Past Review

By (Business Administration, University of Hawaii - Manoa) for

University of Seoul: Seoul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place: Spring 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I have a closer look at Korean economies by taking courses here. The Korean language class is good. Students there are in general very welcome to exchange students, especially those from an English speaking country so you have a wonderful chance to practice Korean all the time.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The coordinator there is very helpful. However, the set back I find for me is the buddy program (If you're lucky then you have good mentor, if not then it may be a bit harder for you to get all the paper work done).

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

They offer good dorm. All rooms are double. You can choose to live with a Korean student or exchange student. The dorm is 5 minute walk to the campus center. All rooms have AC but you can only use the AC from May to a certain month. During the cold month, the dorm use general heater which they turn on at a fixed time or when the temperature drops to a certain level (so be prepared to keep yourself warm).

* Food:

I love the food there! You can have a wide variety of dishes with a reasonable price.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Seoul is a dynamic city and there are a lot to do and enjoy. People are generally friendly. Not many people speak good English but you can get by with some survival Korean though.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Problem is communication. Since I don't speak much Korean it's hard to talk to the doctor once I'm sick. Therefore,I bring my medicines with me.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Language

Language acquisition improvement?

I learn a lot from everyone I met. People are very fun and welcome when I try to learn and speak Korean. The Korean language class may starts out a bit too fast but you can get used to it as time goes by.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Global Business

Course Department: Business Administration
Instructor: Chang Young Chung
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course is easy: 1 midterm, 1 final, some article reviews, 2 personal presentations on articles. The course gives me a general idea about global business issues. Although the language used for teaching is English the textbook is in Korean; this is a set back. However, I don't think the textbook matters much.
Credit Transfer Issues: NOT petition yet.