Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Summer in Korea! Past Review

By (University of North Carolina - Wilmington) - abroad from 06/25/2017 to 08/06/2017 with

Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to navigate public transportation on my own and I got to practice Korean that I learned in class while hanging out around Seoul and exploring. I got comfortable in Anam and was sad to leave when the program was over. It is 100% worthwhile to go but I would recommend buying an electric handfan as soon as possible for the summer because it is hot and humid.

Review Photos

Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus Photo

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Food is all around campus. There is a dining hall with meal plans

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Mostly English speaking students, many native Koreans didn't approach the foreigners

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health problems but there was a health center.

* Safety:

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

I had so much fun over the summer that I didn't notice much of a difference until I got off the plane at home. I had some of the best professors and I loved every minute of class. Shout out to Dr. Weathersby for being my favorite professor and teaching a wonderful class!

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)

Convenience stores are the best

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $70-$100

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

There was little to no english spoken by the professor

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? 0
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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

* 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?
  • The professors were very good at teaching us and clarifying anything we didn't understand.
  • I enjoyed being in a college area with everything within walking distance.
  • There were the KU buses to use to get to class provided you wanted to use the bus. I peroanlly just walked the 10 minutes from Frontier House to Woodang Hall.
* What could be improved?
  • The Korean language professors we had understood english but couldn't speak it back so we had to kind of figure something things out on our own or between the other students.
  • Sometimes events were held during Korean language classes or were posted to sign up during morning classes and I missed out on some field trips because they filled up while I was in class.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that it would fly by so fast. I planned other things outside of the program that were fun as well so everything became kind of a blur. I had a lot of fun and adventures with friends made at KU that I still keep in touch with. One day we'll all meet up again.

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 Linguist
You 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!