The Best Summer Past Review

By (University of Western Ontario) - abroad from 07/02/2018 to 08/02/2018 with

Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about how to be independent and grew a lot more as a person then I was expecting to before going. The classes also forced you to practice speaking in Korean as much as possible and you become more confident in your speaking and less worried about making mistakes very quickly that transfer over to life in Seoul making you way more confident to talk to actual locals.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

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:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

In this program I made friends who I can now call some of my best friends and I learnt so much. The campus is absolutely beautiful and the area around the campus has many stores and restaurants yet isn't very crowded so it is a very homey place to stay. Anam-Ro and Korea University really felt like my home over the summer and still feels like a part of my home now and I wouldn't exchange this experience for anything.

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)

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? Eating in the school cafeteria will save you a lot of money but the restaurants around campus are also cheap and give you big portions so if you go with a group of people you can save a lot buy sharing meals

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? 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
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 as much as possible speaking with friends who are also studying and workers and you will become much more confident speaking. Also singing korean songs in noraebang will help improve your reading a lot and is very fun!

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

  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Friends
  • School Environment
  • Area
* What could be improved?
  • Korean class hours are quite late in the day
  • none
  • none
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known any of the small culture differences and would suggest doing lots of research before coming.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A 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.