Mistakes Were Made but It Was Fun! June 02, 2024
By A student (Music, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/04/2023 to 06/21/2024 with
Seoul National University: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Because I had to pay for many fees out of pocket and arrange housing, insurance, phone bills, residency cards on my own, I learned more about how to manage myself in the adult world. Although the experience was difficult at many times, it was worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The campus was far from the main hotspots and many of the local students and even other exchange students kept to themselves. In addition, housing is not guaranteed at SNU for exchange students but at other Korean universities it is. |
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) |
At SNU, housing is not guaranteed for students and in my case I was unable to receive dorm housing so I had to live off campus. This adds an extra cost of commute, and around $100-200 in additional fees for housing (not including the large deposit many housing facilities require). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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?
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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? | Although prices and cost of living compared to the U.S may seem cheaper, everything adds up in the end! |
