The Most Unforgettable Experience Ever Past Review
By Natalya Doria (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/25/2017 to 08/05/2017 with
Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus
I learned some korean. Not enough to have a basic conversation, but it was enough to get by. I struggle a lot with speaking different languages due to my speech impediment, so I am pleased at the amount of korean I've learned. I also learned about some cultural customs that helped me show respect to the locals and immerse into the culture. I want to return to Korea one day, so I hope to be able to use what I have learned during my study abroad experience for when I return.
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. |
I enjoyed the classes at KUISC immensely because my professors were very passionate about the subject and had an energetic, engaging teaching style. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The cafeteria mostly served Korean food and it was very good compared to the cafeteria food back at my university in the States. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
After my classes, I was able to explore a lot of places in Seoul ( I even had a chance to go on a little field trip to Busan over the weekend). Of course there were days where I had to stay near the university to study, but even the area around the university has food and things to do that are fun and affordable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I will try to keep this short, but overall it was probably the best experience of my college years. I honestly didn't expect to make any friends and travel alone, but I met a lot of amazing people who I ended up traveling with around Seoul and even Busan. I also felt very safe during my stay in Korean University. Of course I made sure to not travel alone at night, but there were a many locals and foreigners that were happy to help me out. |
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) |
Food was pretty cheap in Korea compared to the US, so I used less money each week for food and such. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75-$125 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are places where you can get A LOT of food for around $3-$5, so try your best to be smart where you eat. Also, eating with friends helps split the cost of food if you eat somewhere a bit pricey. |
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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginner ASL II |
| 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? | I recommend learning a couple of simple korean phrases that a tourist should learn like "hello", "thank you", "how much?". I began the program only knowing how to read hangul characters( I didn't know phrases sadly), so I depended a lot on others in the first 2 weeks to communicate to locals. I also recommend learning some hangul. It helped a lot when I wanted to order food from the menu or reading train stop names without it romanized. |
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 I knew to bring more cash to study abroad. I didn't realize that there were things that I had to pay in cash like to refill my tmoney card and certain hostels, restaurants, and stores. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
