Healing and Growing Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Ewha is one of the top schools in Korea, the classes were interesting and their study resources are incredible.

On-site administration of your program

We had one really great field trip, however the administration part towards the beginning was stressful, and the visa process was prolonged due to mixed signals. In the middle of the semester the director simply left the school, so there was one woman who was suddenly in charge of both asian students and those from other areas of the world. When our director left we were simply sent an email saying don't have any problems because I'm leaving and this other woman does not normally handle students from countries outside of Asia. However I know they have since appointed a new director, and I hope this would not be repeated.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorms themselves were perfect. However I had a problem with my roommate who was a transfer student from another University in Korea rather than an international student. This roommate would have no respect for my things, for example throwing my belonging outside onto the balcony while I was away on a trip in Taiwan for no reason, coming in at 3am and turning on all the lights, and making noise/using the printer. However when I voiced my concerns to housing after I found my belongings thrown outside I was forced to pay another housing fee in order to move to a different room, despite already paying for housing once, and not being the one disrespecting other's belongings.

The ECC has plenty of access to food and snacks. The surrounding area of Ewha also has many cheap restaurants along with street stalls that sell food for as cheap as 2,000 won (roughly $2)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

In terms of within Ewha, since the dorms are only filled with international students, and Ewha students typically don't live on campus, we did not really get to meet many Ewha students. The majority of our classes were also filled with international students so this was a bit of a disappointment. However, I was able to befriend a few Ewha students, and they were extremely helpful in exploring the surrounding area. However cultural integration is really up to you in an exchange. So I found one really good friend and we went to a different area in Seoul every day. One tip: go to the tourist center in Hongdae, it has this booklet called Discovering Seoul and lists every single must see place in all areas of Seoul along with directions to get there and operating hours.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had an accident in the subway, which resulted in injuring my leg. I could tell it needed to be x rayed, and was severely swollen and painful. However in the health service brochure it said Ewha can provide x-rays and all services are free. So I waited through the entire weekend to go in on Monday. However it turns out Ewha can only perform Chest x-rays. I was then sent to a hospital, however they sent me to the wrong one. International students are supposed to be sent to Yonsei Severance Hospital because it has an international ward with English speaking doctors. (This accident happened within the second week so I was unaware of where all the hospitals were). I was sent to the hospital for domestic students Sinchon Yonsei Hospital. No one spoke English, it was incredibly stressful because I could not communicate with any technicians or doctors. However, I called my program director, and she was able to translate over the phone between me and the doctor. However she wasn't fully able to explain everything the doctor said so it was kind of a guessing game in terms of treatment. Their health care is socialized which means you are treated more as a number than a patient, and you are all treated together in one room. This meant while I was being fitted for a cast one girl was receiving stitches on my left, and a man was receiving burn treatment on my right. So just make sure you are sent to the correct hospital. Yonsei Severance hospital is just across the street, and is on Yonsei University's campus. In terms of prevalent health issues the MERS outbreak occurred towards the end of my semester in Korea. Now a major epidemic is something extremely rare, but in the event of one I will say the Ewha handled the precautions very well. Our rooms were sprayed and masks were provided for all students.

Seoul is honestly a really safe place, and Sinchon is a really good area thanks to so many universities surrounding it. However if you're a girl I wouldn't walk alone really late at night, but in all honesty that's not a good idea in the majority of the world. Be super careful when the subway gets packed to the point where you can't move on your own. I was pushed and my leg fell into the gap and got stuck (also know that the subway doors do not have sensors, they will just shut and the subway will leave whether all of you is in it or not) so don't be timid or be afraid to shove back in order to not get trampled.

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

Eveything is really cheap in Seoul. I never paid more than 7 dollars for a meal.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Park Ji Yeon is an incredible Korean teacher. It was difficult waking up for 8am class every morning, but it honestly was a really helpful class.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Living in Seoul
• Bonding with Others

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The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer