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| Asmaa Aalbachi, a graduate student at Dongguk University / Courtesy of Dongguk University |
By Kim Jae-heun
Asmaa Aalbachi, 25, is a graduate student taking the Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) course at Dongguk University in Seoul.
She started her YouTube channel to share stories of life in Korea 11 months ago, and she already has 3,384 subscribers.
"Basically, the content is about my university life in Korea. It is very different from school life in Morocco," Aalbachi told The Korea Times, Thursday. "For example, how everything is open 24/7 and that concept of security _ you can leave your laptop and go to the toilet and nobody will steal it."
After opening her online channel, she received many questions from her followers about how she got her scholarship and what it's like to study in Korea.
Aalbachi gives out general information about school programs through her videos and shares detailed answers using direct messages on her social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook.
"People basically start with broad questions like how I got my scholarship and how my university life is here. Then, they move on to ask if my school offers particular majors in medicine or dentistry, for example. Also, it is important for them to know if the courses here are taught in English," Aalbachi said.
Aalbachi did not know much about Korea until she came across clips from the popular TV show "Running Man" on YouTube.
"I was only a first-year undergraduate when I watched Running Man online. At first, it was out of my interest but I started to find it interesting after watching several YouTube clips," Aalbachi said. "It was the atmosphere and sense of humor that attracted me to the Korean TV shows and of course, the host Yoo Jae-suk."
While watching various Korean TV shows, Aalbachi came to think she wanted to learn the Korean language.
The Moroccan searched for schools in Korea and a scholarship she was eligible for. She found a program offering a one-year Korean language course at Chosun University in Gwangju, and came to Korea two years ago through a scholarship program offered by the Korean government.
After that, she enrolled at Dongguk University for a master's degree.
"I spent a year outside of the capital city. I want to spend my next few years in Seoul, learning about city life in Korea," Aalbachi said.
After finishing her master's course, the Moroccan plans to find a job here.
"I love the food here. I love pajeon (green-onion pancake) and cheese tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake). Korean culture is very interesting and it is definitely worth the experience," Aalbachi said.
