Korea — the country of speed

Korea has a studious image but even if you are not that ideal student, you still have to fight for getting a spot on university courses. Even back in 1970s when there were no websites for course registration, students lined up next to professors office to register on first come first served basis. These days students create their schedule themselves through university website which has advantages at one point and disadvantage on another side. Every professor wants to have a smaller size class, so despite having a batch of 100 people in one major there is only 30-40 spots for each mandatory class. Seniors have superiority chance so they register first, and as it goes down to freshmen there might be no spots left in the class. Be prepared that each university has their own rules about registration, and while some websites allow to open several tabs and windows, some universities might forbid it. Going to PC club is a must during course registration since the chances of success are higher there. The PC club price ranges from $2-4 per hour so it is very affordable to stay there couple hours.

Even shopping can become a competition in Korea, especially, if it involves collaboration with popular actors or idols. In case of shopping online the procedure goes the same with course registration or concert ticketing. Knowing the exact date of sale and pre-filling personal information would save the time during actual purchase. However, with physical shopping or pop-up store you have to go to selling place and stand in line for hours. Sometimes it goes as far as waiting from early morning whole day. That is how passionate are people in Korea! Some people set a tent and bring food, necessities because waiting in line can last 6-15 hours. If there is a new iphone coming out or a new collection of famous brand (Valentino, Louis Vitton etc.) it is better to make prereservation online and as early as possible. Queue for new apple items can be several months ahead.

Getting into cultural events such as templestay, a tour or theatre is the same procedure as concert ticketing. Also, sometimes there are free opportunities to attend them, which are also first come first served. Following cultural websites and communities on instagram (Seoulcity, Seoulglobalcenter, KTO etc) is the best option at keeping up with newest information about such events. Another tip would be using PC or laptop instead of phone and quickly responding to opportunities as you see them. Free things are loved by everyone so be prepared to compete!

If a huge luck is not your forte constant practice is a key in succeeding ticketing. Concentration and attention is not a talent but a skill that one can learn while playing games. That is why many koreans love playing mobile or pc games. There are even specific practice games for concert ticketing at googoofun. If you are still struggling with ticketing on your own it is good to bring skillful friends or pay ‘deari’. Deari is a name for people who are good at ticketing and give their services for such occasions. Depending on the event and competition deari can cost from $30-400.