My first and last time in Korea Past Review
By A student (Radio, Television, and Digital Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/02/2013 to 12/13/2013 with
Hanyang University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The best part was going to the neighboring countries. I went to Japan 3 times and China once. If I could do it again, I'd much rather go to Japan.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were rather unstructured and all over the place. Most class days I felt I had no idea what was going on. On that note, while I felt completely lost I somehow made As in my classes because they were so easily graded. I felt that I learned nothing though. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Lucky to find someone who spoke English |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were satisfactory. It was 2 beds, 1 bathroom. Korean bathrooms are weird and I did not like them. The dorms were scrict on cerfews and food. No fridge and no meal plans meant a lot of money spent on eating out. |
| * Food: |
No varity in food choices. Also no meal plan for dorm students so all meals you have to eat out. No kitchen in the dormitory so cooking isn't an option and no fridge or microwave so you can't even store or reheat food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I constantly felt outcasted by the local Koreans. International students stuck together and very little involvement with locals felt tiring. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
First week there I got sick. There was a hospital on campus and they were very nice and took care of me. The medicine they gave me was cheap and effective. |
| * Safety: |
Never felt really threatened. However, there are a lot of drunkerds around the city which were just a hassle to deal with, especially on the subways. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
No meal plan, fridge, microwave or food allowed in the dorm made the cost of eating VERY expensive |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150+ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would suggest another program that involves some sort of meal plan or housing that allows you to make or store your own food. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | I really just wish I'd gone to Japan or Europe. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
