Every day a new opportunity to discover new things Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/09/2019 to 06/15/2019 with
Seoul National University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I started feeling comfortable living in Korea and using Korean on a daily basis became natural. My speaking ability improved drastically by just talking with people a lot, without much language study. I explored a lot of places and had a lot of fun, and also got to experience some Korean work culture through my internship. I think my study abroad experience had all the components I had hoped it would have.
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. |
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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 dorms are very affordable and really nice considering the cost |
| * Food: |
The food on campus is very cheap and good. If you are vegetarian it can be hard to find food outside of the vegetarian buffet at lunchtime. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I'm not really sure, not much experience |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I had so much fun in Korea and my language skills have improved drastically. I would love to have more time here. |
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 rated 2.5 because of the guideline given but while I was spending a significant amount of money on food/transportation etc. per week, it was balanced by the fact that the dorms were very affordable and even paying for every meal separately it was much cheaper than the meal plan at my home university. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-150 |
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 |
The program itself did not encourage me to use the language much, but I did use the language a lot through my own motivation. I also had opportunities to use the language such as an internship and living in the dorms with Korean roommates. Through these opportunities I made friends who I spent time with and spoke Korean with often. It is also possible with the program to get by with minimal Korean because there are classes in English and most activities/groups for international students are English-based. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Intermediate Korean 1 |
| 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? | Talk to people as much as you can. It's okay to make mistakes, even if your speaking isn't perfect it's the ability to communicate that matters. |
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? | It's normal to panic and have no idea what to do at the beginning. No one expects you to know what to do, so it's okay to not know things. At some point it will become natural without realizing it, and that'll be a great feeling. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
