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Studying in Korea: The Beginning
3 years ago, I made the decision to quit my job and spend 3 months studying the Korean language in Seoul.
... And It was the best decision ever!
... And It was the best decision ever!
Studying in Korea was always only a dream for me. I had no contacts, no one to come with me, I couldn’t speak the language then, it was all too foreign and expensive for me. So the thought really came to me when I started dating my Korean boyfriend who was living in Seoul then. As we didn’t get to spend much time together given that we were (and still are) in a long distance relationship, this was the perfect excuse to convince myself to make the move.
Why I chose Korea University
I was able to save on accommodation due to the fact that my boyfriend was living in Korea with his sister and 2 extremely cute cats. When I did my research on which University to apply for, location was the utmost important thing for me. Now, take note everyone, you should always stay near your University because you do not want to spend too much of your time commuting to school every morning and back. PLUS, all the new friends you’re going to make are most likely going to stay around the campus as well (Guess where all the after class / late night fun is going to be held at?).
Korea University is not well-known for it’s Korean language programmes.
Neither is the location anywhere close to ideal (Anam Station - Seoul Subway Line 6). Yonsei University is still no.1 for their teaching materials and location (Sinchon Station: walking distance to Hong dae and Ewha Women’s University). That being said, I chose Korea University because it was nearest to my boyfriend’s home and it was, afterall, 2nd /3rd best University in South Korea.
More information on the KU Korean Language course here.
https://klc.korea.ac.kr/index.do
Why I chose Korea University
I was able to save on accommodation due to the fact that my boyfriend was living in Korea with his sister and 2 extremely cute cats. When I did my research on which University to apply for, location was the utmost important thing for me. Now, take note everyone, you should always stay near your University because you do not want to spend too much of your time commuting to school every morning and back. PLUS, all the new friends you’re going to make are most likely going to stay around the campus as well (Guess where all the after class / late night fun is going to be held at?).
Korea University is not well-known for it’s Korean language programmes.
Neither is the location anywhere close to ideal (Anam Station - Seoul Subway Line 6). Yonsei University is still no.1 for their teaching materials and location (Sinchon Station: walking distance to Hong dae and Ewha Women’s University). That being said, I chose Korea University because it was nearest to my boyfriend’s home and it was, afterall, 2nd /3rd best University in South Korea.
More information on the KU Korean Language course here.
https://klc.korea.ac.kr/index.do
The best part of Korea University, is how beautiful the campus is. And my pictures doesn’t do justice to this.
Of course, there are other Universities out there and you’ll need to check out at least a few to make a sound decision. Price wise, I don’t think there’s a huge difference given how competitive these schools are in recruiting foreign students to their Korean Language Programme.
View all available Korean Language Courses in South Korea via the link below:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/AKR/AK_ENG_2_1_4.jsp
Of course, there are other Universities out there and you’ll need to check out at least a few to make a sound decision. Price wise, I don’t think there’s a huge difference given how competitive these schools are in recruiting foreign students to their Korean Language Programme.
View all available Korean Language Courses in South Korea via the link below:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/AKR/AK_ENG_2_1_4.jsp
My Boyfriend's Cat - Pang-ul
Accommodation in Korea
I added this part although I didn’t actually have to find my own accommodation. I find looking for
accommodation one of the most interesting part of going abroad on your own. Perhaps it’s a Singaporean thing - you grow up living with your parents all the way until you get married so just the thought about finding your
own accommodation excites me. In fact, I even asked some of my foreigner friends in Korea if I could go and
check out their place.
Before you go ahead and google ‘staying in Korea’, let me just list down some of the options to choose from:
1. 하숙집 Ha Suk Jjip - Dormitory style - homestay
Traditional Korean breakfast and dinner is usually provided for you and included in the package. You may find
yourself living in a shared space with some other students and there might be some house rules and curfews.
2. 고시원 Go Shi Won - means 考試院 in Chinese
These are tiny rooms with basic furniture (bed, desk) and bringing a big luggage means no more room left to
move around. Not for the claustrophobic but it’s worth to consider if you have a really tight budget and enjoy
living the life of a minimalist. Also, due to the poor sound-proofing of the walls, there is little tolerance to the
level of noise you can make after 8 pm.
3. On-Campus Accomodation
Some Universities also provide On-Campus accomodation which may not be the cheapest option but at
least it’s a stone’s throw away from class and food around the area would be relatively cheap.
Above is the 2 most important things to consider before packing your bags and leaving everything behind you. In the next post, I will discuss more on my packing list - the ‘Must-Brings’ and the ‘Don’t Bothers’.
Writer: Stella
I added this part although I didn’t actually have to find my own accommodation. I find looking for
accommodation one of the most interesting part of going abroad on your own. Perhaps it’s a Singaporean thing - you grow up living with your parents all the way until you get married so just the thought about finding your
own accommodation excites me. In fact, I even asked some of my foreigner friends in Korea if I could go and
check out their place.
Before you go ahead and google ‘staying in Korea’, let me just list down some of the options to choose from:
1. 하숙집 Ha Suk Jjip - Dormitory style - homestay
Traditional Korean breakfast and dinner is usually provided for you and included in the package. You may find
yourself living in a shared space with some other students and there might be some house rules and curfews.
2. 고시원 Go Shi Won - means 考試院 in Chinese
These are tiny rooms with basic furniture (bed, desk) and bringing a big luggage means no more room left to
move around. Not for the claustrophobic but it’s worth to consider if you have a really tight budget and enjoy
living the life of a minimalist. Also, due to the poor sound-proofing of the walls, there is little tolerance to the
level of noise you can make after 8 pm.
3. On-Campus Accomodation
Some Universities also provide On-Campus accomodation which may not be the cheapest option but at
least it’s a stone’s throw away from class and food around the area would be relatively cheap.
Above is the 2 most important things to consider before packing your bags and leaving everything behind you. In the next post, I will discuss more on my packing list - the ‘Must-Brings’ and the ‘Don’t Bothers’.
Writer: Stella