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Studies > Korea, South > Seoul > Yonsei University > Review by sarah b 
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Yonsei University

125 reviews
4.25 / 5 based on 125 reviews
Useful  |  4
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Activities
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Personal comments
the area yonsei is in (shinchon) is pretty nice. lots of places to eat and drink, but nothing *phenominal*. in the same general vicinity are hong-ik university (art) and ehwa university (women's univ), so the surrounding areas have lots of bars too. in hongdae (by hong-ik) is the best restaurant in town, called "kkogi kkogi". it's a samgyopsal joint (pork that you grill yourself). you can get samgyopsal almost anywhere though, and you can also find plenty of kalbi places. you cook the meat yourself at your table. try it with soju! almost all restaurants and bars are open until about 7am 7 days a week.
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Useful  |  0
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
hasookjibs have curfews, and the university housing has a curfew as well... usually at midnight. i figure for just a bit more money, i can get an apartment and stay out as late as i want.
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Personal assessment
Cost
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Personal comments
i didn't personally stay there, but when i visited people who did, the housing arrangement was nice. the rooms were smallish (as everything is in seoul) but there are communal tv rooms and kitchens.
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Useful  |  10
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Overall
I wish I had known...
be prepared to be swamped by schoolchildren who want your autograph (if you aren't asian). it can be pretty scary at first.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Academic reasons
4
Culture
3
Costs
3
Activities
3
Campus life
3
Party / people
3
Weather / location
4
Personal recommendation
the courses are challenging yet rewarding. i recommend them for anyone wishing to gain experience working with korean people and the korean language.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
4
Traveled
4
Improved language skills
4
Met people from other countries
4
Became more independent
4
Partied a lot
4
Experienced a change in life
3
Advanced my studies & career
4
Final comments
as soon as you can, learn the subway system... or at least get a map from the counter at the subway. taxis are terribly expensive, and due to seoul traffic, it usually takes you longer to get from point a to point b in a taxi than it would the subway. the subway is the best mode of transportation in seoul, and should be learned fairly quickly in order to make your stay in korea better. also, from seoul station, you can take the ktx to several places throughout the country, and really cheap too!! definiately take it down to busan, the port city in the south. best fresh seafood you'll ever have!
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Useful  |  1
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Academic
Course recommendations
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My academic experiences
Quality of courses
Variety of courses
Access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
grading is stricter on finals and mid-terms than other times in the semester... not sure why that is. make sure spelling is perfect... if your native language isn't korean, this can be difficult at times (they'll nickel and dime you out of points).
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Useful  |  1
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Languages
Language of instruction: Korean
Was learning Korean a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Korean
How much did you improve your Korean?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Social
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Personal comments
i had previous korean experience, but wanted to improve. koreans are very tolerant of korean learners and will go out of their way to help you... but beware!! lots of koreans want you to help them with their english more than they want to help you with your korean.
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Useful  |  4
sarah b
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States
Translation/Interpretation, Undergraduate, Independent
Expenses
Main source of funding:
A private grant
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
real estate in seoul is crazy expensive, moreso than it is in the states. if you find something that looks reasonable as compared with prices at home, the apartment is probably only big enough to turn around in. prepare to pay more on your apartment. cell phones are also more, because the actual phone is typically more expensive than it is at home (or equal), but for people who don't have a korean identification number (that means you, foreigner!), you're not allowed to have your own mobile account. you'll have to use pre-paid phone cards. these cards are great for calling back home, but they get expensive with calling or texting friends in korea. only upside: if you call, it wastes your minutes... if someone calls *you*, your minutes aren't used up. so always get koreans to call you (it's free for both of you that way) overall, everything else in korea is cheaper, so by the time you factor in the expensive apartments and phone cards, it pretty much evens out with all the money you'll save on food, etc.
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Housing, Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Overall:
was the same price as at home.
Food, Nightlife, Travel:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Personal comments
most of the text books are workbooks... so you write in them and can't sell them back. there are internet cafes (pc bang) all over korea, so if you don't have a computer, you can go to the pc bang and use a computer there for very cheap. most banks have account plans for foreigners, and the university has a health insurance policy through them. almost every cash dispenser in korea accepts foreign cards (unlike japan, where it's near impossible to get money from the machine!) if all else fails, find a cash machine in the subway... they always accept foreign cards.
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