So I have been living in Korea for almost 8 years and throughout my time here I have stumbled across a number of apps that have made my life while teaching easier and increased my experience while in Korea. The apps I have chosen do require a little bit of effort to understand if you don't know Korean. But a lesson I have learned out here is that spending a couple hours translating and understand some of these apps has made important improvements to the quality of my life. The trade is totally worth, but warning to the squeamish when it comes to Korean, this blog is graphic. This might be a little biased but and I am sure I will catch some heat for saying this, but if you have not already picked up a smartphone it would be wise to pick up an Andriod phone, a newer version of Samsung. I don't say this to shame Iphone or any Iphone fans, it is just that after being here so long I realized more things are geared towards Andriod than Iphone, maybe that is Korea's way of prom...
So I have been living in Korea for almost 8 years and throughout my time here I have stumbled across a number of apps that have made my life while teaching easier and increased my experience while in Korea. The apps I have chosen do require a little bit of effort to understand if you don't know Korean. But a lesson I have learned out here is that spending a couple hours translating and understand some of these apps has made important improvements to the quality of my life. The trade is totally worth, but warning to the squeamish when it comes to Korean, this blog is graphic.
This might be a little biased but and I am sure I will catch some heat for saying this, but if you have not already picked up a smartphone it would be wise to pick up an Andriod phone, a newer version of Samsung. I don't say this to shame Iphone or any Iphone fans, it is just that after being here so long I realized more things are geared towards Andriod than Iphone, maybe that is Korea's way of promoting its own product, but overall things operate smoother with an Android. And no, I am not suggesting that you buy the portable bomb Galaxy 7, but the new 8 and the 6 have worked wonders for me in Korea.
These are my personal favorites and I am going to skip by the ones that I believe you will be turned onto by friends or co-workers. Such things like Kakao talk, Naver dictionary, and maps of the metro. These apps don't need an introduction, they will sneak into your life sooner or later! Maybe right after you read this!
So now with the disclaimers done with, let's go ahead and jump into the top 5 list. Wait...one more disclaimer, the list is in no particular order of importance, so don't just skip down to number one. Each app has the potential to enhance your life here and should be given the chance.
I wish I would have found this app when I first arrived! But then again when I first arrived I was already overwhelmed with my neighborhood and everything to explore there. But after awhile of the same thing, eat, drink, singing room, PC room, you know how it goes. I felt myself actually dreading the weekend because I knew it meant a hungover, lose of money that I wouldn't remember, and seeing the sunrise after sluggishly leaving a singing that I said I would not go to.
Well that ends it for this post, please feel free to comment and follow me on the SNS below! I will mainly blog about living in Korea, gaming, pugs, and whatever else I think will be fun to talk about! I am just starting up this process as a side hobby, so nothing is too professional or fancy yet, if they come...I will build.
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This might be a little biased but and I am sure I will catch some heat for saying this, but if you have not already picked up a smartphone it would be wise to pick up an Andriod phone, a newer version of Samsung. I don't say this to shame Iphone or any Iphone fans, it is just that after being here so long I realized more things are geared towards Andriod than Iphone, maybe that is Korea's way of promoting its own product, but overall things operate smoother with an Android. And no, I am not suggesting that you buy the portable bomb Galaxy 7, but the new 8 and the 6 have worked wonders for me in Korea.
These are my personal favorites and I am going to skip by the ones that I believe you will be turned onto by friends or co-workers. Such things like Kakao talk, Naver dictionary, and maps of the metro. These apps don't need an introduction, they will sneak into your life sooner or later! Maybe right after you read this!
So now with the disclaimers done with, let's go ahead and jump into the top 5 list. Wait...one more disclaimer, the list is in no particular order of importance, so don't just skip down to number one. Each app has the potential to enhance your life here and should be given the chance.
5. 여기어때 Yogiohdae
But someone turned me onto this app and it just changed the weekends possibilities massively! This is like the Korean's version of Air BnB. You can book pensions- which are like apartments or mini resorts. You can book camping sites or glamping- glamorous camping, of course hotels/motels, traditional korean style homes/room, guesthouse- which usually means a family lives above you, but they usually prepare breakfast for you and it is a more relaxed version of a hostel.
They have locations everywhere and the app is all in Korean, but with a little bit of time invested with Naver dictionary, you will gain the profits of unique weekends if you are feeling stagnate in the entertainment department.
The last real down side is that some of the locations, while there are plenty to choose from, are located in places that might require a car, long bus rides, semi-expensive taxi rides, and so forth. But the prices are amazing and the experiences are worth it!
Shout out to Visit Korea app as well, it goes well with this app so that you can easily find a great new locations to explore and as they say in Korea 'play'
4. 클래스카드 Class card
Most of us are teachers so I have to include something that I just found recently. They are currently a start up in Korea, but man they are going to be big. This app already won awards for being one of the most promising future apps. Jump on this hype train with me!
All of us have different teaching jobs that require different amounts of work. This app deals with vocabulary and if your school has all the prep done for you already, all you will get out of this app is similar to Cram, a self study tool.
However if you are running your own academy, 교습소, or you are working for an academy that requires you to make vocabulary tests etc. This app will be a late Christmas present. I am currently running my own little 교습소, so I have to make tons of vocabulary tests for my kids. Once you learn how to use this app or website, you can make lists of vocabulary exteremly fast just by entering the English word and pressing tab, it will auto find the Korean word. From there it auto finds pictures to support the words, it formats printable lists for students to study, as well as, tests and answers keys. I was sold on these aspects alone. But as I explored more and showed parents I realized that it has so much more to offer. It updates parents when their kids are studying, it sends scores to them, it has fun games to play, it has a chat room for you are your class, and the list goes on!
Where was this app 7 years ago...
3. 신한 S 뱅크 Shinhan S Bank/신한 FAN 앱카드
Okay time to jump into a little financial talk. I have had several banks in Korea and all have different goodies, but when it comes to apps, Shinhan takes the crown in my book. As for a foreigner friendly bank....we can toss the crown to KEB. But that is a whole different topic...back to the power of these two apps!
These two apps go hand in hand so I suggest downloading both, wait did this just become top 6 apps?! I would have to say that shinhan FAN is the .5 in this blog, just because it has a very important purpose, but it is not that fantastic. With shinhan fan app it allows you to get past the annoying online payment process. With most online purchases it will ask you if you want to finish your transaction using this app, once you click the transaction button, FAN will pop up and ask you to select a card that you registered. From there you just let your phone scan your finger or scan the QR code on the website. Once this is done you just hit the confirm button a couple times and bam! Finished with an electronic receipt and everything!
As for the main guy in this section the Shinhan banking app is all in Korean, but it is more sophisticated than any of the other apps I have seen. And if someone would like to prove me wrong, please do, I am always looking for something better! But once I spent some time and learned this app it saved me so many annoying trips to the bank. I pay all my bills through this, sometimes taxes, transfers to other people, and whenever I lose my card, I can simply report it lost and request a new one that will arrive to my house in a couple days. These are just some of the little perks of using these banking apps, I just wish I wouldn't have been so reluctant to spend time understanding the Korean..the couple hours invested to understanding, compared to the amount of trips and wait time, majority of us would prefer the former.
I am also a guy that loves investing and saving money, and it is so easy to open savings accounts through the app as well without having to go to the bank!
Only downside is no English and I am unsure as of right now if you are able to connect your home bank account to the app so you transfer money home, that is something I know KEB has, if anyone is looking for that possibility!
2. 배달 요기요 YogiYo
If you are on a diet or if you dont like spending money on food, avoid this app. Understanding this app will unlock the world of delivery food, where ever you go, seriously! I was scuba diving in Jeju out on a rock island and the dive master took out his phone and had Lotteria delivered. Nothing more entertaining than watching a Lotteria delivery man arrive by boat with tons of food!
This one is short, sweet, savory, and simple. Once you have your address down and account made. Just use your eyes and maybe study a little bit to make sure you have every opportunity possible to make the right choice for the Netflix binge nights, or in my case...weekends... Don't judge me!
Last thing is that with shinhan FAN app you can pay right away or you can choose to pay in cash or card when the guy arrives.
On to the next one
1. Google Classroom
Okay so my final app is a wonderful app for teaching here in Korea. I was a type of teacher that tried so hard to give homework assignments and keep track of everything, while trying to maintain a life. But I constantly failed. This app is all in English so I will let you explore for yourselves. However it is mainly used to assign homework and increase communication with your students.
Since I started using this app it has saved me so much time in the workplace, that I now have time to sit here at home and blog. This can also be said with Class card. Teachers must always look for ways to increase automation of daily repetitive tasks that make you burn out, replace these time wasters with more energy for your students and more happiness in your lives!
This app will increase your professional appearance when it comes to students, parents, and your boss. My boss was very skeptic once I first tried to use it, but now it has been integrated throughout the academy.
Well that ends it for this post, please feel free to comment and follow me on the SNS below! I will mainly blog about living in Korea, gaming, pugs, and whatever else I think will be fun to talk about! I am just starting up this process as a side hobby, so nothing is too professional or fancy yet, if they come...I will build.
Please like the Facebook page
Follow me on Twitter
Check out my Youtube Channel
Follow me on Instagram
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