The Best Summer of My Life! Past Review
By Joscellinee Ortega (Texas A&M International University) - abroad from 06/26/2017 to 08/04/2017 with
Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus
I learned that even though we might come from different cultures and background we can still have things in common. I gained many new friends and experiences that have impacted my life in a positive manner! This experience was definitely worth my while and I would do it all over again if I could!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were very interesting and challenging! The professors are very knowledgeable in the subjects and in current issues in there areas of expertise! Definitely had a great learning experience! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration personal were very helpful and welcoming! All my questions were answered by the staff. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living in the dorms, it was a great way of making new friends and socializing! I totally recommend students to stay at the dorms, it'll be an unforgettable experience! The housing staff was very nice and helpful, never had any issues. |
| * Food: |
The cafeteria food was delicious and inexpensive! They offered a variety of foods and the staff was very nice! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt that the buddy program helped me with adapting to the local culture. The buddy program was an amazing experience and the buddies were all very helpful and nice! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Seoul is a very safe city! My friends and I would stay out until late or sometimes until the sunrise (on the weekends) and we never felt unsafe! If anything we only felt unsafe at Iteawon, since it's known to attract a lot of foreigners and some of there foreigners were very intimidating. Overall Seoul is a very safe city and if you're looking for fun things to do at night I would recommend going to Hongdae! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved the program and would definitely chose it again! The campus was amazing, the staff was friendly and welcoming, and the buddies from the buddy program were nice and fun people! I loved it so much I recommended it to my friend and she'll be attending hopefully next summer! |
Finances
|
* 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) |
Seoul wasn't as expensive as I had originally thought, it was actually very budget friendly! The local food was very inexpensive and delicious! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | My average expenses for a week was an average of $60 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have money budgeted for activities and other necessities while studying abroad (plan ahead)! Make sure to allocate your funds proportionately and have funds saved for emergencies. For example I purchased my concert tickets before leaving to Seoul. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program and staff were frequently trying to encourage us to use the local language. For example at orientation we learned a cheer from the cheer-leading team and it was a very fun way of learning some Korean phrases! |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | None |
| 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 would recommend for students to listen to music and watch movies and tv series, it is definitely a fun way of learning the language! I would also recommend talking to people whom speak the language. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would've known the language a better in order to communicate with locals more efficiently. |
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. |
