Best time of my life and the beginning to what's to come! Past Review

By (International Business., Austin College) - abroad from 02/16/2012 to 06/23/2012 with

ISA Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My trip abroad was worthwhile, no doubt!! I gained incredible friends that thought me a lot of their home countries - whether it was Korea, China or Spain. I gained culture customs I was not aware before, among other things.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Education overall was a bit too easy - maybe just for foreigners. Some Korean teachers only lecture and they didn't challenge the students to become interested in the subject. But overall it was a good experience!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program administration was great and very helpful. Anytime we had a problem or a question, we could always go to the office and ask for help. They always helped us in anything!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was safe and comfortable. Anytime something was broken or the room had something wrong with it, we will just report it and they would fix it.

* Food:

The food was different, interesting and delicious. The only downside about the meal plan is that we didn't have lunch, only breakfast and dinner.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Everyday we were able to communicate with the local community. Since we had a transportation card to ride the subway and we could walk anywhere, without having the necessity to have a car, integrating with the local people was pretty easy.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health issues were addressed well. When someone got sick or needed to go to the hospital their issues were taking care of quickly.

* Safety:

Everyday, even at night, everyone felt safe on-campus and off-campus. Korean itself is a safe country. I felt safe everyday while being in Korea.

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? +$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Have a budget on how much money they want to spend a week or a day and not go to over. It's going to be hard but it's possible.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Beginning Korean Language Class
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? Practice when they go shopping, sight seeing or when they are talking to their friends from the prospective country.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Having a program coordinator 24/7 assistance.
  • Culture activities and trips.
* What could be improved?
  • Having more opportunities to practice Korean.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would have liked to know that lunch was not provided on the weekdays and I would have like a proper tour of the school showing us everything - the other cafeterias on campus we could have gone to, the campus store to buy souvenirs and other things.