An Unforgettable Summer - exceeded all expectations! Past Review
By Katy S (Linguistics., york university canada) - abroad from 07/01/2013 to 07/26/2013 with
Hanyang University: Seoul - International Summer School
Who knew one month could be so short, yet could also be so experienced to the fullest?! Four weeks in Seoul didn't seem like much at first, but somehow, HISS managed to pack in a wide variety of field trips and events alongside enriching and engaging classes, and nurtured many new friendships with students from all over the world. With the diversity of HISS' participants, it was a truly international and multicultural exchange experience! It was my first time in South Korea, and unlike some others, I went alone and did not know anyone. However, on the first night, I was immediately welcomed by my lovely RA and got to know other students in my building. By the end of the month, it was very hard to leave as it felt like I had truly gained a new family. I also picked up a fair bit of the Korean language, and every day it was an adventure exploring the amazing city of Seoul. I had been a bit nervous about going to HISS and since I was already preparing for an exchange year afterwards in another country, I had some hesitations before deciding to attend. It turned out to be one of the most exciting and memorable summers of my life. I have absolutely no regrets about choosing Hanyang International Summer School!!
Review Photos
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
HISS had one of the widest selection of courses available out of the several summer programs I had been looking at, and courses are taught by respected professors from well-known universities throughout the world. There were also fun, interactive courses alongside the more academic ones -- for example, I took a taekwondo course, which was a great way to learn about Korean culture, meet friends, exercise, and learn practical methods of self-defense all at the same time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
What can I say? Everything was great and extremely well-organized from start to finish! The best part is that even from months before the program started to afterwards, English-speaking volunteers and staff were always available to answer any questions (from administrative to practical to food/sightseeing recommendations and directions, etc.). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Due to overbooking, I ended up being assigned a room off-campus (about a 20min walk) which made it slightly less convenient to get to campus, especially when it rained - as it does a lot for July in Korea. However, it was just a few minutes' walk to a subway station, and it was a practically brand-new, loft/apartment-style dorm. It had a high-tech security system (fingerprint scanning!) and a private bathroom, kitchen, refrigerator, and laundry machine, shared with a roommate. |
| * Food: |
In general, food in Korea just can't be bad, but the student cafeterias at Hanyang were not only inexpensive (2,500 won ~ 5,000 won for a full meal) but also offer several delicious choices that differ each day! Convenience stores are everywhere both on and off campus, and were my choice for cheap snacks & drinks and surprisingly good food 24 hours a day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Thanks to the large variety of trips and activities that HISS organized for us, and the fact that both local and international students live and attend classes together, I was able to get to know a lot of wonderful people. Even though I barely knew any Korean at all before coming to HISS, the local students and volunteers were great at teaching and encouraging us to speak Korean, and we were also able to commmunicate well in English. They were excellent guides who taught us a lot about Korean culture, and so through HISS, I really felt that I was able to learn and experience so much -- things that I would never have known about if I had just gone to Korea as a tourist. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Fortunately I didn't have any kind of health issue while I was there, but I know several people who did - and they were able to get help from the local staff and English-speaking volunteers, who often accompanied them to see the appropriate health professionals. There is also a hospital right on campus, so there is nothing to worry about. :) |
| * Safety: |
Korea felt very safe to me overall. Just know that Seoul is still a big city, so have common sense and don't do things you wouldn't do back home. Ask (or gesture if language is an issue!) the police if you need any help -- they seem friendly and are posted throughout the city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Korea can be very inexpensive or expensive depending on how much you choose to spend, but for me, I found it very affordable - food and transportation were cheap, and I had enough to spend on entertainment, souvenirs, and clothing as well. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-$200 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I took a beginner-level Korean course, which was for three hours every afternoon - but the time always flew by, and our teacher was very engaging and always encouraged us to speak Korean. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and became quite close to my classmates as we journeyed through learning the new language together. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | One of the greatest parts about learning a foreign language abroad is that you are already immersed in it, and can use it everywhere!! Take full advantage of that! Learn the basic greetings and phrases, and use it when you go shopping, eat, sightsee, etc. It doesn't matter if you aren't perfect - that's not the point. Just putting in that little bit of effort to respect and try to communicate to people in their local language goes a long way. And, make friends with local students! Rather than only practising in a classroom, using the language in a fun and relaxed context will help you cement what you've learned. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known a bit more of the Korean language (to immerse myself even more into the culture and explore more on my own) - but even without knowing much, being part of HISS made it easy to get involved, so I still had a fantastic experience and enjoyed my summer immensely! |
