One of my first culture shocks in Korea came when a teacher took attendance and then phoned everyone who hadn't shown up. Without a trace of embarrassment, she asked why they were absent and why they hadn't warned her. They were international students who, like me, didn't know that here, you contact your lecturer not only before missing class, but simply to introduce yourself. Teacher-student relationships in Korea differ strikingly from Poland. At a large faculty, we rarely get to know our lecturers unless they become our supervisors. We don't expect professors to remember our names, sometimes not even to answer an email, and we stay out of each other's private lives. Korea is a huge contrast. It's standard to exchange phone numbers or KakaoTalk profiles so you can ask for an extra explanation, a book recommendation or share an article you found online. My teachers have asked me about Poland, sent me webtoon links and even wondered whether I'd had a nice holiday with my family. At Korea University, an elderly professor kept his distance all year, then ordered pizza and fried chicken i