TEAN: Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

I'd never been to Asia before, and studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea was the perfect place to start! Not only was Korea University an incredible school (both beautiful and prestigious), but Seoul itself was lively, and the perfect mix of old culture and new experiences. The combination of wildly flavorful food, natural wonders, and shopping was amazing! Plus it was easy to do weekend trips to other countries as well!

TEAN made the experience so smooth by taking care of the logistics, and being great with their communication and transparency. I was able to reach out to the coordinators about anything and everything- from details about my visa and class registration, to suggestions of things to do like hikes and rice wine tasting. TEAN was also a great way to meet people, and do activities that would have been more difficult on my own, or that I would have overlooked. Overall, it was a life-changing experience!

Studying abroad in Seoul was amazing, and TEAN made it an even easier experience for me to just roam a new country and learn more about a different culture. I enjoyed studying at KU and riding the subways, and eating all of the great (and spicy!) food I could get my hands on. One of the best things about TEAN was the orientation they offered, where they took all of us, during our first week in the country, around to the hotspots, including a tour of the DMZ. I think this helped me a lot with getting my footing within a new country, especially one where I wasn't familiar with the language. Post-program, I think I've become more outgoing, and I'm putting myself out there more. Studying abroad with TEAN was an experience I recommended to anyone looking at studying in Seoul to go with TEAN!

TEAN was a great program choice for me because they helped a lot in working out the details and paperwork before I actually arrived abroad. It definitely allowed me to focus on preparing myself mentally for this adventure, and also because a lot of the processes, such as applying for the student visa, were confusing. TEAN does their best to answer questions to make sure there are no hiccups when we arrive in Korea.
The cultural events that TEAN planned were amazing! My favorites were the temple stay outside of Seoul, and the cooking class where we made bibimbap (a rice dish with lots of vegetables). The temple was so beautiful, and we went in mid-October when the leaves were changing color, making it that much more beautiful. Waking up at 4 a.m. and eating all vegetarian might seem super unfamiliar, but I think it's a great way to experience something that you most likely would never do otherwise. And again, the scenery is just breathtaking, so I think it's all worth it!
The biggest tip I have is to just put yourself out there. You don't have to wait for people to go somewhere with you. If you really want to go do something, chances are you'll have a great time by yourself too! Plus, you don't have to worry about whether others are bored, and you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want! I think you grow a lot more when you explore by yourself, but it may be scary to be alone. Either way, the most important thing is to keep an open mind, and don't wait around too long for everyone. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity so take full advantage of it!

Deciding to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made. This was my first time studying abroad, or even leaving the country, and The Education Abroad Network had an incredible program for me. While studying at Korea University, I took some required electives for my education including art. Taking a basic art class in a different country gave me a new perspective and even changed the way I saw things and thought about things, not only in art but in life too. I grew as a person and became more confident with myself as well as became much more independent. I had never been so far from my parents for that long. I met many really amazing and interesting people while I was in Korea, and everyone’s story was completely different. The schooling was so intense and challenging compared to my normal university, but it gave me a chance to experience the Korean culture even more. The nightlife was another thing I really liked about Korea because it was almost the complete opposite of where I’m from. There, it’s normal to go drink on a work night with friends or your boss. Even if you don’t drink, I definitely recommend going out with friends and seeing the different people having fun together. Seeing people crowd into the subway when it first opens at 5am is also really funny, as some people just sleep on the street. For me personally, 6 weeks wasn't enough in Korea. I had already been interested in South Korea and it was my first time abroad, so I wanted it to be shorter. If you're interested in Korea but don't know if you could spend a whole semester there or if it's your first time abroad with or without family, this is definitely a good fit for you! If you want to have an amazing time, learn about and see a unique culture, and meet amazing people, you should definitely look into going to Korea University!

Although everything about traveling abroad was unique from the food to the culture, something unique to my experience definitely has to be the friends that I’ve made. I was lucky to have met people that I clicked with immediately and got along with really well, they made my time abroad enjoyable and memorable. I still keep in touch with most of them and hope to see them again soon!
One memory that sticks out in particular is when we went to the DMZ as part of the TEAN orientation. It was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable excursions during my time in Korea. Being able to look out in the distance at such a place I’ve read so much about was surreal.

A word of advice to future participants: don’t pack as much! I didn’t listen to this advice thinking I needed everything I packed but I really didn’t. Packing half as much as you think you need is the way to go. As for how studying abroad impacted my life after my time abroad, I was able to make significant progress in learning Korean by immersing myself in the culture and the language for 5 months. I’m grateful to TEAN for giving me the opportunity to experience my heritage at the roots and for easily the most memorable semester of my undergraduate career.

Choosing to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea was the best decision I have made in my life so far. If you want to go to a city that is full of life and rich atmosphere then Seoul is for you. The minute I found TEAN's Seoul program I knew that I had to go. South Korea is a wonderful country that is very technologically advance, but also keeps its roots with traditional values and sights to see. There are various traditional Korean palaces and villages to visit within Seoul city, while at the same time you may find street performers dancing K-Pop (Korean pop) choreography. Korea University is conveniently near the center of the city so it is super easy to just hop on the subway or bus and explore elsewhere. The transportation system is one of the best I have ever experienced. It is really convenient and easy to take, not to mention cheap. Eating out is also quite cheap. Korean food is so good and there are many tasty (and healthy) $5-10 bites to eat. If you love the cafe life, Seoul is the number one place to go. Almost every street has a unique cafe, many with different themes. Korea University also has a very helpful and organized international program for exchange students. Students are set up with Korean buddies (known as Korea University Buddy Assistants) and put into groups that you get hang out all semester with and go on fun trips within the city together. It is a wonderful program that makes it easy to make so many life-long friends with both Koreans and other international students. TEAN was very supportive with any problems or questions I had and a TEAN resident assistant in Seoul was also available for students to ask any questions they had about Korea. Overall, I was thoroughly happy with my experience with TEAN and South Korea.