How I Actually Study Korean (And the Music That Helps)

I used to think I needed the perfect setup to study. The right app, the right method, a timer, a schedule, maybe some tea I’d never actually make. It took me a while to realize that all of that was just procrastination with better branding.

Here’s what my study routine actually looks like.

The Schedule

I have Korean classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. On the other days, I try to sit down and study on my own for at least an hour. I say “try” because some days it happens and some days it doesn’t — and I’ve made peace with that. Consistency over perfection, and all that.

What matters is showing up more often than not.

The Water Glass Method (Yes, Really)

I don’t use the Pomodoro technique. I tried it. It stresses me out. The timer makes me feel like I’m racing against something, and that’s the opposite of how I want to feel when I’m studying a language I’m learning because I love it.

Instead, I fill a glass of water before I sit down. When the glass is empty, I get up, refill it, and that’s my break. Simple. No alarms, no guilt about stopping — just a natural pause built into the session. It sounds too easy to work, but it does.

The Setup

I study in the afternoon or evening — mornings don’t work for me, my brain takes too long to warm up.

My desk has a stand for my laptop and a lamp with different light settings. I always use the warm one. Cold white light makes everything feel like a dentist’s office. Warm light makes it feel like something you actually want to sit down and do.

I also keep my iPad and pencil close by. I take notes in GoodNotes — there’s something about writing by hand, even digitally, that makes new vocabulary stick differently than typing. I’ll write a grammar structure five times and somehow it becomes mine in a way that staring at a screen doesn’t.

Before I start, I have a small ritual. I disconnect my phone from the internet (not off, just disconnected — there’s a difference, and I need that boundary). I put something small and sweet nearby — just a little treat within reach. And most importantly: I answer every pending message and email before I open my notes. Not because I’m that organized, but because if I don’t, those unanswered things sit in the back of my head the entire session and I study nothing. Better to deal with them first and start with a clear head.

Then headphones on, glass of water filled, and we begin.

What I Listen To

Mostly lo-fi. Not specifically Korean lo-fi, just lo-fi in general — the kind that’s calm enough to not pull your attention away but present enough to keep you from feeling like you’re studying in a void. On Spotify I keep coming back to BeatTape, which has exactly the kind of background sound that works for me.

♪ Spotify BeatTape Lo-fi beats perfect for long study sessions — calm enough to focus, present enough to not feel alone. Listen on Spotify →

I don’t study with K-pop, even though I love it. Lyrics in any language activate a different part of my brain and I end up listening instead of focusing. Instrumental only when there’s reading or writing involved.

The exception: drama OSTs. 시작 by Gaho and It’s Definitely You by V live on my studying-adjacent playlist. They’re melodic without demanding attention, and they feel like the emotional version of motivation — like background proof of why I’m doing this.

The Song Currently in My Head

Autumn Morning by IU. It’s been on repeat for weeks. I don’t study with it — it’s too good for background, you end up just listening — but it’s become part of the overall feeling of this season of life. Quiet, a little wistful, full of something that hasn’t happened yet.

That’s kind of what learning Korean feels like too.

If you’re trying to build a study routine and nothing feels sustainable, maybe start smaller than you think you need to. One hour. A glass of water. Headphones in.

It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s routine to work.