Seoul: Ewha University and Surrounding Awesomeness. Past Review
By Shayna Y (HISTORY., University of Hawaii - Manoa) for
Ewha Womans University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was amazing! You gain lots of insight into both your culture and the culture of Korea. You get to do all these amazing things and you meet some really cool people from America and abroad. And the cost of living is really cheap.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The language class I took was quite difficult - it was a total immersion in Korean, which was difficult and new. I had a hard time understanding the Professor at first and thought about dropping to lower level a few times. But the thing is, you eventually do get better at speaking/understanding Korean in that setting, because you have to. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were GREAT. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing is in a great location, hands down. Your dorm is close to the entrance of campus, outside of which lies tons of things to explore. |
| * Food: |
The food is cheap, you get quite a lot (yay banchan!), and it's tasty. Being a super strict vegetarian is going to be pretty impossible if you want to eat at restaurants, but it's possible to eat "meatless" dishes if you have some basic language abilities. Oh, and get a huge pretzel from the bakery on the bottom floor of the campus center. It will change your life. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program did some great stuff like seeing the martial arts comedy show "Jump", going to the theme park "Everland", the DMZ, and the Boryung Mud festival. But be sure to keep on the lookout for other cultural events/shows going on. Adventuring off to those is when you make some of the best memories. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The air quality is kind of icky. A lot of people got sick the second or third week there - not horribly so, but like a cold with a really nasty cough for a week. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
A lot of people (especially the younger ones around the campus areas) could speak English. Being able to speak/read a basic Korean is pretty important though. You'll need such skills to get directions, to read a menu and order food, to go shopping. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go to Ewha for the location, the program, and especially the people. It's great base from which to learn about and explore Korea, even if it's your first time abroad. |
