Useful IT Services for Foreign Students

Park, Jeonghun

Unlike Korean students, exchange students or full-time students who do not have a Korean nationality have a barrier to face; the Korean language. Even though the school provides various services in English for them, it is true that those services are not up to par with Korean counterparts. In this article I will explain useful, but not well-known services students can use while they are continuing their studies in the Republic of Korea.

The first is Eduroam. Eduroam is a service that enables users to access other universities’ wireless networks, or wifi for short. In other words, it is a non-profit movement that enables students to use different research institution’s wireless access points. More than 4885 institutions worldwide are participating with 50 Korean institutions in service. Previously, when you visit other universities, you would not be able to use their wireless networks because they require user authentication, so you have to be a student at the university to be able to use their wifi. As a result, you must turn on your data plan, draining your prepaid data coverage plan. However, thanks to Eduroam, you do not need to do this anymore.

To use it, it is very simple. First, select a wireless network with the name Eduroam when you are in another university. Then, use your Hanyang email as an id and your portal password for the required namespace. If your home school at your country is participating, you can use your home university credentials as well to access the network. Moreover, you do not need to set a different profile for each school network you log into because every institution that offers the service uses the same network ID. This service becomes useful when you have a meeting with your friend who attends a different university. In my case, when I am waiting outside, I used to consume my data plan because there was no service at that time. However, nowadays I can watch videos or do some homework while I am waiting for my friend at other universities. Most notable universities that participate in the project are Hanyang, Yonsei, and Sogang University in Korea. To learn more about the service and participants, access the link https://www.eduroam.org/ .

The second tip is online attendance check, using a web browser not your app. Some professors in the university are using online attendance checking system. The school guides students to use the official app to do online attendance. However, due to its poor user interface, students have difficulty putting in the authentication number provided by the instructor. Hence, they have to call the professor to wait for their entry which might be embarrassing for them. However, you can take attendance by using the site check.hanyang.ac.kr. The website is the destination page when you use Hanyang University app to check attendance. Because it is a website, you can use it on your PC, Mac or your phone that has internet connection.

This is the page if you access the website. If you log in, you can see the familiar user interface that you use to take attendance. Just logging in to the site is a breeze than opening up the app and to take attendance, requiring less effort.