Worth every minute! Past Review

By (University of Maryland - College Park) - abroad from 06/25/2017 to 07/29/2018 with

Yonsei University: Yonsei International Summer School

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be independent.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Since it was a summer program for international students professors were not very strict. It wasn't very rigorous but if you put in the effort to learn you will learn. Though their language program for Korean was very rigourous 4 days a week we would spend about 3 hours in class. The Korean class was very immersive as well.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Professors were helpful. There were also foreign professors from US and other places they were helpful because they spoke English.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was good. Nothing to complain about. I stayed at SK Global. There was free wifi on campus.

* Food:

I love Korean food and prices for Korean food was pretty cheap. Foreign non-Korean food is pretty expensive though.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I will be honest since the program is for International students you are constantly surrounded by foreign people/ non Korean people. This made it hard to integrate with the local population.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any health problems but near Yonsei there are many pharmacies in the area.

* Safety:

Way safer than where I am from

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

I think that 6 weeks isn't long enough. It was a great program but I would like to longer next time as well as do a program with better integration of the foreign students.

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)

If you eat Korean food and shop at cheaper stores you will not spend a lot of money. Each meal was about 5-10 dollars.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Eat meals with friends a lot of dishes sold at restaurants are big and can be split with a friend. Convenience store food is also a good place to eat they have a variety of cheap food that makes decent meal substitutes. But if ur staying for a long period shopping at groceries store is best cause it's cheaper and they sell larger quantities of food.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

They taught information that could be applied to real life.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? 201
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? Talk to the native population. Really invest in your studies and watch the TV there. try to stay away from only hanging out with the Foreign students at the program. Try to get out of your comfort zone and talk to native people

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
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?
  • Exploring the city
  • Meeting new people
  • Learning the langauge
* What could be improved?
  • Better integration
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's okay to ask for help and to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.