The Best Semester of My College Career February 12, 2025
By Patience C (Economics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/24/2024 to 12/21/2024 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Seoul - Korea University
I learned about real, day-to-day Korean culture and got to practice my language Korean skills. It was worthwhile.
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 |
The TEAN staff were absolutely amazing and always ready to help out their students! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The KU dormitory is super clean, modern, and comfortable. |
| * Food: |
There is a dining plan, but very few of us need it. Food is so cheap on campus, and going to the dining hall costs about $3.50 per meal (meals are buffet style. The food on and off campus was very well-priced and delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was a bit hard to adjust since the KU students do tend to treat foreigners differently, but after a while (after I made a couple friends) you hardly notice it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues, but I was covered by both Korean insurance and travel insurance from the program and Wellesley, and the TEAN staff were always available to help translate for appointments and to help find English-speaking clinics and doctors. |
| * Safety: |
You can go anywhere, any time, and never feel like you are in danger. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program kept us safe, introduced us to new places, took us on lots of trips, and was super helpful the entire semester |
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) |
Everything, from necessities to luxuries, was so much cheaper than they are in the US. You can do and have nearly anything you want without breaking the bank. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to Daiso for all necessities, and find cheap, go-to restaurants to eat at when the budget gets tight at the end of the week. The convenience store food is also very good and very. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | I wish I had known I would love it so much! I would have stayed for a full year! |
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 NetworkerAn 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. |
