ISA Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

I participated at Konkuk University and it was amazing! First of all, the korean people make you feel welcome (which I think is one of the most important reasons to travel to a place). They are really kind and helped me a lot even though I didn't understand Korean much. Second, Konkuk University is one of the hub places for young people to hang out, because of the food, shops and things to do. Third, the food was amazing. I didn't know I liked spicy food that much but Korean food is just awesome. Fourth, the classes I attended really helped me understand the Korean culture much better. However, it was hard for me to get a decent mobile plan. I chose Pocket Wifi Korea and had a great time with the pocket wifi system. I'm not sure what other data plans people use but I feel this is a great choice!

Living on campus was great! The area around Konkuk University is very fun for college students, from Norebang (karaoke) to so many cafes and restaurants, there is always something to do. And the city, Seoul, has so many people, places, things to see and do. The four months I was there were not enough to get everything I could out of Seoul. The ISA staff is great and makes you feel welcome and will help you out with anything you might need. Jeju Island and the DMZ were some of the highlights of my stay in Korea, as well as delivery chicken!

As an Asian individual, I had to learn quickly how to say in Korean, "I am an American." I loved being in Korea. We lived in a dorm in the middle of a great busy neighborhood. Also a shout out to the great Seoul public transportation.

A quick summary of my day while at Konkuk University was get up, go to breakfast in the cafeteria, go to class, eat lunch with friends at the local restaurants near campus, eat dinner, attend English Conversation Club meeting, attend Korean Language class.

We usually found ourselves staying up til one. Seoul just has the effect on us to stay up late. Seoul is rarely quiet unless it's late at night. I love Seoul at night.

Korea University is an amazing school! The campus is huge, but very clean and is held with high honor in Korea. Definitely one of the best schools in the country there (especially for Business and Engineering) and everyone knows this. The international student dorms are extremely nice and well kept (you even have cleaning staff clean your dorms once a week!). South Korea is a wonderful placed filled with plenty of shopping, delicious food, great nightlife, excellent public transportation, modern technology and a deep root of Korean/Asian history found throughout the country.

This was my first study abroad experience and first time out of the country and I loved every minute of it! If you want to study or travel to Asia I would definitely recommend Globalinks program to Korea University! They have a great support staff and the Bridging Cultures program you can participate in prior to classes starting is great as it helps you gain a network of friends and support as you explore Korea.

Korea University was a beautiful campus. It's surroundings consisted of many shops, restaurants, and night life activities. The campus was big, but in the summer program, all classes are held in one building, which was great and very convenient for me. The dorms is the only thing I would say was what I had the most trouble with. The dorms, or CJ-International house is situated at the top of the hill, which I might add, is more like a mountain. The climb back to the dorms was always something I dreaded. The staff and support were great, friendly and very willing to help. They provide a pillow, bed sheet and blanket upon arrival at check in. They also provide you with an umbrella which you will definitely need for Korea during Monsoon season. It was overall very enjoyable. I met great people and the professors were nice. Grading was very fair and professors were very open to learn about new cultures and easy to approach.

In the heart of Korea, Seoul, there is life and youth in the air. With many cheap transportation available from early in the morning to midnight, there is always a time to explore. Even though Seoul has many famous places, my favorite place is MyeongDong.

Couple of friends and I made plans to go on a date to MyeongDong on the weekends. First, we encountered the crowded streets full of people and street vendors. The street vendors sold variety of items from umbrella, food, shoes, clothes, and so on. Also from individual stores to brand-named stores, the streets were many things to do and look at. There was places like the karaokes, where we sang our favorite K-pop songs for an hour or so, and places like the sticker picture stores, where we made cute and funny poses to capture our fun day into a sticker. Then, after all the shopping, singing, and picture taking, we went on to find a place to eat. From traditional Korean food to fusion and foods from other countries, there was a long list to choose from. However, even with the long list, we all agreed to eat the famous Korean street food called duk-bo-ki; a Korean dish made from rice cake and red pepper paste. It was delicious with the sweet and spicy flavors from the sauce and the chewy and soft textures from the rice cake.

I can never forget that date, because of all the things we have done in such a short amount of time. We sang, we shopped, and we ate. It was a full course event of nonstop fun. I really enjoyed my stay in Korea.