A summer to remember! Past Review
By Aditi Menon (Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing) - abroad from 06/25/2017 to 08/02/2017 with
Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus
Ever since I was 12 I have been living and studying overseas, so it wasn't my first time going abroad. However it was my first time going to a country in East Asia, and going by myself. For a few years I have been interested in Korea; it started with the music, progressed into media (tv and film) and then the fashion (which is my area of study). All this interest fueled me into learning the language and more about the culture. I then wanted to take it a step further and experience it for myself which led me to applying to study Marketing and Korean. This experience taught me how to stand on my own two feet, overcome obstacles and get out of my comfort zone. This allowed me to meet so many people and throw myself into situations I never would have before (and LOVED it). Also, since I am studying in an institute I had never really had a true college experience. Thanks to this course, I was able to have a true college experience in a campus and more. I also gained a deeper love and respect for Korea and the courses that I took.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Since the ratio of content to time was larger, the course was definitely more packed and intense. However I do feel that it contributed to the experience since it made me feel more accomplished and kept me interested. I also do believe that the teachers I had were lovely and competent and knew how to handle the intensity of the course without making us feel like we were overwhelmed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing arrangements were very comfortable. Not at any certain point did I feel like I was short of anything. I loved staying at CJ International House (even with the gigantic hill I had to tackle everyday). |
| * Food: |
I discovered the cafeteria a bit into the program, which is a pity since the food was delicious and versatile and quite cheap! A student's dream. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the trips and activities that KU organised for us since we were able to interact with other students from the program and get to experience new things. I did feel that these activities made me feel a bit like I was on the outside looking in and not actually immersed in the culture. Therefore an improvement would definitely be more activities that actually integrated us into the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The area within and around KU has a very neighbourly and safe feeling. I felt confident and safe walking there regardless of time. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
If I could do it over again, I would definitely choose the same program. Mainly because the knowledge I gained and the people I met definitely helped make this program the amazing experience that it was. Not only that, I picked up skills that I could use within my current course and in the future within the job line I am interested in. I met friends that I know I will keep in touch with a long way down the line, and I am so grateful to the course for allowing me to meet with the people that I did. |
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) |
Obviously the variety of food was available on a spectrum of cost. There were expensive places and cheap places. If you're on and budget(like I was) it's very easy to find cheap places to eat really good food if you search. Especially around Anam a lot of the food joints were priced quite well for someone on a student budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20,000₩ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | From my personal experience, it is very easy to get quite excited and carried away with everything seoul has to offer. It would be good to pace yourself and plan your trip so that you don't end up spending money in useless things (the toy picker at the arcade) as opposed to experiences that will last in memories and you won't be able to get elsewhere (I will never forgive myself on missing out on the Gyeongbeokkung experience). |
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 studied Korean as well and what I loved is that as soon as we walked into class we were all required to converse only in Korean. Not only did this strengthen my existing skills and allow me to acquire more, but it made me more confident and comfortable with using Korean with and in front of other people. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginner (self taught) |
| 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? | Don't wait until you feel like you're good enough, just start using it as much as you can. There is no way you can be good enough or even better without using the language in your daily life with people. It also helps to get over the initial hesitation and shyness and strengthens your confidence in your use of the language. You can also pick up skills that you wouldn't necessarily pick up within a classroom. |
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 do wish I had planned my trip a bit more, so I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to see and do within the six weeks I was there. Six weeks seems like a long time until youre actually there and then it flies by. I also do wish i had done a bit more research on the courses available, since there are so many courses that I didn't know existed and I would have liked to consider. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
