SNU is home to an increasingly diverse group of international students. Compared to typical first-years, international students are more likely to encounter various difficulties as they have the difficult task of transitioning into not only university life, but also an entirely new cultural environment. The SNU Center for Campus Life and Culture offers several programs to ensure that sufficient amounts of mental and emotional support are given to these students as they settle into university life.
The Center’s weekly 1-on-1 counselling service is available free of charge to all students experiencing hardship in any part of their university and personal lives including academic or career concerns and interpersonal relationships. International students have access to a special English language service, accessible by booking an appointment through the website or by email. Strict confidentiality is observed to provide a safe environment for students. The Center also offers a group counselling program for international students, where a group of four to eight students gather with one or two professional counsellors over a period of ten weeks to discuss any issue. This program was designed so that students can not only receive help from a qualified professional, but can also discuss issues and build rapport with their peers, who may be experiencing similar problems.
In light of COVID-19, the Center has moved the counselling service online to ensure that international students continue to get the help they need even as they observe social distancing regulations. Weekly 50-minute individual counselling sessions are currently available via Zoom.
“Living alone in another country is a big challenge with many complications. Having people around you that are professionals can be the best help. The important thing is that you decide to go to them,” said a participant in the online counselling service.
Another program organized by the Center is the School-Life Mentoring Program (SMP), a semester-long mentoring system for international first-year students. Created in 2010, the program targets overseas Korean students who return to Korea for university after completing primary and secondary education outside of Korea, as well as international students admitted to four-year undergraduate programs. SMP recruits approximately 15 senior students to act as mentors to these students, and pairs them by carefully considering their majors, interests, and personalities to ensure that mentors are able to provide personalized help.
SMP mentors and mentees are encouraged to participate in a variety of mentoring activities throughout the semester. The program includes a weekly 1-on-1 mentoring service, during which mentors meet with each of their mentees to share helpful tips about academic majors, classes, and campus life in general. In addition to this, SMP mentors work together to arrange group activities for their mentees. While the individual sessions seek to offer more practical information fitting the unique needs of each mentee, the group sessions encourage socializing and cultural exchange between the diverse groups of students. The group sessions also provide an opportunity for mentees to meet and build community with other international students, with whom they may feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences.
“The SMP was a great opportunity for me to meet fellow international students from all walks of life. Having mentors to turn to helped me to feel better prepared for the rest of my time at SNU. It also allowed me to better adjust to Seoul, as we visited lots of places around the city as a group. I still cherish the memories we made during the program, and I hope new students find SMP as rewarding and helpful as I did,” said a student who recently participated as a mentee.
Written by Minju Kim, SNU English Editor, minjukimm@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Professor Travis Smith, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, tlsmith@snu.ac.kr