Unforgettable Summer in Korea! January 16, 2025
By Rianna M (Anthropology, Boston University) - abroad from 06/22/2024 to 08/18/2024 with
American Councils (ACTR): Cheongju - Korean Intensive Summer Language Program
The biggest thing I gained was community from people all over the USA and Korea. I made wonderful relationships that I am in contact with frequently. I also, as a young adult, found the experience very informative when it comes to money organization. Dealing with a new currency, transportation, tourism, everyday purchases, and etc helped me learn about money spending and saving in ways I would not have just living in the US. This experience was also worthwhile for my major, anthropology, which looks at the cultural differences between human societies and how they come to be. There are a lot of things I learned in the classroom, but experiencing it brought a deeper understanding I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program is fittingly rigorous for those who are serious about improving their Korean. Classes are taught in Korean and there is a fast pace so I think it is crucial that you have a solid footing in the language. There were a lot of resources available in Korean (teachers, language partners, etc) and as for English resources there were textbook explanations and classmates. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We had a residential director who was very helpful with anything. However, there was communication issues between the AC staff and the university staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dormitories themselves were good but we had issues with access to student resources like libraries and laundry was troublesome. |
| * Food: |
Great! They were also very considerate about allergies. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very! However Cheongju was not a very English speaking area so those with lower Korean levels can struggle. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I actually had gotten a foot injury and my language partner was kind enough to take me to the university hospital. For what would have been substantial money in the US was around 7 dollars USD. The residential director was helpful in recommending local medicines for when I had colds. The KISLP program itself has health insurance but I didn't use it. Korea is safe health-wise and I didn't need vaccines for the program. |
| * Safety: |
I as a woman walked around at night in the city with very little worry. The area we are in is mostly young college students. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think there is a lot of value to the program being in a smaller city that made it an amazing introduction to Korea for me. I did get to visit all of the staple places like the tourist attractions in Seoul, but I also got a more intimate view of the country through my experiences in the small city of Cheongju. The lack of tourism in the area made me feel I was living an authentic Korean student life. Though sometimes it was a struggle because of the lack of English resources, it was ultimately great for my Korean learning journey. I also appreciated how much freedom KISLP gave outside of classroom time/programming, which let me create my own experiences alongside the KISLP ones. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Because of the exchange rate and other factors things are generally cheaper in Korea. Buying necessities like toiletries and academic supplies was easy. However, getting together with friends/etc always included eating out or spending money otherwise. So in order to maintain a lively social life you are spending a lot of money little by little. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-75$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you need to save money be conscientious on what little drinks, coffees, snacks, and etc you are buying. They are cheap but they add up! |
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 |
They had a language contact that said to speak in only Korean. However in my program it was not really followed and people mostly spoke English. They also have most of their non-classroom programming in full Korean. |
| 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? | 4th semester Korean |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Insist on speaking only Korean with language partners and others, even if it is a struggle. |
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? | AC does not offer any financial aid for the plane tickets. The weather in Korean summer is incredibly hot and humid without remorse. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
