A Way to Becoming a Korea Expert Past Review
By Rachel N (Korean, University of Hawaii - Manoa) for
Korea University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I definitely recommend students studying abroad, especially those who have lived in Hawai'i for a while. I have noticed that those of us in Hawai'i, live in our own culture and lifestyle, that it was hard at first to adjust to the realities of Seoul, S. Korea. It has given me the opportunity to actually experience what really goes on beyond Hawai'i and in the real world.
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. |
Not only did I improve my Korean proficiency, I actually learned a great deal about Korea and its government, policies, economy, culture, and more. The program used authentic materials such as research papers, newspapers, and news coverage. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was well-organized besides receiving any schedule or changes in the schedule in advance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Korea University has its own dorm for internation students and its facility is excellent. The only problem I had was that I had local students as roommates and had a difficulty adjusting to the noise and the way they used the bathroom. The dorm itself is located on a hill which can be called a moutain as well, but I thought of it as a way to exercise and keep in shape. |
| * Food: |
The dorm provides kitchens, however, I enjoyed ordering food which was not allowed in our dorm rooms. It was a bit inconvenient. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Korea University has its annual Ko-Yon Games with rival Yonsei University every September. 5 sets of sports games are played and you just get the feeling of comradeship and school pride. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The program helped us with health insurance. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced Korean with the instructors, other students, study buddies. I definitely used Korean in everyday situations and most of them understood English and knew how to speak English. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Those who are very interested in Korea and its relations with the U.S., North Korea, and other nations. |
