Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best 6 weeks of my life! Past Review

By (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/24/2017 to 08/04/2017 with

Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I was able to stretch my open mind to other areas such as food and opinions on politics. Yes, it really was.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses I took we incredible and very interesting.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were very accommodating and open to work with all students.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

CJ International House was great and clean!

* Food:

I didn't personally eat the food the dorms provided but the restaurants around Korea University were great!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did begin to feel more natural in the environment I was in but it was a bit hard at first.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Not once did I feel in danger while I was there. Traveling in groups helped a lot, but if I had to walk alone, I wouldn't be worried.

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

The staff was amazing and the courses were extremely interesting.

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)

It was pretty easy if you budget your money right.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50.00
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Start saving every single dime you can once you even begin thinking about studying abroad. During tough times, just think of what you can buy abroad with the money you're about to spend.

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

It was encouraged to learn the essential phrases to get around the city.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? 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? Repeat numbers and phrases you think you need to know while walking to places like classes.

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

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Professors
  • Classes
  • People
* What could be improved?
  • Events provided
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much more Korean I would have needed to know!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Korean Cinema and Visual Culture

Course Department: Communications
Instructor: Sarcy Paquet
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Professor Darcy was amazing! He was very knowledgable on the topic on Korean Cinema. He's done multiple interviews and research on important figures within the industry bringing in amazing insight to the course. His exams were pretty easy if you were paying attention but did require memorization of names of films and their directors. The rest were multiple choice and free response questions which again are straight forward if you read the textbook and pay attention. The midterm and final are each worth 35% of your final grade while the movie comments were worth 10% and the scene analysis was worth 20%.
Credit Transfer Issues: I have yet to receive any problems as this course was already approved previously of transferrable credits.
Course Name/Rating:

Mass Media and Pop Culture

Course Department: Communications
Instructor: Dr. Ji Hoon Park
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was extremely interesting. Our professor showed his extensive knowledge on the pop culture movement in Korean and taught it in a way that everyone could understand. Although it was a fun course, his exams were a little tough. The questions asked on the exam were very detailed oriented and a lot of the material on it was from what he said, which most of the time would not be explained on his slides. It was challenging as there is only two exams, a midterm and a final each worth 40%, a presentation, worth 15%, and participation and conduct, worth 5%, that made up your grade. He did provide extra credit, but on a special occasion. Despite its challenges the course was fun.
Credit Transfer Issues: I have yet to see any issues as it was already a pre approved course at my home university.