Every year, many Soookmyungians are worried about a place to stay.  It is especially for freshman to find good lodgings.  Some freshmen face the problem of finding a room before the entrance ceremony.  If you need information, HANDS UP! Is a good guide for your worries.

Lodging

Price: The price ranges from 350,000 won to 600,000 won.  The price is affected not by distance from the university, but the size of the room.  Generally speaking, the features of the room differ according to the price.  They may be summarized as follows:

Meals: In most cases, two meals (breakfast and dinner) a day are offered.  The time and place of meals are arranged like a dormitory.  Mealtime lasts roughly two hours.  Occasionally, each student boarder has a meal with other people.  In this situation, each student is very quiet because they are not acquainted with each other.  Some side dishes and soup are changed every day; however, the same dishes and soup are put on the dining table periodically.  Some lodgings have a kitchen.  In this case, the student boarders can make their meals freely.  Boarders have their lunches elsewhere, or sometimes order a meal.  Most restaurants near the university deliver dishes to order, even if you order only one portion.  If you are a student boarder, collect the stickers and coupons of restaurants near the university.  It is better than nothing.

Life: The washer and toilet are common facilities, but you have to prepare goods such as toilet paper and washing detergent.  If you are on the same floor as your host, you had better pay attention to detail.  When their relatives or neighbors visit, they may get on your nerves owing to the noise.  When that happens, step out somewhere like the library.. To live in lodgings is communal life, even though each lodger lives in their own room.  You should always remember good manners of communal life.  Don’t make a lot of noise, especially at night.  When your friends stay overnight in your room, be careful of noise.

Bed-sit Room

You should manage everything.  Most importantly, you have to make your meals and pay taxes.  First, in the case of a rental house, monthly rents have various prices.  For the example, you may find a house to rent for 300,000 won monthly with a deposit of thirty million won; for 500,000 won with a deposit of twenty million won; or for 400,000 won with a deposit of ten million won.  In most cases, the host prefers receiving a high monthly rent rather than a high deposit.  For that reason, you can bargain about the price as follows: in the case of a house to rent for 300,000 won with a deposit of thirty million won, it is easy to change the rent to 400,000 won with a deposit of twenty million won.  However, it is hard to negotiate a rental fee of 200,000 won with a deposit of forty million won.  In the case of an officetel, an apartment usually rents for 600,000 won with a deposit of ten million won.

Taxes: The management expenses and taxes amount to between 100,000 and 150,000 won.  On the other hand, taxes on house rental are about 30,000~40,000 won.

Options: Basically, options include an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a sink and a gas stove.  In certain cases, a washer is the common equipment.  A moving-in notification is very important for receiving the deposit in safety.  A house which is leased on a deposit basis is very rare.  If you want to lease a room on a deposit basis, consult with a realty dealer and leave your telephone number.  It will be difficult, but possible.