Seoul Surfing

"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."

[heart0fseoul]

Actually I wanna ask a question. I don't know Korean. But I want to study abroad in Korea. Of course I can study in yonsei because exam is English but I'm wondering about 'I don't know korean' and I'm little scared. What are you thinking?

Don't worry about not knowing Korean in the classroom at Yonsei. You can choose to take your courses in English! I do recommend, however, learning some basic Korean in order to get around on a day to day basis, though. Learn things like directions, how to order food, how to get medicine if you're sick, etc. It'll come in handy :)

[heart0fseoul]

Hi! When I'm searching about yonsei university, I see your blog! And I will be so happy! Because your blog is so helpful! Thank you about that!

I'm so happy that my blog helped out :) sorry I've been inactive. Life's been busy, but if you have any questions, feel free to reach out! Enjoy Yonsei/Korea!

[heart0fseoul]

Omg Thank You for answering my questions!! And yeah i have a few more so thx in advance if you answer them! Is it hard to get into Yonsei as a foreigner? What should i start to do in high school to get into Yonsei? And do i apply for UIC( yonsei english part) or to The University its self Yonsei! And Lastly what kind of classes do you get? I want to study internationally there so i want to study all my years at Yonsei! I was wondering do you get to major in anything or you cant as a foreigner?

Not at all. Yonsei faculty and staff are very welcoming to foreigners, so you shouldn’t have a hard time at all! I would recommend learning Korean early on, if you plan on attending school here as your primary form of education. They do have foreign classes taught in English, however, if you want to fully immerse yourself in the culture and what is around you, you should be proficient in Korean. The branch in which you apply in is totally up to you and up to your comfort zone with how much confidence you have in your language skills. Most people apply to Underwood. I ended up taking mostly business/management classes during my stay in Yonsei. I ended up getting my final degree in Computer Science and Engineering elsewhere. 

[heart0fseoul]

Hello! I'm a UCI 2nd year applying for summer at Yonsei, I wanted to ask if you created your own "Korean name" or if Yonsei did that for you? Thanks!

Hello hello! You’re going to have the time of your life at Yonsei. It’s such an experience!You actually don’t need a Korean name. People just called me “Sara” during my stay there, and everything worked out just fine! I think having a “Korean” name is just something fun some people choose to do. I was comfortable with my own name :) “Sera” also happens to be a Korean name on it’s own, so I suppose that may be a reason why I was never assigned one. It’s all on you! 

[heart0fseoul]

Hi! I'm looking to study abroad with UCEAP and I was wondering about the tb test that you need to check in. Im gonna be in England prior to going to Korea so I was wondering if you knew anyone who did not have their tb test on day of check in and if they let you check in a do the test in Korea. Thanks!

Hi! Sorry if this reply is a bit late, I’ve been super busy with life and will become more active as soon as my schooling is over (SOON!).I actually got my TB test done months in advance. I believe they will take anything that is within 5 years of the date you get to Yonsei. I suggest getting that done prior to leaving to England. I don’t believe they will let you check into a dorm if you don’t have that on record. There is a hospital within 3 minutes walking distance from the dorms though, so I am sure they can do something about it if you really cannot get it done prior to your visit. 

[heart0fseoul]

Hi so im a sophomore in high school i know its a little early but i have a few questions! How do you apply o yonsei? And im so confused about Sk house , house, international and UIC like what are they? Are they part of Yonsei or are they Yonsei campus idk im so confused??! Thx

No problem! It's good to be curious early on so you can weigh out your options. You apply to Yonsei online. There's an online application process, so everything is actually pretty simple. Don't worry about this too much :)As far as your other questions go, SK and iHouse are both international living quarters (dorms) and UIC is Underwood Internstional College (part of Yonsei/school) I hope this answers your questions! Let me know if you come up with any more.

[heart0fseoul]

Hi, I am going Yonsei alone to study Korean for six months. Is it possible to find friends before going there?

Of course! You need to do some digging though. I actually found my roommate before even going to Korea, myself. What I ended up doing was stalking the #yonsei tag on tumblr. Lots of people end up posting about their study abroad experiences, past, present, or future! Don't be shy and message the ones that are going to be in your program or simply there at the same time you are going to be there. A flood of "I am going to be studying abroad soon" posts will be on that tag, I guarantee you. Good luck making friends! It won't be hard, trust :)

[heart0fseoul]

Are you still in contact with any korean friends from yonsei. Honestly did you end up making lots of korean friends after going through a semester in yonsei university?

I actually am still in contact with them. It just depends on how comfortable you are with speaking Korean though. They tend to only text in Korean, and English always breaks the conversation, for the most part. I'm meeting up with them in September when I go back to Korea so we can catch up. Making friends at Yonsei isn't as intimidating as it may seem, trust.

[heart0fseoul]

Do you think you're going to study abroad again? I'm currently in Korea for just summer and I thought about extending but it just doesn't seem that fun to stay in the same place for so long.

I highly recommend extending if your major allows you room to do so! I was unable to because a computer science engineering major doesn't even allow room for a summer study abroad, let alone an extra semester, so I came back home. Studying abroad put me behind with credits, so I had to catch up. I won't be going back for this reason, but it was an amazing experience. I will be back in Seoul in September for leisure before my final year in college starts though :) I hope you have a great time. There's always late sign ups to extend if you decide you like it mid way through your summer session, so don't worry. Yonsei is pretty cool about that.

[heart0fseoul]

Hi I am planning to go study abroad to yonsei university as well. Can i ask a few questions if you don't mind? Thanks :) So will we as an international student be able to make lots of korean friends? And are the koreans in yonsei friendly? Also how are the korean guys in particular are they friendly?Thanks you so much:D

No worries, ask away!

To be honest, the Yonsei study abroad program really secludes the international students from the actual students who attend Yonsei, so if you want to make friends with locals, you’re going to have to really go out of your way. With that being said, don’t be alarmed! Making friends is really easier than it sounds. Students and locals are very friendly, from what I experienced, and I made a good amount of local friends who I was able to spend time with a good portion of the time. Both the boys and girls are very welcoming, so you won’t have anything to worry about. Most young Koreans are actually very willing to make foreigner friends, so they might even end up approaching you at times.

Just don’t go to school with the mindset of “must make friends with Korean guys..!!!” That’s probs my best advice for you. I saw a lot of kids doing that and it really lured people away from them. Act natural and let everything kinda just happen on its own. Don’t force things.

Have fun at Yonsei :)

[heart0fseoul]

Hi hi! Someone earlier asked me to post a photo of the Korean book Yonsei uses for their KLI program, so here it is! Sorry for the delay, it took some time finding it.

As stated before, the numbers are based off of your level by what you placed in during the entrance exam. It goes 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, etc…

[heart0fseoul]

What was the language placement test like at yonsei? Was there a speaking section?

The language placement test at Yonsei was actually fairly easy, and I've never even taken a Korean class to learn the language before. It starts off with a long exam. You finish what you can. You're not obligated to finish it all because it gets progressively more difficult as you reach the end. Then, you're called up individually for a one on one speaking interview. I got placed in level 3, but you're free to decline theirs recommendation for something lower if you feel like it.

[heart0fseoul]

could you show what textbooks you used for the korean language class? I have a set from 2007 but don't know if they still use them.

Give me until the weekend and I'll post some photos ! They're at my dad's house and I'm visiting this weekend, so I'll be able to get them to you by then :)Without any visuals, I can say that Yonsei's KLI program currently uses a set of books, the main one used being blue/green with a #-# section in a circle in which it states your level. Ex. 2-1, 3-2, 1-1But don't worry. I'll post em up as soon as I can. Have a nice day!

[heart0fseoul]

Hey for a summer at yonsei would you recommend taking a few american snacks? I've been thinking about it but I feel like they may just be extra space? In the end how many suitcases did you end up taking?

I packed two suitcases and one was filled with just food! Not pictured: hot cheetos. All in all, the snacks I brought with me were those that I knew I could not find in Korea. 

Of the two suitcases I brought, one was filled with clothes, dorm stuff, and other essentials I would be needing while studying abroad, and the other was filled with just food. That suitcase was emptied out during the months and was used as the perfect “souvenir” luggage for my way back :) Trust me when I say “don’t over pack”.. you can buy a lot of stuff like clothes, shampoo, etc in Korea while you’re there. You’re gonna want to leave space for shopping, and bringing food with you to Yonsei won’t hinder that space since it will all be consumed.

[heart0fseoul]

Yonsei University | SK Global Dorm Tour

[heart0fseoul]

It’s almost that time of year again! Summer session starts pretty soon, and I’ve been getting quite a few questions about the appearance of the dorms, so I figured I should repost this video I made during my stay at Yonsei.

I stayed in a double room at SK Global. It came with an in-room bathroom, as opposed to an in-room fridge like iHouse. Plenty of storage, clean, nice view outside my room, AC/Heater, the works! 

Note: Yes, the rooms come with a bed set and a pillow. (SK pillows are better than iHouse)

[heart0fseoul]

Are you going to seoul for vacation?

Yes! After my internship at Blizzard Entertainment ends, I'll be going back to Seoul to just hang around. It'll be nice going back and not having to worry about studies at Yonsei for a change.

[heart0fseoul]

I saw you at the Korean cultural festival today! I recognized you by your eyes and eyebrows (does that sound weird? Lol) at first I wasn't sure but after looking at your insta I recognized one of the guys you were with. Sorry if this is weird lol

Hahaha. Nah, not weird at all. Should have come and said hi! I was with my friends Andy and Brian. Our friend Megan was performing so we went to support.