Ups and Downs of Studying Abroad Past Review
By A student (Art History, Berea College) - abroad from 02/24/2015 to 06/17/2015 with
USAC Korea: Yonsei University in Seoul - Korean and East Asian Studies
I learned a lot from my experience and I do believe it was a worthwhile trip. I made friends and learned a lot about Korean culture. I got immersed in the language and went to places I had wanted to see for a long time. I struggled with personal issues that the program was not good at advising me with and because of that I had to leave early.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt that the classes were hit or miss. They could be hard or easy. For the hard classes I feel that I did not have enough resources to help if I was struggling. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was hard for me to contact the on-site administrator for USAC even after being given instructions on how to do so. I never met with them even once. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms are quite lovely and you get your own bathroom and shower. There are quiet study spaces and kitchens. The dorms connect to a store and several places to eat. |
| * Food: |
The food is delicious and there are many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The international dorms are somewhat removed from campus and are feel more western. I hardly met anyone that wasn't international in daily life on campus. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I'm not sure about this personally, but friends of mine said the healthcare system was nice and you only had to pay a small fee for medications and doctors visits. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe both in and out of my dorm. I never felt threatened or afraid during my stay. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
The food is not super expensive, but it adds up when you have to pay for each meal. Yonsei does not have a meal program and you have to buy each meal of your day. Even 4 or 5 dollars per meal adds up quickly. Personal expenses were also a little expensive, such as shampoo and body wash. Not very much worse than in the United States. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 90~110 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save money BEFORE going abroad and stick to your budget. Try not to be distracted by buying a lot of clothes or gifts to bring back. Use your money how you need to. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The language class was quite good at Yonsei. We learned everyday Korean and we were often encouraged to use it in every day life. We only spoke Korean in class and that helped a lot. It could sometimes be confusing if you had a question, however. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice with locals if you can. When you go places, like stores, try to speak only the native language. Get in groups with fellow classmates and practice as well. Try to be as vocal as possible. |
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 that we would not do anything as a group. I was never contacted by any other USAC students and we didn't go on any field trips or outings. The website greatly advertises this, but I did not experience this at all. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
