Ewha, Seoul, South Korea: An Amazing Experience Past Review
By Juan Jose M (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., Trinity University) for
Ewha Womans University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot of about Korea and a lot about myself. Living abroad in a different country forces one to learn and adapt.
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. |
The workload is much lighter than it is at Trinity. Only one of my classes assigned regular weekly homework. The other classes only assigned one or two projects during the semester and a midterm and a final. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program operated in an efficient manner. The Office of Global Affairs (this office helps the international students) was accessible and knowledgeable. The quality of my stay exceeded my expectations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Seoul was very safe and the neighborhood around Ewha was just as safe as the rest of the city. It was safe to walk around at any time. Ehwa is also very conveniently located from downtown Seoul and it is a five minute walk to one of the best nightlife areas in Seoul. In addition, there are numerous shops and convenient stores nearby which are open, if not 24 hours, until very late at night. Everything one could need is walking distance from the university and the subway stop is very near the entrance of the university. The university provides bed sheets and a blanket at a cost of around $3 and even though there are kitchen areas in the dorms, you can not cook in these areas so don't plan on cooking your own food in the dorms. |
| * Food: |
Food was delicious, relatively cheap, easy to get and very varied. The local food was generally cheaper than imported food but the prices in the restaurants around the university are very affordable for student budgets. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The PEACE buddies would often organize impromptu field trips around Seoul and the rest of Korea. In addition, the university clubs also organized field trips. One of the clubs that I was a part of organized a field trip to a traditional Korean village were we got to see what Korea was like during the early-mid Joseon dynasty. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Seoul is probably one of the safest cities in the world. |
| 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? | An average meal at a Korean restaurant was about $4-$7. Fast food also ranged from about $4-$8. Non Korean restaurants such as Italian or Spanish restaurants were more expenseive and meals at these restaurants could range usually from $10 - 30$. At the Ewha cafeteria you could eat for about $3. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | A full body towel costs around $20-$50 and a small amount of deodorant was about $10-$15 and not widely avaialable. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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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? | This program would benefit anyone looking to do their common curriculum requirements, anyone wanting to learn Korean or more about Asia and Korea, and/or anyone looking to have an amazing study abroad experience. |
