I fell in love with Korea and I want to go back and visit my friends! Past Review

By (Linguistics., Western Washington University) - abroad from 03/26/2012 to 06/04/2012 with

Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of friends and learned a lot about interpersonal relationships that I think will help me in the future. It was absolutely worthwhile!!

Review Photos

Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum Photo Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum Photo Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum Photo Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum Photo

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.

The challenge of teaching my own class and planning all of my own lessons was great! I loved having my own class and getting lots of extra teaching experience, but at the same time it was a lot of work. I felt that the teaching experience I got at KU was very important, but I found it difficult to spend enough time (or what I considered enough time) planning my lessons, because the amount of work required for my online TESOL seminar. The seminar was 2 credits, but I estimate that I spent about 10-12 hours on homework just for the seminar portion most weeks, and sometimes even more. It was also nearly impossible to keep track of what was due when, because there were two separate blackboard sites for the seminar and practicum. They were both organized under modules for each week, but this only complicated things more. For instance, I would think I had completed module 6, and then I would realize later that I had completed the seminar portion, but not the practicum portion or vice-versa. This was further complicated by the fact that the due dates were constantly changing- a difficulty that is due in part to that fact that the class attempted to put several students who were at different schools in different countries on the same schedule. So while the challenge of the work at KU was great, the organization of the course work assigned by the TESOL professor at Western was a continual source of frustration.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I hesitate to complain too much, as Mr. Choi was very kind, and I didn't really know what to expect going into my first study-abroad program. However, I found that the leadership at KU was not very helpful when it came to resolving conflict. Near the end of the quarter, one of my roommates got very angry, and refused to speak to me. After more than a week of trying to work through the issue, I went to Mr. Choi, and though he was very sympathetic and listened to my problems, he did not, as far as I know, speak to my roommate, or take any action at all. He simply assured me that he was sure the we would be able to work it out. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and for the remainder of the quarter, it was a very stressful situation for both me and my other roommate. The roommate who was angry at me didn't not even say goodbye, and this was very hurtful to me. I feel that if the administration at KU could have stepped in to help when I asked, maybe the the problem would not have grown so big. My mentor teacher was awesome, he didn't require much, but really allowed us to take as much responsibility as we wanted in his classes. His policy was to check off all the requirements and let us learn as much as possible in the process.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Dorm style, nothing special, but nicely laid out. Having two roommates was kind of nice.

* Food:

Breakfast and dinner were provided. Not very good, but better than some cafeteria food. Choice of western style or Korean style breakfast, but the "western" style was generally boiled squash, bread with frosting, and salad. Sometimes there was cereal, which was great. Dinner was only Korean food, which means you have to be able to stand a little spice. There's always white rice and kimchi. Usually a meat dish, and soup. The meat and soups are sometimes VERY spicy. The seafood served in the cafeteria did not usually appeal to any of the exchange students (though we had some GREAT seafood on fieldtrips). There are two convenience stores on campus, and a sandwich shop, so plenty of options for lunch, though you do have to pay. In the TESOL program you also get breakfast and dinner on the weekends (the other exchange students did not get weekend meals) and the weekends meals were usually considerably better than the weekday meals, though there is no western option for breakfast.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved the student life on campus and made lots of Korean friends, but you have to make a choice to make Korean friends. It is very easy to stick with all the other Americans in a pack. A few of the Korean students were really uncomfortable with English-speakers, even if someone offered to translate, so sometimes I was excluded from a get-together with Korean friends. I think I still spent the majority of my time on campus with Korean friends, rather than Americans. I wish I had had more opportunities to travel off-campus with my Korean friends, but since their academic schedules were more rigorous than mine, my weekend excursions were usually one my own or with other exchange students.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was sick at one point and just toughed it out- cancelled my class one day and got lots of sleep, but my roommates were really concerned. They are much quicker to go to the doctor in Korea, and would have gotten me healthcare if I hadn't kept insisting I was fine.

* Safety:

Jochiwon is small and Korea feels very safe. However, keep in mind that there is a LOT of drinking in Korea. I wouldn't recommend wandering around alone at night in the town, but with a buddy, you will be just fine. The campus is very safe, I went for late night walks alone a lot during midterms and finals when all my friends were studying.

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

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)

Well, most of the food was provided, and lunch was very cheap, $2-4. There was free toast (no butter or jam, I recommend buying a jar of nutella at homeplus) and coffee (albeit instant) at the English cafe and Sky cafe, so sometimes I just ate that didn't bother buying lunch. Going out to Korean BBQ with friends is about $10. A train ticket to Seoul (one way) is about $12. Once in Seoul everything is more expensive, but if you're careful even weekend trips can be pretty cheap. When I stayed on campus on the weekend, I spent about $20-$30 a week.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Food $20-30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you're going on a weekend trip, and don't mind sleeping on the floor in hot crowded room, you could stay at a jimjilbong for about $7-10. Take the time to look at the subway maps, they are usually super easy to use and lots cheaper than taking a taxi. If you're nervous, getting in a taxi may seem easier, but once you see the subway map, you will see how easy it is. There will pretty much always be someone around willing to help out a foreigner if you get stuck.

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

There was a Korean language class, but it was optional, and the class started 3 weeks before I arrived. I went for a while, but the teacher was not very good and the students were so disrespectful to him that our class time was wasted and we didn't learn much. I recommend that you try to learn the hangul lettering and a few basic words before you go. If you do that, you can jump right into the intermediate class and then you will be with students who actually WANT to learn, rather than those who amuse themselves by wasting everyone's time. Don't be afraid to take the intermediate course, it is really not much more difficult than the beginners, and the teacher will be understanding.

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? none
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? If you can, try to speak a few words to your roommates- they will be your best teachers, and some are very eager to teach you their language. They can also teach you slang words and phrases that your teacher won't!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • Spending time with Korean students
  • Teaching my own class, planning my own lessons
  • Campus activities, they were great cultural experiences
* What could be improved?
  • The seminar portion!!!
  • KU administrators were not very helpful when I went to them for help regarding my roommate
  • Make the program a whole semester instead of a quarter. Arriving just before midterms was difficult for me, my students, my mentor teacher, and the KU administration.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known more about travelling alone in Korea, I spent a lot of weekends on campus when my friends were all studying and I was just bored. I could have traveled more if I had realized how safe and easy it is.