A college class quietly bans students who already speak Japanese

A student finds a syllabus warning that anyone fluent in Japanese should avoid this 'beginner' elective — and enrolls anyway, hoping no one notices.

Translated by Klore · Published

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● Some K-contextCulture shockDaily lifeHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.
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Anonymous · 2026년 9월 10일

The class notice telling students with certificates not to enroll자격증있는 학생은 들어오지말하는 강의 안내문

Don't skip the syllabus before picking an elective. I missed orientation and only saw this late — broke into a cold sweat. Whatever happens, don't get caught.수업계획서 안 보고 교양을 잡는 짓을 하지 맙시다 오티빠져서뒤늦게 봤는데 식은땀나네 절대 들키면 안 돼

Turns out the professor called on me: 'You weren't here last time, right? How much Japanese do you know?' I said 'a little...' The guy behind me said N3-4. Then some crazy dude said he had N1, and the professor lost it — 'then why are you even in this class?'근데 교수가 나보고 저번시간에 안왓죠 일본어 얼마나할 줄 알아요? 해서 조..조금이요 하고 내 뒤에 학생도 엔3-4요 햇는데 어떤 미친 남학생이 엔1 잇다고 해서 교수 빡침 왜듣냐고

1 reply on the original536 votes on the original
Trending on a Korean communityView original ↗
Korean community post, image 2: I grabbed a 'beginner' Japanese elective without reading the syllabus — and I'm not supposed to be in here.
English translation
I grabbed a 'beginner' Japanese elective without reading the syllabus — and I'm not supposed to be in here.

(사진: 일본어 관련 자격 소지자나 전공자의 수강을 제한한다는 공지 내용)

💡 Why would a class ban students who already speak the language?
College 'gyoyang' electives are easy credit-filler courses everyone needs, so beginner language classes get flooded with people who secretly already speak it, wrecking the curve for actual beginners — hence the ban.vs. the US: like a native French speaker padding their GPA in 'French for Non-Majors.'Klore note
💡 So what's an 'N1' certificate?
JLPT levels run from N5 (beginner) to N1 (near-native fluency) — casually mentioning you have N1 in a beginner class is basically confessing you're cheating the system.Klore note

What Koreans said

11 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. 95 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    I went to SJ university, took Japanese elective for easy credits, and a Japanese exchange student was there for the same reason lol

    ㅅㅈ대 다녓는데 학점 날먹하려고 교양 일본어 들었는데 일본인 유학생도 학점 날먹하러 옴....

  2. 46 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    At any school these 'beginner' Japanese electives are packed with N1/N2 speakers, getting an A+ is brutal lol most can listen fine and a few can even read/write kanji perfectly

    어느 대학이든 전공이 아니라 교양수준 일본어는 n1 n2가 수두룩 빽빽해서 에이쁠 맞기 개빡셈ㅋㅋㅋ 청해 되는 사람은 과반을 넘고 한자 다 읽고 쓰는놈도 세네명이 넘음

  3. 36 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    HEY!!!! I said beginners only!!

    야!!!!! 초보만 오라고!!

Read all 11 translated repliesShow fewer replies
  1. 100 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Gotta fill up credits somehow

    학점 채워야지

  2. 75 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Credit launchpad lol

    학점발사대

  3. 25 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Not exactly the same but I've also seen an otaku Chinese exchange student farming easy credits off knowing hanja lol

    나는 일본유학생의 경우랑 완전 같진 않지만 한자 날먹하러온 오타쿠 중국 유학생도 봤음ㅋㅋㅋ

  4. 10 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Language electives are usually farmed by native exchange students lol but tbh I did the same for an aviation elective... sorry!! (I have a mechanic's license)

    언어관련은 대부분 그나라 유학생들이 와서 쌀먹하더라 ㅋㅋㅋ 근데 그 뭐냐 항공쪽 교양은 내가 쌀먹하러 갔어... 미안하다!!(정비사 면허 있음)

  5. 6 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    When I studied in Japan, Korean students were banned from the Korean class, but there was a Japanese-banned Japanese class only for exchange students lol I farmed easy credits there, it was great

    나 일본에서 대학 다닐땐 한국어 수업 한국인 유학생이 못 듣게 막아놨던데 대신 일본어 수업이 있었는데 여긴 일본인 금지 유학생만 가능 ㅋㅋ 학점 날로먹고 개좋았음

  6. 5 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    I took basic German and there was a 4th-year German major in there... sir this class literally starts from the ABCs. Even worse, as a mechanical engineering major I was blocked from any science-y electives like computer or physics

    난 기초독일어 들어갔는데 독어독문학과 4학년이 들어와있더라...아저씨 여기 아베체데부터 배우는 수업이에요...심지어 교수가 숨기지도 않고 아는 척을 하네? 그게 더 어이없는 이유는 난 기계공학과인데 교양 컴퓨터, 교양 물리...등등 조금이라도 이과 느낌의 교양은 다 못 듣게 막혀 있었음.

  7. 4 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    I was curious how Korean class worked so I asked to quietly audit in the back, but a Korean junior heard about it and chatted so much it disrupted the class, so now Koreans can't audit anymore

    한국어 수업은 어떻게 하는지 궁금해서 수업 첫날 담당 강사한테 부탁해서 뒤에서 조용히 청강만 하겠다고 해서 들어갔었는데 이 얘기 들은 한국인 후배가 갔다가 수업 방해될 정도로 잡담해서 이후 한국인들이 그 수업 청강 못 하게 됨

  8. 4 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Reminds me of my German elective where the professor gave out different exam papers, easy ones for beginners but the fluent kids got half a page of reading comprehension lol

    독일어 교양 갔더니 저래서 교수님이 시험지 나눠서 주던거 생각나네. 못하는 사람들은 겁나 쉬웠는데 독어잘하는 애들은 시험지 반절이 지문이더만 ㅋㅋㅋ

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