Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors at Seoul National are very professional, charismatic, and approachable people. I've never experienced a class where I did not agree with the professor's teaching methods or the content being taught. The professors were always available for their students so if there were any questions they were addressed immediately which I greatly appreciated.

On-site administration of your program

Ms. Lydia Kim helpful for any questions and concerns that I had had, however the student buddy program for that university was not exactly organized or helpful. I had signed up for the buddy program to help me get adjusted to the country and the school however my buddy did not show up and when told of the situation nothing became resolved. Also the orientation for the first day was also a bit unorganized therefore there was a lot of confusion going on. But the OIA did try to do events where international students could get to know other international students which I liked.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed at the campus dorms and it was quaint. Great place to study and the laundry room also the mart was not far so it was very convenient. Also the computer/printer room and the gym was not far everything was in a 10 min. distance.

The menu also varied and had many options to consider plus ordering out was very simple.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The dorms and the classes made it really easy to meet other international students from the U.S to all over Europe. Many of the older students there would help out showing the newcomers the popular places in Seoul. And everyday there you would have interactions with the natives so everyday was a social/cultural experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There is a hospital on campus and the rates are low for students. All you would pay for is the medication itself at student price. So all my medical issues were thoroughly addressed. Also the area I stayed in felt very safe because everyone is out late almost every night and it is very lit throughout the entire night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I had to rely a bit on my Korean to be able to communicate with a lot of the Korean students there. It was a bit difficult to communicate in english, but it was not impossible.