It’s Good for the Seoul Past Review

By (University of California - San Diego / UCSD) - abroad from 07/03/2017 to 08/05/2017 with

UC San Diego Global Seminars / UCSD: Seoul- Urbanism and Asian American Identity

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I became more independent. Learning to do things by myself like plan weekend outings where I would go explore parts of the country. Before I would just follow my parents or the people around me (go on a tour), but it was different exploring at my own pace and discovering things by myself. It’s nice to have some time by yourself, something I rarely get living with people. It gives you a better opportunity to discover yourself with some solidarity. Every once in a while it’s good to take a step back and observe the beauty around you. It was definitely worthwhile for me. I became more appreciative; instead of complaining about the weather and the walking distance, I learned to admire the people who live through these experiences loke a mundane thing. It really brought me back to reality of how spoiled I was living in San Diego where the weather and traffic and environment is always nice! I grew to be more grateful for my home and family.

Review Photos

UC San Diego Global Seminars / UCSD: Seoul- Urbanism and Asian American Identity Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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

The feeling of independence while studying abroad is indescribable and different for each individual. I personally loved the experience because of the people that I was with and my eagerness to deepen my understanding of Korean culture by visiting the country. I enjoyed the food and convenience of the transportation system. If I could do it over again, I would because it was definitely 5 weeks of fun where I missed how school used to be like that for me.

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? $200-$300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You can bargain at many side shops.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Other
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?
  • People
  • Food
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • Excursions (by destination)
  • Cost
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That there was going to be a lot of things in our schedule. Things aren’t as “close” as you think they are. Their descriptions of proximities are slightly different than ours. We think 10-15 min walk is somewhere close, but they would believe a 30 min walk is pretty close too. They know more English than we give them credit for. Sometimes we just gotta say it with a Korean accent and they’ll understand it better than when we say it normally since some of their words are derived from English.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.