The Summer of a Lifetime Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes I took were very good and educational. Even though it was during the summer, the teachers certainly did not slack in teaching and there was still a workload expected of us. Classes were 3 hours with breaks at the professors' discretion. Really learned a lot and there were several classes offered in diverse subjects!

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I ended up in an off-campus dormitory and loved it. I was right in the town of Wangsimni, just about a quick walk to any restaurant or cafe, and about a 5-10 minute walk to the nearest subway station. My hilly walk to my classes in the mornings took about 10 minutes, but it was a nice walk each morning.

The food on-campus was very good. I also liked how cheap it is, compared to back home. Eating off campus for dinner each day was also a bonus. I am a huge Korean food lover and it was nice to have! Food was much cheaper (in my opinion) than back home, and of course 100 times more delicious! There were plenty of nearby restaurants and cafes as well as plenty of places to eat on campus. For lunch, we simply picked out what we wanted from what was offered that day, and bought a meal ticket. It cost between 2~5 USD for the meal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were with other fellow international students being taught in English courses. However, we can take it upon ourselves to go out and explore and immerse in the culture of Korea. The program offered plenty of opportunity to go on cultural field trips as well.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I used an international health care plan that my home university help me set up, so I am not sure what other students did. It worked just fine for me and I was covered the entire month I was in Korea. I did have to go to the university hospital once during my stay and everything worked out fine.

I felt very safe. I read that Korea has a low-crime rate. It is certainly quite safer to me than my home country. Of course, it is always best to be careful and smart no matter where you go.

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

All things considered, the trip was quite cheaper than I expected. Of course it cost quite a bit to go to a foreign country. However, cost of flying and tuition aside, things were very affordable. I brought extra money for emergencies and shopping of course. I traveled to Korea with about $500 worth of Korean money, and it lasted me my entire trip, while of course using a credit card for bigger expenses and splurges as well as my Korean rental cell phone. Food was pretty cheap as long as you look for such places. My friends and I splurged and would go to BBQ places for about $10 each, but for the most part, food cost about $1.5-6 roughly. Also put aside money for snacks, desserts, cafes, and drinks.

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

I'm not sure how to answer this, because I used the language on my own after years of studying outside of the program. In my experience, I also stayed with family and friends so I had more immersion than others, perhaps. They do encourage you to learn some basic phrases to get around, though it is not impossible to get around Seoul with limited to no Korean skills, as long as you know English. Most people can communicate at least a little bit in English. The program also offered beginner and intermediate level Korean courses.

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• Dorm
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Friendships made
• Location
• Field trips

• Unsure, it was great for me

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