A Seoul to Seoul Confession About the Best Study Abroad Past Review
By Lydia L (University of Georgia) - abroad from 07/01/2013 to 07/26/2013 with
Hanyang University: Seoul - International Summer School
Although the 6 weeks abroad were way too short, I've never learned so much during that short amount of time. Not only did I learn a lot about the Korean culture, I also learned a lot about myself. Studying abroad through Hanyang International Summer School was way more than I had hoped for. I loved my time abroad. Every single day was so precious to me during my stay in Korea.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Since it is such a short program, classes were 3 hours long. Classes weren't too rigorous. The professors completely understand that you want to explore and immerse in the culture. However, this isn't an excuse for you to skip classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I really enjoyed everything we got to experience through the program. The field trips were awesome and the volunteers/RAs were a wonderful group of people. I wouldn't trade these group of volunteers for anything! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed at a small apartment that was walking distance to campus(practically on campus). The apartment was great! My roommate and I had our own bathroom, washing machine, sink, fridge, stove, and microwave. |
| * Food: |
The Hanyang cafeteria sells lunch as cheap as 2,500kwon! They had about 6 different lunches that you could choose from. For breakfast, I went to the GS25(convenient store) and bought some snacks and coffee on the way to school. Food in Korea is typically cheap. It won't be hard to find delicious food for a reasonable price! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone was nice and welcoming! Never felt uncomfortable that locals wouldn't understand what I was saying. Through this experience, I enjoyed exploring and going out of my comfort zone to immerse into the Korean culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There's no need to worry about crime or theft during your stay of the program. Personally, I didn't hear about any dangers of fellow students while they were in Korea. |
| 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) |
Spent about $100-$140/week on food, transportation, personal expenses |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-$140 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I took an intermediate Korean class and my professor encouraged and pushed us to improve on our language skills. One day, during class time, she assigned us to interview Hanyang students in Korean. Although many students and myself felt flustered, it was a great learning experience. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | 1.Get out of your comfort zone. Use the language wherever you go. That is honestly the best way to learn a foreign language. 2,Don't worry about being embarrassed and don't get frustrated. You can learn from your mistakes. Don't be fearful of making mistakes. Just go for it! |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | To really experience your time in Seoul to its full potential, you must be open minded about the food, culture, people, and traditions of Korea. Getting out of your comfort zone is essential! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
