Unforgettable Experience! Past Review
By Tiffany Choi (California State University - Long Beach) - abroad from 06/26/2018 to 07/19/2018 with
Korea University: Seoul - International Summer Campus
I improved my speaking skills and was able to learn a little more about the culture. I learned so many things in such a short period of time. I grew to love Korea even more than before.
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. |
The teachers here are all great! I took an Intermediate Korean course and had a ton of fun. All of my classmates were very nice. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The campus is beautiful and they try to make it a great experience overall. I wish they were a little more organized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There was no more room in the CJ house so I stayed at Frontier. The room was a fair size for two people. They provided bedding which is a plus since I didn't have to carry it in my luggage. |
| * Food: |
The on-campus restaurants and cafes are super affordable and taste great too. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The campus was in Anam right next to a subway station. The area was very quiet and peaceful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There was an incident where someone slipped in the shower and the staff made sure to take action right away. They placed mats in every bathroom of every room so that it doesn't happen to anyone else. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I regret nothing from taking this program. I learned so much about the language and the culture. I made a lot of new friends, international and local. |
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) |
Korea is very cheap when it comes to food. I didn't have a problem staying within my budget. Anam has several eateries around it and all of them are affordable and delicious. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Within the 4 weeks, I spent about 100 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are a ton of things you'll want to by as you explore Korea. I wouldn't worry too much about the food cost. Save money for the shopping. |
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 |
In class, I was only allowed to speak Korean. Outside of class, there was no pressure on speaking Korean. They were very helpful if we had any questions about it and everyone for the most part knew English so communication wasn't an issue. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I did not take any. I learned on my own at home. |
| 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 utilizing verbal communication. It's one thing to be able to read and write sentences but it's another to try and make it sound natural. |
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
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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 did not expect to love the buddy program they provided at the school. It is a great opportunity to make new friends. If I had known I would be able to befriend so many people, I would have taken souvenirs to give them from my country. |
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. |
