One of the best decisions I ever made! Past Review
By Eden Morley (Berea College) - abroad from 09/01/2017 to 12/22/2017 with
Keimyung University: Daegu - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Along with some new language skills, friends, and the chance to see a new place, I gained a lot of cultural awareness for not only South Korea, but my own country as well. Going abroad helped open my eyes even more to the differences between my country and other countries, as well as myself from the rest of the people I live with. I also gained experience in working in the field of my major. The whole experience was worth every moment I spent. It's something I'll never forget.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academically, the work wasn't hard. There was plenty of time to complete assignments and professors were understanding and willing to answer questions about all assignments. There was an abundance of resources to use when working on assignments, as well as materials given by the professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was handled relatively well, however, there were some moments of miscommunication or lack of communication all together. There were also long pauses in communication for important information, such as class registration. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were decent and were kept mostly clean. It is difficult to keep showers clean when there are several girls using the same facilities, however, there were some facility issues because of lack of cleaning. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no healthcare experiences, and there were no vaccinations I needed for this trip. They were only boosters of vaccinations I already had and a flu shot. |
| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe in my host city. There are cameras and police presence almost everywhere you go. It was safe to walk around at night, in groups or alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
While there were a few communication lapses, the overall helpfulness and cooperation of the program directors was encouraging and made it worthwhile. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It was very easy to live on a student budget, as long as it was budgeted out correctly. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about the equivalent of 20$ on food each week, and more if it was a special occasion. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Making friends with the Korean students is a helpful tip. They usually know where the bargains are in the city, and they will most definitely help in any way they can if asked. Otherwise, making sure that you know how much money you have to spend and what you want to spend it on is important. |
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 |
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| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None for Korean |
| 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? | Making friends with the Korean students is important, but making sure to look at the study materials in the books is also helpful. Getting together with other students in your class to practice speaking and reading will be beneficial for everyone involved. |
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? | I wish that I knew that I would be stared at as much as I was. Of course, being a foreigner in a homogeneous culture, I would be looked at, but it was a little intimidating. |
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! |
