TEAN: Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

Studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, was such an amazing opportunity for me. It was so meaningful to be fully immersed in a different culture and live my new everyday life there. In Seoul there were so many fun and exciting things to do. I felt that I could never get board being there.
With the support from TEAN I felt prepared and confident during my time abroad. If I could I would go back in a heartbeat! Studying abroad in South Korea has made a realize my true passion for international work and travel.

I had such a great time during my time in Korea! It was my first time going to a foreign country by myself but I had such a pleasant experience and it was definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life. The classes and campus were very nice and the professors were very kind. I was able to cross off a lot of things I wanted to see off my list like temples and popular areas in Seoul. I also got to take dance classes at a famous dance studio and tried so much amazing food. I would really recommend the experience to anyone and would love to go back and do it again.

This past semester abroad was everything I hoped it would be! It is crazy how the places I used to save as future traveling inspo were now close enough to visit and explore.

Seoul was the perfect city to live in because of how much there is to do and how affordable it is to visit other areas. I took several day and weekend trips outside of Seoul, and the process was very simple. I could not recommend it enough.

The people are very kind, and I felt welcomed immediately at Korea University. A lot of my favorite memories are conversations with strangers who showed me Korean affection. My favorite is a woman I met at BBQ. I visit her almost weekly with friends because she says I look like her daughter who is studying abroad. She even asked me to call her aunt!

The TEAN staff also made it easy to make friends because there are scheduled outings and a group chat. They are all very kind and helpful, so do not be afraid to send them a message on Kakao when you are having a problem.

As a foreigner, you will be stared at and potentially harassed, but as long as you react maturely, you will be okay. Especially when you travel to cities that are more rural, the stares will increase, and random strangers will probably come up to talk to you. Just keep this in mind and always be with another person! You may also face some discrimination. I experienced it at a museum when I was forced to pay more than the entry fee because I was not Korean. In one of my classes, I also had this problem because the grader said I was destined to not succeed because I am from America. There seems to be a lot of unwritten rules and expectations in coursework that students from America are unaware of. The best solution is to ask your professor detailed questions about what they are looking for and remain kind and respectful.

It is important to stay on top of your studies and reach out for help! I do this by scheduling time to talk with my professors. The class I mentioned facing discrimination in, is where I started to do this. I meet with the professor often to go over assignments, and we have tea. It has made a negative situation very positive!

The most important thing if you visit is to get out of your comfort zone. I flew here alone, but I am leaving with friends. I had never practiced Korean with a native Korean, and now I have hundreds of times! Make the most of your time and accomplish everything you want to do.

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 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.