Hard-earned (?) Wisdom from a White Boy in Seoul July 26, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were not designed to be easy, but accessible to foreign students. Assistance was always readily available, so it was hard to do poorly even if the workload was difficult.

On-site administration of your program

The Seoul CIEE team was crucial to my enjoyment of the study abroad program. They orchestrated the transportation from Incheon Airport to our respective dorms, scheduled incredible activities around and outside of Seoul, and overall provided us with an easy transition into a spectacular experience in a new country. Each member of the team was kind and helpful, and they made themselves available throughout the school week to aid us in our acclimation. They even have free Korean textbooks in their library!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in the Woojungwon Dormitory on Yonsei's Sinchon campus. I had believed that it would be an immersive experience, living amongst local Korean students, and that the room format would suit my sensibilities more than those of the SK Global Dormitory. YOU SHOULD LIVE IN SK GLOBAL!! Woojungwon is at the very top of a hill, and the shuttle that stops there is fickle and difficult to catch. It is a long, difficult walk no matter what direction you are approaching from. There is a "convenience store" on the B2 floor, but the prices are higher there than at SKG's eMart (and eMart has occasional sales whereas WJW doesn't). The second half of my semester there saw the bursting of a pipe in the communal kitchen, so the convenience store was unusable for nearly a month. The building is difficult to access, it's far away from the main campus, and the convenience store is not all that convenient. Please. Just live in SKG. It will greatly increase your quality of living.

There are maybe four cafeterias scattered across Yonsei's Sinchon campus. All of them offer delicious foods at affordable prices -- I was particularly fond of the ₩5000 ($4) soybean stew that is offered in the main cafeteria. It is very easy to stay well fed and healthy on this campus!!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

We had a lot of respiratory illnesses arise among our class of exchange students. There were always at least 5 students hacking up a lung in class at any given time, and twice we had COVID sweep through our population. Masks were not required, though they were encouraged, and rapid test results served to excuse us from most classes (classes taken at the KLI will require OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM A TEST TAKEN AT A HOSPITAL. You have been warned). Hospitals, health clinics, and pharmacies are a lot easier to access in Seoul than they are in the U.S. If you start to feel unwell, you can easily acquire a cocktail of antibiotics to prevent further illness. And please, wear a mask in class.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The American dollar is worth significantly more in Seoul than it is in Massachusetts. Restaurants aren't all that expensive, and convenience stores are massively abundant treasure troves of affordable sustenance. Beware: Even supremely cheap coffee and Diaso ₩1000 purchases do accumulate. I learned this so you won't have to.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• The Food
• The Museums
• The Camaraderie

• COVID Precautions