Academics in the heart of the city Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 07/10/2018 to 08/09/2018 with

Yonsei University: Yonsei International Summer School

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that all students disregarding where they came from display a strong willingness to work hard and speak up in class and with other students/professors while in a foreign country.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Because the program is a 6 week long intensive program, the professors and the courses are designed to teach students material within a short period of time. Therefore, the professors taught rigorously, hence, the students in each class also worked just as hard increasing the competition within each class room as well as increasing the expectations for each course. Without studying outside of classes, students may struggle to keep up with the material.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The On-site adiministration of the program was well structures. At the beginning of classes, there were signs indicating where Yonsei Summer Program courses were taking place. Because of the large size of the university, at first, it was often difficult to navigate between classes. However, reading the signs and asking other students made it easier to get to and from class. The host country program administration also provided students with the opportunity to go on field trips and organized social lunches for students and faculty to form a stronger relationship outside of the classroom.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local culture was one I was familiar with and therefore it was nice to see students from all over the world feel more integrated into the culture I grew up with. Furthermore, although I came into the program without any past-known peers, I was able to meet friends of friends and also formed relationships with new students simply through group activity or projects. I felt welcomed by everyone and the professors do a great job in putting an effort to bring students together.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

The country of South Korea is really safe. I grew up in it since 8th grade and felt that it has provided me with the safety that foreign students may not expect. There is often the misconception that South Korea is unsafe because it is directly under North Korea. However this is not true as the crime rates in South Korea are not high and there are government officials in major places to prevent any riots or criminal activity. Guns are also prohibited in Korea and therefore it makes the environment safe for students. South Korea has also been displaying increasing numbers of foreigners within the city of Seoul. Foreigners do not have to feel unwelcome or alien as there are many foreign communities and the local people have adjusted to a more friendly attitude towards foreigners.

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

This program took place in one of the top universities in Korea and therefore the academic rigor professors display as well as other students' willingness to work harder provide a great opportunity to study as well as explore one of the busiest cities in the world as the university is located within the district where many other universities are.

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? 80
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Ensure that you have a set amount of money you wish to spend within one week as it may be tempting to spend more when touring Korea and seeing how prices are relatively "cheap" when in reality affording many of these "cheap" goods will lead to an unwanted amount of spending.

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Small group projects and presentations
* What could be improved?
  • Convenience of going between classes
  • Location of program head quarters
  • Distance between classes as well as course times
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had better knowledge of course times. The program's website did not clearly display the different times each course took place and therefore formed difficulties in choosing courses.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'