An experience of wondrous activities and lifelong friendships Past Review
By Mitchell Brown (University of Hartford) - abroad from 02/16/2017 to 06/22/2017 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Seoul - Korea University
I learned about an Korea's amazing culture as well as other people's cultures due to the large portion of international students. I learned how to speak a bit in a new language which inspired to become determined in learning to speak new languages to be able to communicate with different types of people. I gained so many lifelong friendships from this trip. The Korean friends I met are the nicest and most loyal people. Every moment with them was fun and a learning experience. Korea is definitely worth it!
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. |
I absolutely loved Seoul and Korea in general. I had the best time and wish I did not have to leave. I hope to be back soon. Only difficulties for me was some of the academics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Usually always helpful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm was very nice and convenient for getting to campus easily, but the rules were a bit strict. |
| * Food: |
Korean food is the best and quite nutritious. I wish I could take it home with me! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most people go through big culture shock when they go abroad but it honestly did not hit me that much. I felt at home here. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
no issues |
| * Safety: |
Seoul is the safest city! you can be out late at night without having to worry about suspicious people. You could leave your bag unattended for a long time without ever worrying about someone else stealing. They really take safety here seriously and I can promise that you will completely safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
They helped coordinate my accommodations, travel criteria and in general helped me stay organized for this journey. |
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) |
Eating out is usually cheap especially if its Korean food, but groceries at the regular supermarket can get expensive. You can get personal belongings at the convenience store (there's one on every block pretty much) for reasonable prices as well. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Seoul is a very tempting city because it is like the shopping capital of Asia! So it can be easy to spend money quickly if you don't budget yourself. I recommend trying to set aside time for the weekend to go out spending, and during the week limit yourself to food/personal expenses. Look at for sales or shopping in the subway stations because most of the time you can find cheaper clothes (but stylish) that retail stores sell for a more expensive price. Also plan ahead for traveling elsewhere in Korea so that you know how much money to set aside ahead of time. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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? | If I wanted to go outside of Seoul I had to do the planning on my own which is fine, but it would have been great if a trip to Busan for example was included! |
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. |
