Study Abroad In Korea?

[Guest wagle]

hmm~ about the excluding thing... I didn't really see the "Korean-American Korean-American" thing this summer. The non-Koreans tended to bond more, but we all always hung out. There was this hapa that people didn't really like and would get in fights with... and he would tell everyone, "they don't like me because I'm a half-blooded." However, it was just his personality that everyone thought was annoying and didn't like...

[little mixed girl]

^ the exclusion wasn't always explicit.

i mean, you said that non-koreans tended to hang together.

that's how it was last summer when i was there.

many korean-americans just didn't make an effort to talk to non-koreans in the way that they'd try to make friendly with korean-americans.

like, ppl'd be like "oh...we met on the field trip so...we're close" or something like that.

it seems (i hope) that the program gets better and better for non-koreans each yr.

[Guest kagero_tanaka]

like i said, it's like a whole different experience for korean-americans vs. non-korean-americans.

if your friends were korean-american, then they were probably hanging out with other korean-americans... (which is what i found annoying, not that ppl have a requirement to hang out with non-koreans, but don't invite all krns in your krn class to go drinking and say nothing to the non-krns... )

the ppl of korea tho, they seemed pretty chill to me.

but...i dunno maybe i meet atypical ppl?

mmmph very informative thread I too have been thinking about going to korea to study aboard...you know i have noticed that korean-americans are somewhat different from korean from korea. All the koreans i have meant were from S.Korea and they were some of the nicest people that I have ever meant...then this one guy that I meant was korean american he was such a wannabe...he even said in his facebook profile that was a.....and that he didn't know how to be asian he was an a$$ nonetheless but by all means does this mean all korean americans are like him.

I attend Sam Houston State down in Texas...we have a study aboard program in Korea it's from Soonchunhyang Univerity it's an 1 hr outside Seoul I believe. My school currently has 10 students there now and they love it so much that many of them are applying for another semester. I meant the two exchange students from Soonchunhyang their awesome I love them...they want me to go back with them and I think that I may go!

The benefits of this program we have is awesome...I pay tution at my university, I can get remibursed up to $800 bucks for my plane ticket, and all the classes taken there will transfer, best part is that you get about $125 bucks per week for 15 hrs to help students with their english.

http://www-english.sch.ac.kr/colleges/inte...nalprogram.html

there's the link if anyone wants to check it out!

yea sorry about some of the things some of y'all went though hopefully won't go through too much of that at soonchunhyang.

[Guest teeniestar]

was there any chinese american who went to korea to study abroad? cause im planning to go there next year, and i want to know their experience there.

[little mixed girl]

^ there were chinese-americans there when i was there...

i don't think i met too many tho...the chinese ppl that i talked with were like...ppl born/raised in china/hong kong, who were going to university in the US and decided to go into the study abroad program o_O

there were some vietnamese-american girls that i talked with.

basically it seems like, if you look asian, then koreans will generally think you're korean or maybe korean-american...so that means that they'll talk to u in korean.

and dressing 'scandalous' is like...a no-no, except at night...

i think they are expected to behave more like koreans.

but then, i've heard that there are some krns that have issues with china; but i think the chances of meeting such ppl is slim.

[Guest teeniestar]

^thanks! btw since you study abroad at korea, what did you bring and what you recommend to bring?

[Guest uwmissy]

during what year (summer of soph, junior, senior) do majority of the students usually go study abroad?

[Guest slypatt]

wow. thanx for the info..

seems like i have to seriously re-consider my plans at the end of the year..

now, this is my situation at the moment...

1. i should be graduating in dec'06

2. i still want to study for 1-2 more years after finishing my bachelor degree

3. one of the goals in my life is to study in korea

4. my parents think that chinese is becoming one of the most important language on earth, therefore they would be 100x happier if i study chinese instead of korean.. actually, i have no obejections for the idea of studying chinese AS LONG AS my parents still allow me to study korean..

5. my eldest sis' friends, all in various companies human resource department, said that studying only korean in korea, or studying only chinese in china would mean very little to the employer, so they suggest to me to join a graduate program instead.

6. are the graduate programs in korean universities taught in korean or english? if it's in english i might as well continue my studies here in australia

7. my parents suggested me to study chinese in china for a year before studying korean in korea for 1 year

8. is it wise for me to study post-grad in korea? which uni should i go to? how long would it take to finish the post grad program in general?

9. i wont survive living in korea with my knowledge of korean currently, so i still need to join the korean language program before starting the post-grad studies anyway

10. WHAT SHOULD I DO??!!!

please help me!!!

[little mixed girl]

^thanks! btw since you study abroad at korea, what did you bring and what you recommend to bring?

i went in the summer.

i took a lotta things i didn't need.

if you are into clubbing, bring some club clothes.

walking shoes. VERY important.

a comfortable pair of shoes (maybe 2 pair cuz when it rains, it pours) because you'll be walking a lot.

bug repellant.

i bought many shirts off the street and i washed my clothes every sunday, so i tended to wear the same stuff over and over.

think long and hard about what you'll bring, cuz you may not wear it....and then you're like "wtf did i buy this??? "

shower shoes/slippers for the shower.

also a little basket to hold your stuff (soap, etc) when ur in the shower.

razors. i didn't see any when i was in korea...or maybe i didn't look hard enough.

during what year (summer of soph, junior, senior) do majority of the students usually go study abroad?

most the ppl seemed to be 2nd yr...i couldn't tell if they were going INTO their 2nd yr, or just finishing it.

in '04 i was like one of the oldest ppl there, and i was going after my 3rd yr of uni...

[Guest lost_kim]

The dorms do suck in the colleges that do have them ... so i was adviced to rent a place of my own, stay with relatives or go to those houses that rent rooms for college students... and also the bad thing about this is that some, not generalizing here, people meddle too much in what doesn't concern them... I know that some colleges have teachers that speak english, but the truth is that unless you're daniel henney, you won't survive withouth knowing korean. with this i mean good korean and slang, so you can easily understand what other fellow classmates talk about outside of class....

Something else i would like to add... I got the feeling some korean-koreans were not too fond of international students... and my perception was cuz international students got into the college easier... I have this friend that has lived with me in Bolivia for about 5 years now... but because she studied in korea for middle school and elementary school she had to go take the admission exams from every college she wanted to apply to.. like for seoul national university she had to take the same math, science and english exam as all the korean-koreans and she basically failed... When i asked what I needed for undergraduate school and all, the requirements were my school records since elementary, then TOEFL scores and they say they would consider my SAT scores and that I needed an essay and recommendation letters... they also asked me to come to Korea, i thought to take exams, but no, it was for an interview that was conducted in english... so basically I didn't need to take any hard admission exams... but at the end I decided not to go to korea... I don't know how it is to do study abroad to korea when you're already in a college in the US but that was my experience...

[little mixed girl]

slypatt, i'm not too sure about the questions you asked.

i think that the grad programs for exchange students have classes taught in english. the undergrad classes had english classes with an option to take a class(es) in krn if you felt you could do it.

but, if you're doing translation or something, they DO like to see that you have studied/lived in that country for an extended period of time.

----

lost kim

the international house dorms at yonsei weren't really bad. they were pretty nice i think...minus some bugs...

and all the classes are in english with other english speakers, so...unless your classmates are from japan or italy or something, you'll be able to talk with them easily.

i was able to get along ok without being fluent in korean.

it's harder, and it can be frustrating to try and communicate with ppl in krn and have them give u blank stares or talk back in fast fast krn...

i think only ppl that have krn citizenship have to take those tests.

if ur friend still has krn citzenship then...that's probably why she had to take them.

at my school, ppl with krn citizenship can't do the exchange program. they can go to the school but it would have to be with their own $$$...

[Guest uwmissy]

does yonsei require letters of recommendation?

[little mixed girl]

^ no, but your school might...

or wait...i don't remember...maybe they do...hmm...

anyone else remember?

[Guest Krn Nam jah Yllow]

I was thinking of studying at yonsei and from what u say i guess it doesnt really help in the sense that it makes it seem tougher. I also believe that ur just being VERY stereotypical of just those few individuals that u have met. DO u know krn americans in where ur from are they the same way to u there? I just wish u wouldnt make it seem like any sort of korean person seems so bad. What are u?? not trying to be mean but just represent krns i guess =/ any way so to sum things up i dont REALLY know any knr except a few words so life for me at yonsei would be a so-so experience??

[little mixed girl]

I was thinking of studying at yonsei and from what u say i guess it doesnt really help in the sense that it makes it seem tougher. I also believe that ur just being VERY stereotypical of just those few individuals that u have met. DO u know krn americans in where ur from are they the same way to u there? I just wish u wouldnt make it seem like any sort of korean person seems so bad. What are u?? not trying to be mean but just represent krns i guess =/ any way so to sum things up i dont REALLY know any knr except a few words so life for me at yonsei would be a so-so experience??

i'm not exactly getting you...

of course there are korean-americans that are totally cool ppl. i know many in my town, and i met a few at yonsei.

HOWEVER, when I was doing the summer program at yonsei, most the korean-americans were cliquish and excluded ppl that were not korean.

if you are korean, adopted or korean-american, you will find many ppl who want to hang out with you (who are also korean-americans).

your level of korean fluency doesn't matter when u are in class or hanging with ppl from the dorm.

if you want to go out and buy stuff, it was be hard to communicate with the locals, but it can be done.

don't let your lack of korean skills keep you from going to korea. it's a good experience.

what i'm trying to do is give a more realistic picture to ppl that are not korean-americans.

lotta ppl on soompi who talk about having soooo much fun in korea, etc are talking from a korean-american perspective.

it's different for ppl that are non-korean, even ppl that are asians, but not korean will have a different experience from korean-americans...

[Guest hello_se7en]

man i really want to go and study abroad but i go to a community college and it's all just so confusing for me right now. i'm wondering if there are classes in korea that i can get credit for and use them to transfer. does anyone know if that's possible?

also, is there anyone that has experience from Korea University??

[Guest dopemills]

mind if i ask a question?

what does it mean "able to transfer credits"?

what is credits?

i'm not in college yet so i'm not too sure what some terms mean.

let's say i want to take korean in korea. i can gain credits?

so later on when i enroll for university in a non-korean university the credits i had gained can be used?

[Guest OOOOO]

i have a questionS too..

can i take classes just during the summer..like june til september??

and

also im a pretty fluent speaker(unless they use all those hard words)so do u think they'll have a prgram for me?? like not as a english speaker but for korean speaker..

can i choose the programs or is it only learning korean??

also(sorry about all the qs)are there alother school other then the ones mentioned like..yensie??(was it?) and the first school metioned?

[Guest aaandy]

man i really want to go and study abroad but i go to a community college and it's all just so confusing for me right now. i'm wondering if there are classes in korea that i can get credit for and use them to transfer. does anyone know if that's possible?

also, is there anyone that has experience from Korea University??

EDIT: They do offer the common curriculum but I'd recommend you do your first 2 years and knock out your pre req. courses(it's cheaper here) so you can take the more interesting courses while you study abroad.

what does it mean "able to transfer credits"?

what is credits?

i'm not in college yet so i'm not too sure what some terms mean.

In college, the courses you take are worth credits. You need a certain amount of credits to graduate and certain classes for different majors. Credits have different values at different schools, so say you take required courses now that are worth 5 credits a piece here, but different universities may only offer 3 credits per course. If you want those credits to be worth something, you have to transfer them to your college.

can i take classes just during the summer..like june til september??

I think so but I think they only offer the korean language course unless you are transferring/studying abroad for a quarter.

[tiramisu]

basically it seems like, if you look asian, then koreans will generally think you're korean or maybe korean-american...so that means that they'll talk to u in korean.

haha... one of my friends studied abroad at Ewha, during the fall of 2003. he said the exact same thing... ppl would come up and talk to him in Korean, but he didn't speak a word of the language.

overall, he had an awesome experience... he brought back tons of pictures and souvenirs. he didn't mention a single negative thing. but he's an all-around nice guy, i've rarely ever hear him complain about anything.