The Best and Most Eye-Opening Summer of My Whole Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was very patient and helpful both via e-mail and in person.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was kept very clean, and each room has its own air conditioner and heated floor, which was amazing!

The food was fantastic, though expensive, especially at locations that were chains rather than exclusive to Yonsei. If you're vegetarian and picky, it also might be difficult for you to find food you liked. I prefer Asian food am not picky at all, so I was happy eating rice packs and instant noodles with the occasional off-campus restaurant visit. There's an enormous grocery store a short walk away, though, which I would have frequented had I found out about it more than two weeks before I had to leave.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There is a Seoul that foreigners experience, and a Seoul experienced by Koreans -- understandably, some Koreans resent that foreigners often receive special treatment. You will inevitably be stared at, especially by older people because they're much more accustomed to complete homogeneity and, in some cases, want to preserve it. Not all, though; many are looks of curiosity, and some people might try to talk with you. Regardless of generation, though, there's still a wall (based on the idea of "Korean-ness," that's often unspoken-of, but still there) between foreigners and Koreans that can be difficult to penetrate, especially if there's a language barrier. That said, the wall is slowly breaking down as this generation tries to interact more with other countries and places more value on diversity. The separation beyond the language barrier probably won't affect your daily life much at all, but you will always stand out as a foreigner. I'd say that the best of it is that people are excited and interested to talk to you, simply because you're foreign, even more so if you aren't Asian, so, even with the language barrier you will probably be approached by interesting people and make a few friends. The worst is probably the negative attitude some Koreans will always have toward foreigners, which in my experience was manifested through glares but nothing more, which is unsettling at first but negligible once you get used to it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to take a TB test to get into my dorm. The hospital itself is a massive complex and the one time I tried to find a doctor there for neck pain, I wasn't able to find the right building. But from what I understand, there is a fee of 100,000 won (about $100) that you have to have to pay regardless of whether you are insured or not. However, there's a pharmacy and two people I've spoken to there speak English and have given me medicine that worked well. Though if you're uncomfortable pointing to what hurts and saying a few key words, to get the medicine you need, you might want to go to the doctor anyway.

I felt that the area of Seoul I stayed in (Sinchon) was very safe, and Hongdae, where I spent a lot of time because it's popular with college students, is often crowded throughout the night and into the early morning. I found it invaluable, though, to travel with someone who was comfortable with using the subway system, which closes at 12:30 most days but if you're lost, as long as you transfer to the Green Line with time to spare, you can always get back to Yonsei safely. Otherwise, I heard that taxi drivers can take advantage of (by charging more than they owe) and even be dangerous for people travelling alone at night. I only did so once with a foreign friend but had no problems at all, and the driver knew English. Most of the crime that occurs in Seoul is white-collar -- violent crimes are relatively rare. I never had an experience where I felt unsafe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My parents provided minimal financial assistance, but I was able to live on just over $1000 for six weeks comfortably. Things in Korea are relatively cheap, which was fabulous because I had enough money to go clubbing and eat out a few times a week. I couldn't afford to go on the field trip or any of the other extracurricular trips they offered, which I really regret, but I was definitely able to enjoy Seoul regardless.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

In the case of Korean, the tight bond between Koreans and still-negative attitude toward foreigners kind of got in the way of my learning experience. Until the last few semesters offered, Yonsei Korean teaches you how to speak in very high levels of formality that are only used to speak with, for instance, teachers and people who are significantly older/socially superior to you (I know this only through my independent study before I came; these concepts were never thoroughly addressed in class). Regardless, we did not learn to speak at a register that is used in everyday conversation. This is again due (in part) to what may or may not be a subconscious effort on Korea's part to keep complete fluency available to Koreans only. In the context of Koreans' general outlook on themselves vs. the rest of the world, this is understandable, but a very unfortunate obstacle.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students
• Host Family

• Being in the center of a city
• Taking Korean Studies

• Employing teachers who are 100% fluent in English
• Teaching useful Korean