| Major(s) | Foreign Languages |
| Hobbies | Journaling, reading, spending time with friends |
| Hometown | Rochester, Minnesota |
| Program/Study Site | CIEE Arts and Sciences — Seoul, South Korea |
Why study abroad?
It’s a wonderful adventure and learning experience! It was one of my favorite semesters of college.
Why did you choose South Korea?
I wanted to study in Seoul, South Korea because I was taking Korean as a part of my major and wanted to improve my language skills as well as learn more about Korean culture, history, and politics. CIEE was the only program Scripps had approved for Seoul, which made my decision about what program to pick easy.
What courses did you enroll in while abroad?
- International Politics of the Korean Peninsula
- Media Communication in Korea
- Korean Food & Culture
- Korean Language Institute (KLI)
I enrolled in International Politics of the Korean Peninsula, Media Communication in Korea, and Korean Food & Culture, which were international student courses. They were interesting and deepened my understanding of Korean politics and culture. I also enrolled in the Korean Language Institute (KLI) course, which is an intensive language course with 10 hours of class per week. We covered about a year’s worth of material; it was amazing!
What was your living situation?
I lived in on-campus international student dorms in a double with another student from my program. The dorm we lived in had bathrooms in each room and shared kitchen, laundry, and workout facilities. There were a number of affordable restaurants, coffee shops, and convenience stores nearby and in the hallway under our building that connected to the Korean Language Institute building and another building where many international student classes were held. The dorm is about 10-15 minutes away from the heart of campus through a pretty forest area. The dorms are close to Sinchon, Hongdae, and Edae, three parts of Seoul that have tons of delicious food, fun cafes and activities, and shopping.
What did you do for fun?
I enjoyed going to karaoke and cafes as well as going out to eat with friends. At karaoke, you and your friends and can pick between thousands of songs in multiple languages. Plus, depending on where you go, it may just cost a couple dollars for an hour of singing. There are a lot of theme cafes in Seoul — I enjoyed visiting a board game café chain and also tried visiting a cat café. There were also countless delicious restaurants both on campus and close by it. Korean barbeque (all you can eat or otherwise) was a favorite!
Highlights of the program:
Some of the moments that stand out most are related to CIEE program activities and spending time with other students. The CIEE-sponsored tour of the Demilitarized Zone and the Joint Security Area on the North-South Korea border was an unforgettable experience, and I loved the CIEE weekend trip to the Busan International Film Festival. The CIEE “Seoulmates” program partnered U.S. students with Korean students and was a wonderful way to make friends. The international student community at Yonsei University was fantastic and I enjoyed getting to know my classmates who were from all over the world. My Korean class in particular formed a tight knit group and got dinner and hung out together after classes.
The most challenging aspects of your experience:
I missed seeing my Scripps friends — many of them were abroad in Europe while I was abroad in Korea. That being said, study abroad is a personal decision and I am so happy that we all chose programs that were well-suited to our individual interests. It was lovely to share stories once we were back on campus together!
Final comments or suggestions for future participants:
On the academic front, I’d advise taking light courses that sound fun and interesting to leave plenty of time to explore. I was thankful to have time to go out with friends to get dinner and dessert (then suddenly decide to window shop for Korean skincare products) without having to worry about getting back early enough to get a mountain of work done.
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