Most new students spend February in anticipation of the new semester. It’s the time when they begin imagining their first walk across campus. But while the excitement builds, application portals remain very much active. For many students, this month is filled with preparation, gathering documents, and a lot of second-guessing. For international students, it often also means translating transcripts, checking visa requirements, and planning a life that suddenly feels very real.
If you’ve seen college-based K-dramas like ‘Cheese in the Trap’, ‘My ID Is Gangnam Beauty’, or ‘At a Distance, Spring Is Green’, you’ll notice something familiar: the real stress doesn’t start in the classroom — it starts earlier. Admissions season is that unseen part of the story.
Here are some words you definitely should be familiar with:
진학 (jin-hak) – Enter (a school/college/university)
진학 isn’t about where you are — it’s about where you’re heading. It means advancing to the next stage of education and is often used when talking about university or graduate school plans. You know those people who are always asking what your plan is? You can tell them:
한국 대학으로 진학할 예정이에요.
(han-guk dae-hak-eu-ro jin-hak-hal ye-jeong-i-e-yo)
“I’m planning to advance to a Korean university.”
지원접수 (ji-won-jeop-su)- Application submission
The moment of application submission is when your 진학 (jin-hak) plans turn into actions. But submitting an application is just the start, followed by the wait and anticipation of results. When the ‘submit’ button is clicked after triple-checking your documents, all you can really do is wait and… overthink. Once you are done, you can say:
지원접수가 잘 마무리 했습니다.
(ji-won-jeop-su-ga jal-mamuri-haes-smnida)
“The application submission has been successfully completed.”
입학시험 (ip-hak-si-heom)- Entrance Exam
Some departments may even have their own 입학시험 (ip-hak-si-heom) — entrance exam. It’s months of preparation squeezed into a few hours, where you try to prove everything you’ve learned while pretending you’re not nervous. If your department has an 입학시험, you should prepare well, away from distractions. Simply say:
입학시험 준비로 요즘 바빠요.
(ip-hak-si-heom jun-bi-ro yo-jeum ba-ppa-yo)
“I’m busy these days preparing for entrance exams.”
수능점수 (su-neung-jeom-su) – CSAT Score
If not an 입학시험, your department might admit based on your 수능점수 (su-neung-jeom-su) — CSAT score. In Korea, these numbers carry significant emotional weight for students. Many K-dramas portray how deeply these scores matter, showing how numbers can shape futures.
수능점수가 입시에 중요해요.
(su-neung-jeom-su-ga ip-si-e jung-yo-hae-yo)
“CSAT scores are important for admissions.”
유학생 (yu-hak-saeng)- International Student
If you are a 유학생 (yu-hak-saeng) — ‘international student’, you don’t have to worry about 수능 (su-neung). Your ‘test’ will start after your semester begins. It means learning how to survive in a new country, getting used to unfamiliar classrooms, and slowly realizing you’re stronger than you thought you were.
유학생으로 한국에서 공부해요.
(yu-hak-saeng-eu-ro han-guk-e-seo gong-bu-hae-yo)
“I study in Korea as an international student.”
장학금 (jang-hak-geum)- Scholarship
장학금 (jang-hak-geum) — ‘scholarship’ can make 유학 (yu-hak) a little bit easier. Getting a scholarship means your talent and academic abilities are finally being recognized, freeing you and your family from the burden of school tuition! International students can also receive scholarships at Korean universities based on their Korean language skills. One more reason to study Korean. Tell your friends who question your Hallyu obsession.
한국어 실력으로 장학금 받았어요.
(Hanguk-eo-sil-lyeo-geuro-jang-hak-geum-bada-sseo-yo)
“I received a scholarship based on my Korean language skills.”
교환학생 (gyo-hwan-hak-saeng) – Exchange Student
Don’t want to study abroad for the entire course, how about just a semester? Studying abroad for a short time often means culture shock, awkward first days, unexpected friendships, and memories that somehow end up becoming the best part of university.
Basically, the start of a rom-com subplot: missed buses, mixed-up languages, and a friend group that forms way faster than expected.
교환학생으로 한 학기 지낼 거예요.
(gyo-hwan-hak-saeng-eu-ro han hak-gi ji-nael geo-ye-yo )
“I’ll spend one semester as an exchange student.”
Each of these words captures a piece of Korea’s admission season— the tension of 지원접수 (ji-won-jeop-su, application submission), the hope tied to 장학금 (jang-hak-geum, scholarship), and the courage it takes to become a 유학생(yu-hak-saengl, international student). As you learn terms like 입학시험 (ip-hak-si-heom, entrance exam), 진학 (jin-hak, to enter school), and 교환학생 (gyo-hwan-hak-saeng, exchange student), you’re not just learning Korean, you’re learning the language of new beginnings, risk, and quiet determination.
So keep your documents ready (서류 한 파일, seo-ryu han pa-il), trust the work you’ve done, and let these words walk you through admission season, one Korean term at a time.
다음에 또 만나요! (da-eum-ae tto man-na-yo). See you next time!
Written by: Haripriy
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