During the last winter semester, I went to the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) in Prague, Czech Republic, as an exchange student. When I lived in a dormitory at the school, I was shocked by how many cultural differences there were between Prague and Korea. First, unlike CNU which I am attending now, students live in dormitories without distinction between men and women in the Czech Republic.

Without Distinction of Gender
    Even couples could live together in one room. I think they are not conscious of other's attention compared to Korea. I saw some men who were going to the shower room in underwear only. I also saw some students who were smoking even in front of my room. In the Czech Republic, marijuana is legal. Thus, some students smoked marijuana instead of cigarettes. As I walked through the corridor, some students asked me if I wanted to buy some cannabis.
    In the dormitory, there were lots of parties and occasions including a midnight house party. Students turned on the music in their rooms, and just enjoyed parties. It looked like they thought their dormitory room was a club. They occupied their rooms and even the hallway. Sometimes I did not sleep well at night because of noisy sounds from other's rooms. Once I heard Bigbang's song. They were Spanish friends, and some of them seemed to be interested in K-POP culture. Later, I got used to this atmosphere and I had a house party together with them. Sometimes we gathered together with friends from different countries and showed dishes of each country. Unlike CNU, we were allowed to come home late because the curfew was not set.

Parties and Pubs
    The dormitory had one restaurant and two pubs, where parties were occasionally held and students gathered to play games. An exchange student orientation also took place there. It was interesting that we could not order snacks in the pubs and we should bring some food. When I went the dormitory pubs, I bought nachos separately from a mart and drank beer.
    Europeans tended to celebrate Christmas more than Koreans did. Someone put a Christmas tree in the dormitory one month before Christmas and some rooms seemed to be preparing for the day in advance. I saw several small bulbs placed on windows. In the week of Christmas, there was a Christmas vacation for about a week. At this time, some European students went back to their hometowns or participated in the ongoing dormitory party. At that time, I went to Italy and did not participate in the party but my friends said to me that it was really good.
    Through these experiences, I felt many things. I was embarrassed and surprised by various differences in lifestyle from Korea but I realized people just have their own style. The same is true of each country. Knowing and adapting to a new culture is more attractive than you might think. When I went to Prague at first, I started my daily life with fear, but at some point I found myself together with them. It is recommended to visit any other countries and learn about their different culture.
 

By Kim Hyo-jeong, Junior, Faculty of Business Administration