[madeinktown]

^i'm korean american but i don't mind making korean friends who aren't americanized. iono, i'll think about it some more after i see what programs they offer in study aboard to korea.

[jeanhee]

^ haha i don't want to discourage you!
but ppl should be aware of what to expect from the summer program...especially if they are non-koreans.

i still had fun times on the program...away from many of the dorm ppl.
there's some good ppl that do the summer program, it just might take time to find them.

the main problem is the korean-americans who go to korea with the purpose of forming "korean-american only" cliques.
study abroad should be an experience that all ppl can enjoy together, and it's crap that there are ppl that ruin it for others

I think it also just depends on the people who happen to go with you. I'm really glad I went to Oxford last semester because honestly, the people who are going this semester are NOT FUN at all. It just varies.

So for those who are going or considering going, don't base your entire judgement on what one person's experience was like. There are going to be good and bad. But it'll depend more on what YOU make of it. Study abroad is only as good as the person who's experiencing it.

[SweetyLuv]

god, i was going to consider study aboard to pick up some korean but after what i saw in the first post, no thanks. national student exchange sounds a lot more appealin than studying in korea.

I'm not sure if you were referring to what I wrote about SNU, but if so, don't be discouraged! Just go somewhere besides SNU. You have a lot of options!

[aznndave]

I read post after post up to second page when I found Tamago86's post and looked into his xanga. Isn't this perfect? I've always wanted to enjoy the Japanese school life, I thought that I would never be able to do that before and it would be the greatest regret of my life (um.. not really), but now I might! I'm actually taking Japanese in college for the 2nd semester now. Still I have some troubles picking up the gramma. I already know Chinese so kanji was easier for me.

[Nanciie]

i want to do a family host program. is that a good thing? anyone have any experiment with this before? Which would be better living in the dorms or with a host family? Will the family know english?
Are there summer programs? I don't know any korean, so I would like to learn korean during the summer there and learn the culture as well. Thanks!!

this is a site that i go to find out programs
http://www.studyabroaddirectory.com/
have anyone went here yet??

[little mixed girl]

^ host family can be good.

personally i don't like living with other ppl so i wouldn't do it.

there's also the possibility that the family will want you to teach them/the kids english rather than them helping u with korean.

honestly i haven't heard much with homestays in korea though...

[shinhwaholic]

I have a few questions:

Are there any requirements for joining the Summer programs??
Are there alot of free time for people??
Is the university strict and safe?

[little mixed girl]

^
i'm not sure of all the requirements. the KLI program probably has different ones from DIEE @ yonsei.

there's free time, like no classes on wednesdays.
but it's still school so u can't just blow off classes...if u do u will get a bad grade.

the university is safe...tho in '04 i guess there was some 'rainy tuesdays' killer out killin' ppl...and a body was found in the mountains by the school...but other than that... =D
KLI is stricter than DIEE. KLI has a 12am curfew.
with DIEE if u stay out all night you're *supposed* to tell the security guard, but most ppl didn't.

[shinhwaholic]

What's KLI? lol.

[little mixed girl]

korean language institute

[j i w o n.]

For those whom I haven't terrified and are still considering SNU --By native Korean, I mean you should also be able to read/quickly look up Hanja as well. Your textbooks and professors will use them.

so ... you have to know Hanja [한자]? the chinese letters and stuff?


or did you mean han geul [한글]?

I want to study in Seoul or YeonSei XD
I saw their websites and stuff. it seems okay...
my uncle and aunt and other ppl I know, attended SNU
I never really asked them how it was. I should... someday.

&& Also, it would be dirty, because the school's very old. it's been there for a long time, I think.


& so if I were to attend either SNU or YeonSei, I don't need to stay at the dorms right? cause all my relatives live in Korea...

[shinhwaholic]

I read about the KLI program, and theres one for American-Korean and Non-koreans...

As for the 3 week program with non-koreans...has anyone attended it before?

little_mixed_girl : are you korean?

[little mixed girl]

hanja are chinese characters...like 'kanji' in japanese.

---
no , i'm not korean.
i don't think there's a separate KLI program for korean-american & non-korean american students. it's probably just that more korean-americans in general go to korea for study abroad than non-koreans.

[k1D3Ck]

I am planning to go the spring 2007 year since I do believe its to late to apply for the 2006 fall semester.
I am looking at SNU mostly because I was advised to take a Chem E class and some other easier classes.
I KNOW the chem e class will be taught in korean, but its something I will have to deal with.

What I want to know, is beside the first post, has anyone else go to SNU and took actual classes?
Most of the problems by the first poster was about people relations and I dont really care about those issues.
I want to know, how the engineerng classes are, and if it will be worth my time to pay for the education or just take all blow of classes.

Another thing, I cant seem to get on yonsei's website? Are others having this problem?

[Majah Flavah]

some girl used her visa card when she was in korea.
it was just a hassle to use it.
it's better/easier to just open an account.

besides that, krn money only goes up to 10,000won which is like $10.

who wants to carry $1,000 worth of $10 bills with them?

also, your bank will probably charge u for doing stuff like that...

not true. there is a 100,000W bank note that is considered legal tender anywhere and everywhere in korea, without exception. it is equivalent to and as common as the $100 bill in America, so i don't know where you're pulling your information from.

[Majah Flavah]

like nothing too low cut.
shorts shouldn't be too short.
stuff showing ur boobies...only wear it at night...if that...
like, last summer i wore some short shorts, and i think i was the ONLY person in korea with a pair...even tho the sell similar kinds at california W.h.oAU...

sorry to say but you're describing the social trends and norms of korea back in the late '90s. korean fashion has accelerated to nearly the same level as american fashion, and you can see plenty of girls in mini-skirts, short shorts and spaghetti strap tops walking around in seoul, especially during the summer months. the only thing which is still considered slightly "scandalous" are tube tops, which haven't found it's niche in the culture just yet (but probably will in the next few years).

[k1D3Ck]

Actually I found carrying Mawn won plenty enough for a college student. But he is correct, there are higher notes, (legal tender) but not the paper curency money that you are refferring too.

Most visiting students dont know since they are only given out by the banks.

But opening an account is a good idea esp for me (since I will be there a bit longer then the summer program students).

[k1D3Ck]

I was wondering for the DIEE program at Yonsei, are your guy's schools sister school's?
My school is not and I am going to have to go most likely as a visiting student and was wondering if any of you guys were in my same position?

[little mixed girl]

not true. there is a 100,000W bank note that is considered legal tender anywhere and everywhere in korea, without exception. it is equivalent to and as common as the $100 bill in America, so i don't know where you're pulling your information from.

if there was a 100,000won note, then they were not handing it out.
the money exchange ppl carry only 1,000 ; 5,000 and 10,000won notes.
in 2003 i saw some japanese guy with hundreds of 10,000won notes stuffed in his pockets and tied with rubberbands. he was about to put that in the back. obviously, having 100,000won notes would have made more sense, but the person that exchanged his money obviously didn't give it to him.
the chances of getting a 100,000won note seem slim.

sorry to say but you're describing the social trends and norms of korea back in the late '90s. korean fashion has accelerated to nearly the same level as american fashion, and you can see plenty of girls in mini-skirts, short shorts and spaghetti strap tops walking around in seoul, especially during the summer months. the only thing which is still considered slightly "scandalous" are tube tops, which haven't found it's niche in the culture just yet (but probably will in the next few years).

i don't know what you consider "mini", but i was in seoul this past summer (2005) and i didn't see any mini skirts.
i was wearing short-shorts and i think i was the only one.
ppl might have spagetti straps, but those short-shorts have tights under them..thick colored tights...

the first time i went to korea was 2003, summer; so i know what i saw in 2003, 2004 and 2005. summer each of those times.

I was wondering for the DIEE program at Yonsei, are your guy's schools sister school's?
My school is not and I am going to have to go most likely as a visiting student and was wondering if any of you guys were in my same position?

i don't know what the relation was between my school and yonsei.

the best thing would be to check with your study abroad office to find out that type of info.
what one school does doesn't necessarily transfer to another school...

i don't think the schools need to be "sister schools", they just need to have a study abroad agreement that allows them to send students from the US to yonsei.

[cbong22]

sooo how much did it cost you in total to enroll into the KLI? (summer session)?

well i know my friend's brother that went to the yonsei KLI summerschool last summer, and he said it was really really fun.