other IES Abroad students to adapt to was realizing that you have to formally apply to join a club and sometimes even go through an interview.
Though this process can be confusing and feel a little exclusive, I have a couple tips and thoughts after going through this process:
- Do attend the club fair, but don’t just stop there. Also, look on Instagram for clubs that don’t have booths at the fair. That is actually how I ended up finding and joining the Yonsei International Volleyball Club!
2. Join Mentors club or IYC. These are clubs run by Yonsei students for International exchange students to become more integrated into the campus, Korean life, and make Korean friends. (I accidentally missed the deadline, but all my friends liked it!)
3. After the club fair is over, you have a short amount of time to apply and interview for the clubs you’re interested in (roughly 2-3 days). Try to stay on top of deadlines in whatever way works best for you.
I joined an art club on campus called Whawoo, and it has been such a great, fun experience. They host ateliers run by other club members to teach different styles and types of arts! So the atmosphere has been more relaxed and focused on learning. Through this club, I have gotten to know Korean students and made new friends.
I would recommend joining a club at Yonsei. It’s a great way to experience different parts of campus and meet new people you wouldn’t normally see in your classes!
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