A casual abroad experience~ Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes at SNU was less discussion-based. The professors lectured for most of class. The readings were very minimal. Doable and well-balanced. Not assigned novels to read every week. There really weren't any assignments except for papers/midterms and finals. Compared to Wellesley, not as academically rigorous and intense. Though most of my classes were catered to exchange students, taught in English with consideration that for many students, English is not their first language.

On-site administration of your program

I feel that I was well-informed prior to my program starting. They communicated very thoroughly and responded relatively promptly.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was so so very affordable, I could not not love it. I stayed in one of the older buildings, very much like the older dorms at Wellesley or other US universities. Communal bathrooms, wooden interior. It was a little anxiety-inducing because the whole dorm application/results process happened two weeks before the program started. So if I wasn't lucky enough to get a dorm, I would be stranded. Though I never met someone whilst at SNU who didn't get into dorms.

Again, very affordable! The student center even offers 1,000 krw meals (less than 1 usd) all day. There are many places to eat on campus: dorms and various buildings on campus have cafeterias, restaurants, and cafes. I loved SNU's accessibility and affordability and quality/variety that it offered with its food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I mostly socialized with other exchange students. SNU has its SNUBuddy program, where SNU students pair up with exchange students and organize various cultural immersion opportunities, like visiting national palaces, going to a temple stay, eating out, etc. But again, it was a more touristy experience. Even using the korean language was to a minimum. Except for ordering food at times, I barely used Korean when exploring the Seoul with other exchange students. I think this is the case for most exchange programs, unless you do a homestay.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I fortunately never was ill during my stay, so I never experienced using healthcare. Am omitting from this question!

Seoul is a very safe city. And SNU has a very safe campus. It is much like Wellesley's, lots of foliage, lots of hills (it's on a mountain), and away from the city (around 40 mins away from Seoul). There were times that I stayed in a studio until the early am, or came back really late, and I never felt unsafe when walking back to the dorms.

I really enjoyed this program, but I hesitate to say I'd do it all over again. Mostly because there are so many other places/programs I would have liked to experience, too.. Also the campus is a little~ too far from Seoul!!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Aside from tuition costs (since I still paid Wellesley), everything was very easily affordable. SNU meals costed no more than $6 (usually <$1 to $5). There were many convenient stores around and on campus that made getting toiletries and living necessities convenient and affordable. Getting around Seoul was also much more convenient and cheaper compared to Wellesley's transpo to Boston and Boston's subways.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• OIS office really keeps you informed. They're helpful.
• Being able to get familiar with Seoul.
• Campus!

• More transparency earlier on about what classes are actually taught in English.
• Changing the housing process so it doesn't take place a mere two weeks before program begins.

The Avid Adventurer