Program: University Study in South Korea, Fall 2021

When I learned that I had time in my schedule for when I needed to graduate, I had 3 options. One was to graduate a year early, continue taking classes that I wanted to explore for one more year, or go study abroad. After weighing my options, as someone who did not grow up traveling much, I figured this would be a great chance for me to challenge myself to live in a new place and educate myself on a new culture and learn a new language. 

What advice would you provide other students who are considering studying abroad?

If studying abroad is ever a consideration, I would recommend students make sure they can financially go study and live abroad. I feel that everyone always talks about how great it is to be abroad but no one really talks about the expenses of living abroad. As a student who did not grow up financially stable, I had to make sure I had outside scholarships and loans that I could take out. I had to not only consider the tuition but also had to consider how much it would cost for me to live abroad as I buy food and necessities. It’s important that students figure out their budget when applying to study abroad so they are better prepared and can consider where would be a best fit for them.

Highlight or favorite memory from your study abroad experience?

For my study abroad, I went to South Korea. There are too many highlights and memories from this experience but if I had to choose, I would choose when I solo traveled to Jeju island that is about an hour flight from Seoul, South Korea. In Jeju, I was able to visit the oceans, went scuba diving, hiking, and met many amazing people through that trip. One thing to note is that I was very lucky that I was in a country that made me feel safe to travel solo as a female. I think that was an important part of my study abroad experience as if I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have been able to go explore and learn about South Korean history. 

What were your classes like?

I was lucky that my university in South Korea had classes that were taught in English. My courses were pretty similar to a normal 4 credit class at the University of Minnesota where you have readings, discussions, and depending on your major and class size, classes may be lecture style based or seminar. One difference I noticed when it came to grading is the fact that in my university abroad, my grades were weighted based on midterm and final exams only, compared to my classes back home that had participation, discussion, and homework weight that played into my grades.