I went back to night classes hoping for a change and got a headache instead

Watching the evening crowd at the graduate school lobby

I found myself sitting in a dimly lit hallway at a special graduate school program last Tuesday. It had been about five years since I stepped into a classroom setting, and honestly, the air felt different. I was there because I’d spent months debating whether to commit to another degree. I saw people in suits rushing to their seats, probably coming straight from work. It reminded me of those late-night sessions at the library when I was studying English literature as an undergrad, except this time everyone looked tired, not just excited about the future. I was mainly looking into how they handle business-focused English courses, as my current job requires a lot of international communication and my old grammar skills are rusting away.

The reality of trying to balance a job and a syllabus

Registration was a complete mess. I thought it would be as simple as logging into a portal, but trying to navigate the credit bank system for a business-related certificate alongside a potential night school transfer felt like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. I spent about two hours just reading through the course requirements for the media and communication track, only to realize that the prerequisite list was longer than my actual work projects. I remember staring at the screen, wondering if I was really going to pay around 4 to 5 million won per semester just to be stressed out after 6 PM. It’s a lot of money to gamble when I’m not even sure if the degree will actually help me pivot into the role I want.

Why the syllabus feels a bit disconnected

There was a brief lecture I sat in on for a business-focused Chinese course just to see how they run things. The professor was brilliant, but the pacing felt like a sprint. He kept mentioning how this was a critical skill for the modern AI-driven landscape, but looking around, most of the students were just trying to copy down the slides before the 90-minute mark hit. I kept thinking about my old professors from my English literature days—they would have spent an hour dissecting one single paragraph. Here, it’s all about efficiency. It’s practical, sure, but it feels a bit hollow. I noticed a few students from Indonesia visiting as part of a cultural exchange program, and they seemed to be having a much more authentic experience than those of us just trying to collect credits to survive the corporate grind.

The lingering question of whether it matters

I walked out of the building around 9:30 PM, feeling that familiar chill of the night air. I didn’t sign up that night. I still have the browser tab open with the university transfer form, and I’ve been staring at it for three days. My friend keeps telling me that having the degree is better than not having it, but I’m not so sure. Is the networking at these night programs actually worth the exhaustion? Every time I look at the tuition fees, I think about how much I could just spend on private 1-on-1 language coaching instead. It would probably be more effective for my specific career goals. I feel like I’m stuck in this loop of wanting to upgrade my credentials, but the actual process feels like a chore I’m not ready to fully commit to yet.

Just another night of overthinking

It’s funny how I thought going back would give me some sense of direction. Instead, it just made me realize how much I dislike the rigid structure of these programs. Whether it’s the credit bank system or the specific demands of a special graduate school, it all feels so manufactured. Maybe I’ll check out the Seoul Cyber University options again next week, or maybe I’ll just let the registration deadline pass and keep doing what I’m doing. It’s not like I’m currently failing at my job, but the uncertainty is starting to get to me. I guess I’ll just wait until the next term rolls around to decide if I’m really cut out for this, or if I’m just bored with my current routine.