KoreaUniversities are not like those in ChinaSchool startsIn September, unlike Australia where the spring semester begins at the end of February—South Korea's spring semester is uniformly held in September. early MarchWith the start of the new academic year, popular universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University generally begin classes between March 2nd and March 5th. This applies to students enrolling in the spring of 2026.International StudentsIn that case, it's time to start preparing now, instead of waiting until the end of February when everyone is scrambling to catch up.
Several things you must get done before school starts
① Accommodation Confirmation Competition for university dormitories in South Korea is fierce, and some schools have limited spots for international students, so many have to rent off-campus housing for their first semester. Hongdae, Sinchon, and Ewha are popular areas for international students. When renting, you should contact the landlord at least 1-2 months in advance. The deposit system is different from that in China, so make sure you understand it before signing the contract.
② Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) You must apply for this card at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority within 90 days of entering Seoul. There are several application points in Seoul, but the queues are long. It is recommended to go within two weeks of entering the country. Bring your passport, proof of enrollment, rental agreement, and passport photos. Before you get this card, you cannot open many bank accounts or register your mobile phone number under your real name.
③ Bank card and mobile phone number Recommended to open 카카오뱅크 or 토스뱅크Online account opening is relatively convenient; you can apply once you have your Alien Registration Card. For mobile numbers, we recommend KT or SK Telecom; their student plans offer good value, and some plans offer discounts specifically for international students.
④ School system registration In South Korea, university course selection systems, library systems, and campus emails generally need to be activated before the start of the semester. Some schools will send activation emails at the end of February, so be sure to check your emails and don't wait until the first day of school to find that your account is not activated.
⑤ Language proficiency reassessment If your course is taught in Korean, the speaking speed and vocabulary density will be much higher than at a language school during the first week. It's recommended to review your major-related vocabulary beforehand, especially for STEM and business majors, as there's a large amount of specialized terminology.
The rhythm of life after school starts
The first week at Korean universities usually has OT（오리엔테이션）The International Students Association will organize a separate online test (OT) to introduce school facilities, course selection procedures, and scholarship application deadlines. This OT is a great opportunity to meet fellow international students and is packed with information, so don't skip it.
Winter in Seoul isn't completely over until March, with large temperature differences between day and night. The temperature may still be around 0 degrees Celsius during the first few days of school, so don't rush to put away your thick coat.
There's something else that many people didn't expect: Chinese software would run into problems in South Korea.
After getting all the documents, accommodation, and bank cards sorted out, I discovered another problem once I arrived in South Korea—all the Chinese apps on my phone started malfunctioning.
iQiyi and Youku experienced black screens and error messages when watching dramas, Bilibili displayed a message stating "Playback is not supported in the current region," Douyin's domestic version had limited functionality, and some playlists on Himalaya and NetEase Cloud Music were unavailable. Those with domestic securities accounts faced even greater difficulties, with Eastmoney and Tonghuashun experiencing data loading lag and inability to display market data when accessed from South Korea.
These are all regional restrictions triggered by South Korean IP addresses, and even the fastest internet speed can't bypass them.
The solution is to use QuickFox. Repatriation AcceleratorIt is specifically optimized for overseas Chinese accessing domestic software. After connecting, the IP switches back to the domestic environment, which can solve most of the above problems.
Click the link on this site to download QuickFox.Enter the redemption code after registration. QF51,receive 12-hour free membership trialIt supports all platforms including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. Installing it before the start of the school year will save you a lot of trouble.
The March back-to-school season waits for no one. Documents, accommodation, bank cards, school systems, online tools—if you haven't sorted out even one of these things, the first two weeks of school will be chaotic. Preparing in advance allows you to focus your energy on what truly matters.
