South Korea: One of the best experiences I have had! Past Review
By Sarah T (Langauge, Literacy, and Cultural Studies, Western Washington University) for
Western Washington University: Jochiwon - TESOL Practicum
This was a great decision and I am 100% happy that I did this.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a tough starting off, I felt very overwhelmed by a lot of the work, but I quickly fell into my roll as a teacher and it got better. I was able to manage my time (work and free) well after the second week. Everything else was fantastic. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was wonderful. I felt like most things were very accessible, and if not, I had great people to turn to if I needed anything at all. All the people I worked with were very approachable and helpful. The only tough things that I ran into were cultural differences, especially when getting a job done. It is to be expected and it didn't ruin anything. Every different culture will have their own way of doing things and I understood that. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I needed to buy food right away because there were certain meals that were not included in the program. I didn't know this upon arrival, and it came as a surprise to me when I got there. I was under the impression all meals were provided. I was treated amazingly by my two roommates and they took care of me and made sure everything was taken care of with the food situation and translation. |
| * Food: |
The food was great! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really loved the freedom we were given to arrange all of our field trips with our roommates. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I have never felt more safe in any other country including my own. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I took a Korean language class twice a week. Mondays for 2 hours, and Wednesdays for 1 hour. I had a native Korean speaker as my teacher, and it went very well. It started off hard because I came into the class half way through the semester, and the other students were already done with the basic work. I didn't really need to know the language, because of the people I was with that could translate for me or give me directions. Most the students in the university where I was could speak English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | All students would benefit from this experience, and my advice for them would be to JUST GO FOR IT! |
