Paul Sadofsky, GE3 KAIST Fall 2024
What I absolutely love about my new university is the space and community that the campus provides. This campus truly has it all, which allows me to feel like I’m living in a school, as opposed to the feeling at Pitt where my school exists within a city. Neither is objectively better, but KAIST’s campus is clearly separated from the typical, busy “downtown” city areas. On this campus, we have a pharmacy, over ten restaurants, several cafes, convenience stores in almost every dorm, a bike
shop, a pharmacy, an optician, and so much more. All within university-owned buildings, including academic halls. In a sense, I never have to really leave campus if I wanted to, as it’s all right here. Just outside of campus is an endless number of super dense streets, filled with restaurants, cafes, karaoke rooms, pubs, PC cafes,
markets and bakeries. I feel like I have endless options.
One specific thing I noticed about the cultural difference here is the level of respect and generosity that employees are expected to have towards their customers. Even at American chains, like Starbucks or McDonald’s, employees will go above and beyond to show their appreciation for the customers. Recently, I was at a Starbucks late at night studying when a barista offered a complementary slice of cake to each customer, just to thank them for visiting. An experience of which I would not expect to ever have in the U.S. Since chains are not nearly as prevalent here as in America, a vast majority of the places you visit will be local shops and restaurants. The owners care greatly about the success of these local businesses, and it shows in their attitudes towards their customers.
Another unique cultural difference here comes to public transportation. The system for public transportation here is fantastic and is the most efficient system I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. It is super easy to use as it has a unified payment system and is extremely cheap compared to America. But what really surprised me was how quiet people are on buses and subways. Coming from NYC, I am used to blocking out public fights and loud music blasting from speakers when riding the subway. However, here, you can hear a pin drop the entire ride. It is quite relaxing, and I can imagine I will miss this when I return back to the states.
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