Korea: Go Big or Go Home Past Review
By Emily L (Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics., Truman State University) for
CIEE: Seoul - Arts and Sciences
Absolutely. I feel more confident traveling on my own and functioning as an individual in a foreign setting. I am now much more interested in Asia in general than I was before, and am left with a strong desire to learn more Korean.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Suzanne and Clara are always available to help out with problems and concerns we might be having. They are very welcoming and encourage us to simply stop by and say hello. They are equal parts open and trusting of our own abilities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Dalgi is home away from home. I ate a lot of my meals from the GS convenience store downstairs, to be honest. I miss having my own full kitchen. |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
Be smart. Use your common sense. I injured my foot and was helped fully by my program coordinators and the excellent international clinic at Severance hospital. |
| 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? | About $100. It depends on how much you go out or shop. Eating every meal out certainly added up, but food is generally fairly cheap. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The eating every meal out issue was a bit difficult for me to adjust to. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | n/a |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice with my Korean roommate and our Korean friends, as well as simply with people I interacted with regularly, such as restaurant proprietors, shopkeepers, and taxi drivers. I was able to get around only speaking English, but it improved my quality of life and comfort level to be able to speak some Korean. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Use common sense and decency. Remember that you represent an entire sphere of the world when you are abroad. Anyone interested in Korea or simply visiting somewhere different from the United States while still being a first world nation would benefit. |
