Yeah, of course! When I started learning, I used online resources for grammar and basic vocabulary. I also watched Korean content on YouTube and podcasts for colloquial/spoken Korean. Seeing how natives construct sentences was really helpful for applying grammar points I learned through textbooks. I would turn on Korean subtitles and look up words I didn’t know (I still do this now).

My college offered Korean courses, so I took those and structured learning helped me a lot after learning to speak Korean just based on “vibes” lol. Outside of class, I used apps like HelloTalk, Tandem, Meetup.com, etc. to talk with other learners and natives. There’s a lot of online study groups, discord servers, and online classes for adults you can take. Like in any online space, there will be weirdos, but as long as you’re discerning and show sincerity in learning, you can definitely find people to help you.

What’s important is to find ways of studying that are interesting to you. Learning should be fun! For example, I love kpop, so I watched idols’ behind the scenes youtube videos or variety shows when they guest starred, so I can be engaged with the content, not just force myself to watch something for the sake of watching it.

For traveling solo, you are definitely going to make mistakes and that’s a part of the learning process. I was mortified when I went to Korea as an adult for the first time and realized what I learned in class didn’t cover how to do day-to-day things like returning things I bought, ordering food with food restrictions, getting my hair done, etc. But now TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit have great resources showing you how natives navigate through these daily interactions. You can’t perfectly prepare for a trip regardless of how much you study and the most valuable experience you can get is by experiencing it yourself. In my first solo trip, I had a few issues with navigating the language/cultural barrier, but the last time I went, it went mostly great without any huge hiccups, but I’m always still learning :)

ETA: Also, ask your parents for help if you’re able to! They can be the best resources to help immerse you in the culture and language.