Living as a Korean Student for 6 Weeks! Past Review
By A student (National University of Singapore / NUS) - abroad from 06/27/2017 to 08/04/2017 with
Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus
It provided me with new perspectives, learning what it was like to live abroad for an extended period of time and getting to do what the locals do rather than just visiting touristy attractions. It was extremely worthwhile and I look forward to having the chance to go back one day!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The modules that I took at KU were not only challenging, but extremely interesting, especially because the professors are so knowledgeable in their respective fields and provide highly insightful perspectives throughout the classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
KU staff were extremely helpful throughout the program, particularly with regards to add/drop of modules as well as financial aid. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I did not stay on campus, but rented an apartment with my friends, which was a 30-minute train ride from school and it was rather convenient. |
| * Food: |
I love Korean food, especially Korean BBQ and Korean Chicken!! I had no difficulty at all throughout my stay in Korea. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Personally, I found the locals in Korea to be very friendly, even though I could only speak a bit of Korean. They were very willing to provide directions whenever I had asked for help and I think the KU students made us feel really welcomed. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience any health issues in Korea |
| * Safety: |
I believe Korea is really safe. I went out with my friends till pretty late at night and we did not run into any major problems. But I think the most important thing would be to always take precautions regardless of how safe you think it is, especially to avoid areas that have many bars or clubs if you are a girl going out alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think the modules are extremely worth taking, the material was extremely relevant and interesting, and I learnt so much from the professors there. Overall, it was extremely enjoyable! |
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) |
I think it is quite hard to live on a tight budget because food in Korea is not particularly cheap. Unless you put in the effort to look for extremely cheap food ($3-$5 SGD), regular restaurants typically cost $6-$10 SGD per meal. However, it is not impossible and can be done. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Some restaurants in Korea have discounts when you takeaway food rather than dining in the restaurant so you could takeaway to save some money! Also, you can use the first few days of school to explore the neighbourhood around your university to find out the cheap and good restaurants because food is typically cheaper around the school as it is catered to students. You can also research online to find cheap and affordable restaurants beforehand because there are many useful suggestions and reviews. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | Summer school is not all fun and play, and it is actually pretty tiring to go to school for such long hours for 4 days of the week. But, ultimately it is so worth it because there are so many things to experience, you just to have to push yourself and put yourself out there! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Developmental Psychopathology |
| Course Department: | Psychology |
| Instructor: | Eric Youngstrom |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This module was one that I transferred back to a higher level Psychology module at my home university. I was rather hesitant to enrol in this module because I was afraid it would be extremely challenging but the professor was amazing. The material was rather in-depth at times but the professor made sure to always keep the class engaged and made the material easy to understand. It is probably the most engaging and fun psychology module I have ever taken and I would recommend it to all Psychology majors. This module provided very practical/real-world knowledge and its value really goes beyond the classroom. In fact, I have even been able to make use of the skills I had learnt during this module in modules back at my home university. The assessment was not particularly easy but reasonable and really tests your understanding of the material. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, credit transfer was extremely easy! |
