Program Reviews

I have had a really great time at Hanyang. The classes were a lot less strict then I thought they were going to be. The on site staff are very nice and respond very quickly. Had housing on campus at the dorms and they are nice and have their own bathroom and good space. The campus is nice just hilly. I feel safe walking around at night and you really can leave your belongings and no one will really take. The people here are polite but it’s hard making friends with Koreans because of the culture of who is a friend and who is noona or oppa. So if you want to make Korean friend you have to make one the same birth year as you or the dynamic will never exactly be friend with an older Korean. The there are a lot of fun things to do and you should definitely travel around Korea!! Definitely go to cafes in the Hongdae and Seongsu area. Go sheep cafe called Thanks Nature Cafe. The transportation system is smooth and cheap.

I came here to Korea looking to become more independent. Where I come from in the States, I also do things with others. However, being in a country that has another primary language and is independent has made me branch out. I was able to go to stores alone. Travel hours away by myself in the subway system. I was even able to socialize more and make a lot of friends. Overall, I enjoyed the independence this program gave me. It has also given me a new sense of identity that I plan to use back in the States.

I went to Seoul with TEAN during Fall 2022- Spring 2023 and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The staff there helped so much will any problems or issues I had and all the excursions we went on were a blast. They were extremely helpful when we went through a tough time in the fall. The program was also affordable. I was able to make so many new friends and try a bunch of things I would usually be too scared to try/do. If given the chance I would study abroad to Seoul with TEAN again.

Seoul is very fun and it’s a great place to be however the academics and the dorm life at Korea University were very disappointing. The inability to hang out with friends in the dorms is a big disadvantage and getting support from the teachers is very difficult. The teachers also speak good English but they are still hard to understand and don’t do very much to accommodate. Class registration was very stressful and if you don’t register for classes immediately you will not get what you want. But overall it has been an amazing experience and I’ve made a lot of great friends and learned a lot.

I’ve always been interested in traveling since I was young. I wanted to go to multiple countries and learn the languages of said countries so I could get the most out of it; being a polyglot is still something I’m working towards. Initially I had no interest in visiting South Korea. It didn’t pop up on my radar until late 2021 when my friend got me into the K-pop group BTS. After I was introduced into a seemingly endless world or Korean culture, I began teaching myself Hangul to better understand my new daily music preferences. At the same time, I saw a plethora of videos of Korean historical and recreational destinations, fashion malls and cuisine hotspots where food like the viral Korean corn dogs and the ever delicious KBBQ were sold. What captured my attention was how convenient the convenience stores were and the drinks people would make there. If you know, you know. A few months later in January, I received an email from the TEAN Abroad organization about applications opening for the opportunity to study abroad in South Korea for the upcoming fall semester. I, of course, jumped at the chance and started the strenuous but worthwhile process of getting a passport, applying for a student visa, and moving to Korea where I’d be for four months when I’d never been out of the country before aside from cruises. In my time spent in Korea I was able to meet so many amazing and like-minded people who shared many interests with me, I had the best food at my disposal at every turn I made, the cultural sights I visited were otherworldly, I was able to partake in learning and speaking Korean in a native environment, and my confidence with traveling and socializing went beyond my expectations. My study abroad experience with the 2022 program was unlike anything I could’ve imagined, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the knowledge and support of TEAN. Thank y’all so much for aiding in this experience!

Living in Seoul was such a rewarding experience. I would recommend Seoul to anyone who is interested in food, history, and loves shopping or cafe hopping. TEAN only added to this wonderful experience by taking care of all the stressful yet necessary aspects of living abroad. They planned activities that satisfied all of my above recommendations. They took us on historical tours, took us to local food markets, and even helped us with visa documents. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend TEAN and Seoul to everyone.

Truly studying abroad was the best experience of my life. I know that's incredibly cheesy, but this was a life changing experience.
There is such personal growth that takes place, you are able to travel the world and meet some of the best, like-minded people. Studying abroad helped me in my overall career and research goals. I can not recommend studying abroad enough! Australia was the best country I've ever travelled to and I really loved explore the quaint Townsville city.
I study biology, specifically marine biology, and there is so much research happening in Australia constantly. There are tons of opportunities for research and working for professors in any field of study. The Great Barrier Reef is beyond any of your dreams and truly is a magical place.
Every town across Australia has so many different features and qualities that are all worth visiting! Travel as much as you can! I travelled the entire east coast of the country for a month after my semester abroad and I completely grew independently as an individual, learned communication skills, and travel skills, along with so much more.
Honestly, if I could go back to studying at James Cook University right now, I would!!

I had the time of my life studying abroad in Christchurch. If you love the outdoors it is the place for you. You can ski and surf in the same day, everyone around you also loves the outdoors, the clubs are amazing, highly recommend studying at the University of Canterbury. One warning is you are housed with all Americans which I thought was a little interesting but in the end I didn't mind it at all. Join different clubs definitely made my experience as great as it was. I wouldn't want to have studied at a different place.

Studying at AUT was such a blast! This was my first time leaving the United States and I felt very welcomed when I arrived. The housing was much nicer than usually provided for students in the US, and the staff in the residence hall were in touch with young adult issues and actually served as useful resources rather than just authority. Studying at AUT let me get a close look at the city of Auckland since we lived very close to Queen Street and the Viaduct, but also allowed me to explore a large portion of the nature outside Auckland and throughout the country. I quickly made friends with other students studying abroad and students native to NZ who I traveled with and explored Auckland with. I rarely felt homesick while studying abroad at AUT and had only the best experience in almost every way. Highly recommend!

for my first experience abroad, TEAN actually made it so easy to apply and navigate my time before and during being in Seoul. I didn’t realize how much i’d appreciate coming in knowing staff and having a group of students that came with TEAN too, meaning i already had some common ground with people coming into it to make friends. The on-site staff was so kind and helpful in adapting and giving suggestions for navigating life here in Seoul. Anam house wasn’t my favorite, but that’s a KU issue. I’d go with TEAN again if I were to do this all again!