Open Lounge

I came from Pakistan to Kyung Hee University in March 2024 to start a PhD in AI. Before that I taught computer science at two universities in Lahore, so I thought I was ready for research life. Some things still surprised me. Here is what I wish someone had told me in my first year. 1. Learn some Korean early, even if your lab works in English. My papers and meetings are in English, but university notices, admin systems and reports for government projects are often in Korean. Even basic reading saves time and makes you less dependent on your lab mates. 2. Ask how your lab works instead of guessing. Every lab has unwritten rules about working hours, reporting to the professor and raising problems. One honest conversation with a senior lab member taught me more than weeks of watching. 3. See government projects as part of your training. A lot of research in Korea is funded through national projects. Mine is funded by IITP. Writing reports, setting milestones and meeting deadlines felt like extra work at first. Later I saw that it taught me how R&D is planned and judged in Korea, which matters if you want to build a career here. 4. Plan your career and visa from the first year, not the last semester. I only started looking seriously at job paths and visa options (D-10, E-7, F-2) in my third year. Programs like KIRD's career support exist for this, and I wish I had used them sooner. If you are a year behind me: you are not slower than everyone else. Most of us are figuring it out as we go. Feel free to ask me anything in the comments.