KOREAAAAA December 19, 2023
By Kaylabelle M (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/04/2023 to 12/20/2023 with
Yonsei University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My experience was definitely worthwhile! I improved my language speaking skills and I was able to build up my confidence in new environments
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses are not as academically rigorous as Wellesley courses but this makes sense as many courses are introductory and are just for exchange students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a double at SK Global and honestly the dorm is almost 1000% better than Wellesley dorms. I wouldn't suggest living off campus because the dorms are centrally located and there around Yonsei has really high housing prices. The SK Global dorm comes with a private shower and separated private toilet in each room, a mini balcony, the dorms have a common room and kitchen on each floor, laundry room in the basement, larger kitchen in the basement, and restaurants, cafes, and a convenience store in the dorm. |
| * Food: |
lots of option on and around campus that are pretty affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Yonsei is located in a an area with a lot of pharmacies where the pharmacists often can speak English. I got bronchitis and went to a pharmacy and the pharmacist was so nice and I was given 4 different kinds of medication in like 5 minutes for like $25. Also I ran out of birth control during my last two weeks and was able to get a month's worth of birth control at a local pharmacy for like $8. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe on an off campus. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around $150-$200 just for food |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | before you come to Korea get a credit card with no international fees and take out cash each month for meals. don't use your credit card for most meals. by taking out money at the beginning of the month you will be able to better budget. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | KOR 202 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | nothing |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
