Arriving in Korea was 50% of my study abroad… the abroad part. As for the other 50%, that’s where the struggle begins. Though there are so many things to do in Korea aside from studying, not every moment can be spent having great food, seeing beautiful sights, and trying new things. Studying in Korea in and of itself is a fun time, paired with great food for thought, seeing the beautiful sight of your textbooks, and trying new study methods. All jokes aside, studying at cafes is quite a vibe, leaving you satisfied with your productivity and sometimes the price you paid for a coffee. In this blog, I will be highlighting my favorite study spots and the pros and cons of each specific location! Each location will also have their Naver map links for your convenience.
This café was the first café that I stumbled upon when getting ready to study for my investments class. This café also just so happened to be the only café that I stayed in for over 9 hours reviewing materials for Financial Engineering and Quantitative Analysis (FEQA).
Pros:
- Nàtuur Signature is a Korean brand in direct competition with Häagen-Dazs, meaning, at this café, they have ice cream too!
- There are 3 booths, each with outlets, allowing you to study with a wide workspace. Here your laptop battery and you can have something in common, a constant stream of your favorite juice.
- 20% discount on EVERYTHING for SNU Students!
- Recommended Drink: Hot Matcha Expresso Latte
- Niche features: Customized Ein Spanners!
Cons:
- The bathroom here kind of smells bad, and the door opens into the main part of the lobby so at times you get a whiff of dung.
- At times, it can get quite loud as this is quite a popular place.
This Café is quite a popular franchise in Korea and you can find these all over Korea. The one I go to is nice because there is a “community room” where there is a large table for group work.
Pros:
- A Twosome place has quite nice vibes, and typically a great view and lots of seating
- You can order everything in English.
- The Community Room
Cons:
- PRICE! As a popular franchise, you can expect to be spending almost double the amount you would be spending at Nàtuur.
- Also, quite loud at times due to popularity
Gaeng Coffee/ Moon Café/ Triano Coffee / Louder Café
These 4 are local cafés that I have studied at with others. They are all equally nice, with decent seating and outlets. Typically, as smaller cafes, they tend to charge average prices ~$4 for a drink.
Pros:
Small café so most of the time, they are quiet and allow for you to get into the zone.
They all have their own specialty or niche strategic advantage.
- Gaeng, is close to SNU Station, but most of the seating is large tables for team meetings/ large group studying.
- Moon Coffee, Close to Nakseongdae Station, has 2 floors, good seating for parties of 1-4, and even sells wine!
- Tirano Coffee, offers free water and free snacks (their specialty trail mix) so you can have a comfortable study session… AND EVERYTHING IS DINOSAUR THEMED! 🦖
- Louder Café, a large center table for group work, but their specialty is their delicious Ein Spanner.
Cons:
- As they are smaller cafes, they typically have a time limit (for instance, Louder has a 2hr time limit per drink purchased)
- They typically have fewer options than larger cafes.
SNU Library/ SNU Business School Library
These are spots on campus where only students are allowed. Typically, they are good study spots as it’s quiet and everyone around you is also studying, so you feel the pressure motivation.
Pros:
- Lots of seating to work
- VERY Quiet
- VERRY Quiet
- VEEEERRRYY Quiet
Cons:
- SHHHHHHHH
- Open drinks are not allowed, so you will need bottled drinks.
All in all, studying in Korea is quite an exciting experience, Café hunting and discovering new drinks is always an adventure typically with great outcomes. If you come across this blog, while you are in Korea, please feel free to comment on your favorite study spots below with the pros and cons! I would love to see the suggestions and visit the cafes myself.
Important study locations I did not mention in this blog is the study cafes spread around the city near campuses as those cafes are quite similar to each other and have an entry fee (Pretty affordable). These study cafes are usually a safe bet to be very productive, so make sure to leverage the study cafes for a maximized study session! Here is one I recommend close to SNU Station: Lang Study Cafe!
Of course, use this Blog as inspiration to look for your cafes and explore the city through café hopping, but if you ever want a long study session with little risk of a bad experience, feel free to visit any of the suggested cafés above!