A Semester Abroad in Korea - Pleasant and Many Learning Moments June 08, 2022
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/11/2022 to 06/23/2022 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Seoul - Korea University
Studying abroad in Korea was DEFINITELY worthwhile and I would definitely come back again! I would say that it helped I was interested in Korean pop music before I came to Korea.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were not as challenging as I expected it to be, but that may be a different case for every major. I think the professors here have high expectations so it pushed me to do my best in my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program staff are very nice and friendly and helped us get situated with class registration and other logistics like getting our alien registration cards. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms was not what I was expecting coming from a prestigious university in Korea, however, they are not the worst dorms. |
| * Food: |
Street and local business’ Korean food was very good!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I think, along with taking a beginner’s Korean class, I was able to immerse myself well in Korean culture and learn about new traditions. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I got COVID-19, I was taken care of very well. The program staff and RA at my dorm promptly instructed me what to do to ensure a safe and fast recovery. The Korean government actually have people infected with COVID-19 transfer over to a quarantine facility and they take care of everything from there - food, medicine, toiletries, etc until you complete your quarantine. All in all, my experience getting COVID-19 for the first time in a foreign country was less scary thanks to the amazing professionals. |
| * Safety: |
Korea is very safe! I am surprised to see how much safer it is than at my home, for instance, I can leave my bag and personal things unattended and do not have to worry about it getting stolen. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose the same program again because the staff were just that great! |
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) |
There is a lot to do in Seoul, in terms of activities (animal cafes, museums, karaoke, concerts) and trying lots of food and dessert, so budgeting can be quite difficult. I, myself spent about $1K the first month out of quarantine just going to places by subway, buying food and shopping. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Do NOT be tempted to try every food at once or splurge at a very expensive spot. You are likely to find more affordable food options or the same food at another restaurant. I suggest finding a favorite place to eat that is affordable and has a variety of options and sticking with it, and every once-in-a-while treat yourself to a nice steak dinner or barbecue/buffet with friends if you’d like. |
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 |
Everyday I learned something new! I genuinely enjoyed learning Korean and better yet having the opportunity to take a class while I am here :). |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| 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? | If you are able to get in a Korean beginner’s class at your host university, I highly recommend you review, review, REVIEW! And of course practice on your own time with friends. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I knew certain ways to save money or get the most “bang of my buck” beforehand. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
