What inspired you to travel abroad?
I had always known I wanted to study abroad since I entered high school. I'm Korean-American, but I didn't grow up with Korean culture as a part of my life, so I knew South Korea was where I wanted to go for my study abroad. I also love K-pop, Korean food, etc so I knew I would be able to find a lot of things to do in Korea.
One of the last photos my friends and I took altogether before we had to leave!
Why did you choose The Education Abroad Network?
Out of the universities in South Korea that my home university (Iowa State University) offered, going to Hanyang University seemed like the best fit for me. I'm a part of the business college and out of Hanyang University, Korea University, and Soonchunhyang University, getting classes for my major at Hanyang would be easiest in comparison to the other two. I also liked the location of my university and it was the least expensive out of the three for me.
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
It's so hard to pick one thing that was my favorite because I truly loved everything about my time in Seoul. If I had to pick just three things I would say it would be safety, food, and things to do.
Seoul is very safe especially since it's a major city, and as a woman, I never experienced any times where I felt unsafe or nervous in my environment. The food is also phenomenal and there's a lot of variety to choose from; the cafe culture is also incredible and I highly recommend spending a day just going to different cafes. Lastly, Seoul has so much to do; you can go shopping, see museums, go to parks, and so much more. There are things I wanted to do that I couldn't find time for, so I don't think you'll ever be bored when you're there!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I think the people in my program helped brighten my experience abroad. I met an incredible group of girls while I was there and we all got along instantly. Spending time with them, getting to know them, and doing so many new things together was one thing that made my experience abroad that much better.
This was at the Han River and my friends and I were waiting to watch some fireworks!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff were incredible. I had the numbers of the local staff and whenever I had questions they would always answer within a day and were super helpful! If they didn't know right away they would make sure to get back to me and it helped ease some anxieties I had while I was there.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I had planned better while I was there because there were some things I wanted to see or make sure I got back to. There were a lot of things I had wanted to do but it was all so overwhelming because I had to remember I was also there for school. Time management was something I struggled with and it was hard to find balance at times.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I took four classes while abroad and I only had classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On days I had class I would usually be up around 8 am or 9 am and walk to a cafe on campus to get breakfast and then head to my class.
After my class, I'd usually meet up with friends and hang out with them; we might go shopping, go to a cafe or a restaurant, or stay on campus. The evenings were usually the time when I would do any studying I needed to do, but if I didn't have to do any studying one day, I'd be with friends getting dinner or walking around Hongdae or Myeongdong.
This was some delicious bingsu. I really wish I could be eating that right now.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I loved walking around the busier areas like Hongdae or Myeongdong as well as going to cafes with my friends. No matter the time of day, Hongdae is always busy with people walking around and shopping.
We loved going into all the different stores to look around and going to cafes and photo booths as well. Because Seoul was always bustling with people, my friends and I liked to be out whenever we could even if it was just to walk around because most of us are from more rural parts of America so it was a nice change to be able to experience the busyness of Seoul!
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I chose to live in the dorms on my campus because I didn't want to have to look into other living accommodations. It was easier to live in the dorm and I wanted to be with other people in my program. The dorms were nice and I liked that they had their bathroom in each room. I liked how the dorms were set up because they had a lot of cabinet space and shelving on the desk.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
I think every future participant should do a little bit of research about the country before going. I watched a lot of YouTube and TikTok videos of day in the life, or university day in the life, and cultural norms and social etiquette because I wanted to be sure I knew some of that type of stuff beforehand and not worry about it.
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
I would recommend my program to others because the staff was incredibly kind and helpful; they made sure to ease a lot of my concerns I might've had and we're nice to talk to as well. The university I went to (Hanyang University) was amazing, too. My professors were kind and helpful whenever I had questions and I enjoyed going to school there.
I went to 2 K-Pop concerts! I saw a lot of different artists such as Ikon, Ateez, and Oh My Girl.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
You learn so much about yourself when you travel abroad. I am more confident in my abilities to figure things out myself and just be an adult because I had this semester abroad. There were some things I sort of had to figure out myself because my parents weren't there and they wouldn't have known the answers to my questions either. You also meet so many fantastic people when abroad and I know the people I met in Seoul are going to be my friends for a long time.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Part of the reason I studied abroad in Seoul was because I wanted to see if I could see myself living there, and within the first month there, I knew 100% that I wanted to come back to Seoul to live there. Seoul has a lot of career opportunities and industries that I'm interested in and I felt so comfortable at home in South Korea. I have a better grasp as to where I might end up after I graduate college and it's all because of the 4.5 months I spent in Seoul.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me means that you make the most out of your experience. No study abroad can be perfect; there were certainly times when I was stressed because I didn't know how something worked or I didn't know what to do. But that is just a part of the experience of going to a new country. You aren't going to know everything before you go and there are going to be things you have to learn as you spend time there, but I think it is those types of things that teach you the most important life lessons and things about yourself.
