[aidep5]

Hey guys~

I'm going to Yonsei this Fall 2008 for only one semester and I need help~
First of all, should I rent the cell phone here or in Korea? Which do you think would be cheaper???
Secondly, do any of you(who are going...) have to purchase insurance because it's not included in the program?
Well, I do....... I don't even know where to begin!


help ;]]]

[Kang1004]

I think Korea have their own kind of cellphone so maybe you should wait there so you dont have a cellphone nonfunctional there!
For the travel insurance it is usually mandatory (well at my school) and pretty expensive 0_o
its quite easy though, go to your bank's website and check travel insurance and their quote. Check many websites. But I don't think you can deal the price online...I'm leaving for HK soon and my travel insurance was 124$ ( both travel + health insurance) for 2 months!

[little mixed girl]

if you're going to be there for a semester, then you can get a pre-paid phone.
all you have to do is pay for the phone & the minutes you use. if you want a new fancy phone, you'll pay more. a basic phone will be less.
but, be warned, pre-paid phones can NOT access the internet and do a lot of the things that phones with a full plan can do.
when i did study abroad in 2004, i bought a phone at one of the yongsans, and one guy was going to sell me an OK phone with a 2-3 month plan.

search online for traveler's insurance.
you can find some pretty cheap deals if you must have insurance.
i had to purchase insurance. and what i got was for 2 months and cost me $60 i think (this was once in 2003 and once in 2004).

[aidep5]

I think Korea have their own kind of cellphone so maybe you should wait there so you dont have a cellphone nonfunctional there!
For the travel insurance it is usually mandatory (well at my school) and pretty expensive 0_o
its quite easy though, go to your bank's website and check travel insurance and their quote. Check many websites. But I don't think you can deal the price online...I'm leaving for HK soon and my travel insurance was 124$ ( both travel + health insurance) for 2 months!

oh wow..... I have to purchase insurance for about 4months! 240$ ish?? eeehhhhh

if you're going to be there for a semester, then you can get a pre-paid phone.
all you have to do is pay for the phone & the minutes you use. if you want a new fancy phone, you'll pay more. a basic phone will be less.
but, be warned, pre-paid phones can NOT access the internet and do a lot of the things that phones with a full plan can do.
when i did study abroad in 2004, i bought a phone at one of the yongsans, and one guy was going to sell me an OK phone with a 2-3 month plan.

search online for traveler's insurance.
you can find some pretty cheap deals if you must have insurance.
i had to purchase insurance. and what i got was for 2 months and cost me $60 i think (this was once in 2003 and once in 2004).

okay imma search online... costing so much money than I expected....... haha thanks!!

[vc1188]

I think Korea have their own kind of cellphone so maybe you should wait there so you dont have a cellphone nonfunctional there!
For the travel insurance it is usually mandatory (well at my school) and pretty expensive 0_o
its quite easy though, go to your bank's website and check travel insurance and their quote. Check many websites. But I don't think you can deal the price online...I'm leaving for HK soon and my travel insurance was 124$ ( both travel + health insurance) for 2 months!

ooo I'm studying abroad in HK too! What school are you attending?


I've never been to Korea but they should have reloadable SIM cards. You can probably buy them at ANY convenience store (i.e. 7-11). But make sure you compare different brands and plans, because some will have ridiculously expensive international roaming prices. So if you already have a tri- or quad- band phone on hand, you can just get the SIM card.

[aidep5]

ooo I'm studying abroad in HK too! What school are you attending?


I've never been to Korea but they should have reloadable SIM cards. You can probably buy them at ANY convenience store (i.e. 7-11). But make sure you compare different brands and plans, because some will have ridiculously expensive international roaming prices. So if you already have a tri- or quad- band phone on hand, you can just get the SIM card.

I'm going to Yonsei! haha how about you???
mm I don't have a tri or quad band phone,
I heard if you get HELIO, it might work in korea so I was going to close my current phone service
and get a helio phone?
or I'll just rent a phone here.. or in korea.... whichever is cheaper!! haha

[Kang1004]

ooo I'm studying abroad in HK too! What school are you attending?


I've never been to Korea but they should have reloadable SIM cards. You can probably buy them at ANY convenience store (i.e. 7-11). But make sure you compare different brands and plans, because some will have ridiculously expensive international roaming prices. So if you already have a tri- or quad- band phone on hand, you can just get the SIM card.

I'll be studying at CUHK from this end of june until august 6 and u? :-)


heh can't wait to also go to Yonsei for a year in sept 2009

[akira53]

By insurance do you mean health insurance? I'm going to Japan in the fal and I'm just going to get the National Health insurance (which is required, at least at my school I think). I think it's something like $20 a month.

For anyone who has gone abroad, did any of you purchase an International Student Identification Card (ISIC)? Our director recommended getting one and he said it also included some kind of travel insurance as well. If it worth getting?

[little mixed girl]

^ i think that i had to get that at my school.
but i thought the card was free. it was a while ago, so i don't remember...

[megaSTEPxo]

Yeah I think the ISIC card is free too (but not 100% sure)
but my advisor recommended us to get it .. just in case we need an extra piece of school ID
and I think you get some travel discounts for airfare etc.

And I'm going to Yonsei too in Fall!!

[melee]

I am going to yonsei in the fall too!

As for the handphones, I plan to do a contract but not sure how the cell phone thing works in Korea. Is it like verizon 1-2 year contracts or