Life is Always Exciting at Ewha Past Review

By (Korean, University of Hawaii - Manoa) for

Ewha Womans University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This program made me fall in love with South Korea and its people. After I graduate, I'd like to live here for the rest of my life. :)

Review Photos

Direct Enrollment: Seoul - Ewha Womans University Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In general, everything was great. There wasn't a huge workload so I felt comfortable just listening and learning instead of stressing over a paper I have to write.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I was very pleased with the ease of which I could study abroad, thanks to Darrell Kicker at UH Manoa. At Ewha Womans University, I feel the exact same about Katherine Kim. I really admire how hard she was working, even while she was with child. I had some trouble in my class and she helped me right away. Not only that, I never felt like I was in the dark about anything going on at school. She would always send long, detailed e-mails about all the things the students need to know. Recently, Katherine Kim had to leave due to having her baby and the advisor changed. I had difficulty with the current advisor but all in all, Katherine is FAST to respond to any question you have and there is no doubt in my mind why students love her so much.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Everything was great with my housing, but I lived in Itaewon which is famous for its nightlife, so sometimes it could be quite noisy at night. :)

* Food:

Oh my gosh, in Ewha's ECC building (the main building in the front of the campus) there is a dining facility where their food is out of this world. The prices range from 3.50-8.50 USD and it is really delicious. The Korean food section, Sansoo, is especially delicious and fresh!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I took a Korean Cooking class arranged by the school and it was amazing! I was able to bond with my classmates and I learned how to make kimchi. It was a wonderful experience.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt VERY safe and the healthcare is the biggest benefit of the program. Whenever I was sick, I could go to the health center, wait for only a short time or not at all, and the doctor always gave me the medicine I needed. There is no cost unless you want a paper certificate for your teacher if you missed class. The doctor speaks English, so you don't need to feel any pressure about trying to explain your symptoms if you can't say it completely in Korean. There was a scare of H1N1 but they kept us very safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

There is only one concern with the Ewha Language program that I have. We focused on how to read, write, and listen to Korean but I don't feel like I learned the kind of Korean I can use in everyday conversations such as "How long have you been studying English?" or something to this effect. I DID learn some high level vocabulary... but when I use it in conversation, Koreans tend to laugh and tell me I sound like a textbook. ^^ Haha~ so I would recommend to them to teach more Korean that I can use in everyday life.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I think the type of student who would best benefit from this program are students who like to be in a small-sized class, generally there are about 8-10 students per class, and like to speak out in class. You will have many opportunities to speak in class if you study at Ewha.