Trainees often sign years-long contracts and spend upwards of 18 hours a day with the other trainees. If you don’t speak Korean or are unfamiliar with the culture, it may take a while before you make friends and feel like you fit in. Make an effort to try and communicate clearly with others, especially if there is a language barrier. And also try to be kind to others—that can go a long way when you’re away from home and trying to be successful while also making friends. Being a K-pop trainee is a longterm commitment! Some companies, depending on your age, may even ask you to sign a 5-6 year contract. Be sure to read and review the contract language very closely. If you don’t speak Korean, hire a professional lawyer who does to review the fine print. Lots of companies make you repay your salary if you break your contract. Some of them also don’t make accommodations for emergencies or health issues. Don’t sign anything before you fully understand it. Many trainees work from 5 or 6 am until midnight or 1 am. In addition to training, you may also have schoolwork that has to be done or need extra practice on your own.  The company often sets the schedule for their trainees without running it by them first. Trainees generally don’t get the recommended amount of sleep every night, and they often don’t eat meals at regular intervals. Because new trainees are often being brought into the company, everyone is evaluated on a monthly basis to ensure that the recruits are all up to standard. It can be a tense time every month as the company could choose to let you go if you don’t perform well. There are generally 20-30 other students at any company at any given time, so you are usually going to be in competition with your classmates to keep your place at the company.
استوعب صعوبة تكوين صداقات جديدة إذا كنت أجنبيًا عن الثقافة الكورية. اقرأ العقود جيدًا قبل التعاقد مع أي شركة إنتاج. حافظ على صحتك لتقدر على تحمل عبء جدول عملك المزدحم خلال فترة التدريب. استعد جيدًا لاختبارات التقييم الشهرية.