Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Neverending exchange life Past Review

By (Economics., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 03/04/2013 to 07/14/2013 with

Seoul National University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The experience I gained from SNU was absolutely worthwhile and unforgettable. How hard local students work in school and in social life gave me so much motivation and new lessons. I plan to keep in touch with the local and international friends I made on exchange and to continue this exchange life. Although it was only for a few months, everyone I met there helped me to see and learn the little things that I wouldn't have known if I didn't choose to come to SNU on exchange.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was a pretty good experience for me to learn how much typical Korean college students are willing to put effort into academics. Competing with local students was honestly difficult for me in some of the classes taught in Korean language because my education background is all English. I was quite discouraged after the midterms but the fact that things were challenging helped me to stay motivated and made me work really hard throughout the semester.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Some people might appear rude from time to time but if you explain your situation well and you're consistently kind with everyone, they will help you through everything!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Their undergraduate dorms are nothing fancy, but it worked just fine for me especially for the price. I personally enjoyed living with five different girls.

* Food:

They have so much variety of food on campus. Cafeteria food is super cheap and pretty decent as well.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Their exchange students group, SNU Buddy, is awesome. You get to integrate with local and other exchange students from all over the world. The local students really try hard to put together fun events so that everyone can mingle together.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I didn't experience anything dangerous but they don't seem to have legitimate campus police system. Overall, Seoul is not a dangerous place but at the same time, not the safest. Just be cautious at night.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About $100 worth of money.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy fruits from street or street market rather than from convenient store or supermarket, if you can.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • People I met
  • Academics
  • Beautiful campus
* What could be improved?
  • A couple of the courses that they provide mainly for exchange students are not well organized. They let the exchange students judge SNU lowly.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? They have this website called snueve, which is like ratemyprofessor.com. Local students rate courses and professors on the website. The only problem is that it's not provided in English. Registration can be difficult because you initially don't have this kind of information when you're attending the school for the first time.

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 Networker
An active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume.