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Songdo Skywalk 송도 스카이워크 (Busan)

We arrived to Busan at noon time. Once we settled into our room, I quickly searched for a place to explore. My dad really likes the ocean, so I found a nearby beach to see the water. After deciding where we would have dinner, I found Songdo Beach located nearby on the map. In the bus ride, we caught glimpses of the local Busan. From the bus stop, we walked to beach. Hearing the sounds of the waves was calm and relaxing after a day long’s journey on the bullet train. As the sun set behind the hill, the lights from the buildings lit up. We walked out on the Skywalk, which was a white pathway that went out into the ocean. Even though, it was a small piece of Busan, it was enough to show the enormous charms of this port city.

#송도스카이워크 #songdo #busan #south korea #travel

Bukhansan 북한산국립공원

Bukhansan is the highest peak in the city of Seoul. When I planned this return trip, I knew that I had to do a hike in Korea. I did not hike when I studied abroad because I thought it would be too dangerous to do it alone. It was a good thing that I had experience in outdoor activities because I was well-packed with food and water. I did not expect how strenuous it would be. This hike was suppose to be one of the least strenuous hikes, and most of Korea’s older population hiked it all the time. My dad and I were not physical fit. We pushed our bodies to the limit! The first third of our journey was very scenic. Our backdrop was the orange and red trees that reminded us that it was fall. The temperature was a little chilly but not unbearable. As we climbed in altitude, my legs were giving in but my dad powered through. At the top, there were cable ropes to help people pull themselves up. It was scary but worth it in the end. The air was crispier. The view was astonishing. We has a little picnic on the peak before going back down. My favorite memory was when we were going back down and the people we met were surprised that we made it to the peak without any proper hiking gear. We wore jeans and the most basic athletic shoes.

Note: if you don’t have any gear, there are numerous sporting goods stores at the bottom of the mountain entrance before you embark on your hike.

Tip: Be prepared!

#북한산국립공원 #bukhansan #south korea

what credit or debit card did you use while in Korea? Thank you!!

I used debit! The fees for taking out money from my American bank through a Korean ATM wasn’t that bad. I took out the max amount and then deposited into my Korean bank account (Woori). I could have also just transferred money from my American bank to my Korean bank. At the time, I didn’t have credit.

This is the home page's excerpt

Hello all!

I would like to share with you another study abroad travel blog! If you are interested in studying abroad in not only South Korea but also in the UK (Pembroke-King’s) or in Peking, China, please check out Anna’s blog The Little Book of Travels! Follow her journey there!

#study abroad #live abroad #gilman scholarship #travel learn live #uci study abroad #uc irvine

Hey I found your blog through UCI's travel site! Love the pictures!! I was thinking about studying in Korea, but I'm not sure if I should do full year or one semester? What would be your advice on that? Thanks!!

Hi! Thanks for checking out my blog ^____^I would really recommend going for a year! Even though I felt homesick after the second month, I really wished I could have stayed for the whole year. I had a friend who stayed for another semester and she had so much more fun. She met more people. Continuing on for a year allows you to learn from your mistakes and fully immerse yourself with the culture. If you have the time, I would highly recommend the year, but you could also study abroad in another country for the second semester.As for studying abroad for a semester in Korea, I would recommend doing the fall semester just because you get to experience three seasons. When I arrived, it was really, really warm (summer) and then fall hits and it was so pretty. Then you get a tease of winter in Korea at the end of the semester. That’s my opinion. :)

I wish you the best of luck on your study abroad journey!

Since you did not go through UCEAP, was it hard making friends since you are not in the program? How did you end up meeting people? I will be studying abroad alone and is worry about how hard it is to meet people since i dont know korean...

It was a bit difficult to make friends, but I believe that if you put yourself out there and step out of your comfort circle, you’ll make friends! That was how I met my close group of friends. There were a lot of trial and errors, but you’ll find your way!I think it was the hardest to make friends with Korean students because most of my classes consisted of international students. I do encourage you to join clubs that the university offers, clubs that were not geared towards international students. (Those kind of clubs were great for meeting some Korean students and other international students.) Some Korean clubs on campus welcome international students. If you are willing to step beyond, you could also look for Korean language meet-up groups. There is a group that I found that brought people who wanted to learn and teach Korean together. You can also sign-up to teach English to Koreans! That was one way my friend interacted with Koreans.Last of all, don’t be afraid to reach out to others. Don’t assume that other people will come to you. That’s what I learned on my journey abroad. I hope that you will have a grand time abroad.(Side note: it’s also nice to travel alone sometimes ^_^ )

I want to study abroad in Korea next year. I'm a freshmen and I'm worried that I can't keep up the 3.0. Are they really strict with the GPA for UCEAP? I know that IOP's GPA requirement is less, but I really want to do UCEAP because I will get the UCI grant that will support me.

Hello ^_^I’m not really sure. I talked to the study abroad advisor and she suggested that I apply for the IOP programs because of my GPA. If your GPA is close to a 3.0 like say 2.8 and 2.9, it might work! I encourage to apply for UCEAP nonetheless! Hope this helps. :)

Can you tell me how strictly rules are enforced at Sk Global House (like bring a girl over) and like how many entrances are in the building? (Are they like sneakable)

I’m not sure how strict they are with the rules but there is one main entrance and exit. You need to get your guest signed in with the front desk in order to get in. You can only get in with your own card key.

However, there is also a passage between International House (I-House) and SK. The fifth floor connects the two buildings (walk all the way to the end of one of the halls). Security is not as strict in I-House. I think you can sneak someone over that way. Other than that, I don’t think it’s possible.

(Sorry for the late response!)

Calling all US students! The Gilman Scholarship is open for applications!

#gilman scholarship

Hi Joanne! I'm also from UC Irvine and thinking about studying abroad for a pretty long time. Why did you decided to study abroad through USAC instead of UCEAP?

Hello! I decided to study abroad through USAC because I was able to meet the requirements for USAC. Their GPA requirement was a minimum of 2.5 and UCEAP’s was 3.0. Also, I believe that the costs were slightly cheaper on USAC’s end. One of the downsides of not going through with UCEAP was that there were no extra programs provided by USAC (like going on trips with other UC students; that’s probably why UCEAP costs a little more than USAC). A good thing about USAC however was that I was completely independent (which could be a negative things as well.) I was able to make friends outside the UCEAP group. It’s easier to get to know more people similar to you through UCEAP, I believe.TLDR: I didn’t make the reqs for UCEAP.

To the anon who asked about when Yonsei sends out application acceptance: I received mine for fall exchange ten days ago so yours should not be too far off! Good luck :)

Check out my friend’s work!

My friend, Stacey Lo, did a photo project when she studied abroad. You should definitely take advantage of the new environment that you are in to expand your experience, portfolio, etc.! I also have a friend who tutored native Korean students with English and got paid! There are unlimited possibilities out there!

http://staceylo.com/photo/#/seoulful-1/

#study abroad #work abroad

Hi Joanne! I was wondering, roughly when did you get your acceptance to Yonsei? Also, did you pay for everything in June, when housing went up? I'm going this fall, but I don't really know what to expect yet..

Hi Michelle! I got my admission letter around the end of May and I paid for tuition and housing in June-July. I paid for tuition through my study abroad program (I didn't go with UCEAP). As for housing, I did that directly through Yonsei's housing office. For that, I had to transfer money into their bank account abroad (Woori bank). Make sure you're keep up with due dates and stuff. Dorm housing is super competitive. You can always opt for the non-campus housing like goshiwons. It's a cheaper alternative and I have friends who had done that. I'm excited for you and your journey abroad. Definitely make a list of places you want to go to and things you want to do. It'll save lots of time! Let me know if you need anything else! I'd love to help :)

Did you get any financial aid directly from UC after you paid for tuition and stuff :o

I did!I applied for the 2014 Fall program during the Winter ‘14 and Spring ‘14 quarters. I had to pay for tuition, housing and airfare out of pocket when I got into my program. However, I received my financial aid for the Fall ‘14 quarter when I was abroad and it was transferred directly to my home (US) bank account because I had direct deposit. I opened a new account from Wells Fargo and made it a “travel account” so that I could use it to withdraw money from foreign ATMs. I also opened a foreign account from Woori Bank in Korea to store that money. (You can also just transfer large amounts from US bank to Korea bank but I thought that was too much work. I did have to take into account the withdrawal fees though.) I also received the Gilman Scholarship for studying abroad and I highly recommend you apply if you are a US student who received Pell Grant. I hope that answers your question. Let me know if you are confused or have any more questions! ^__^

Studying for midterms only makes me miss Korea even more.

#홍대 #hongdae #south korea #asia #travels

Hi there! I saw your post in the yonsei tag that mentioned the Gilman scholarship. I am planning to apply and study abroad in Seoul next fall! do you have any tips or advice for completing the Gilman appliction? Thank you in advance! :)

Hi!Mmm, I would highly recommend getting your paper reviewed by someone from your school's study abroad advisor. Mine was in terrible shape and and my advisor helped me change it for the better. Some of the tips I got from her was to cut to the chase, don't beat around the bush. You should really try to convey your sincerity and determination to go abroad (put down what influences you to want to study abroad). Also, definitely put emphasis on how studying abroad could affect your future. This is all advice for the Statement of Purpose. I hope it helps but definitely communicate with your study abroad advisor.

As for the Follow-On Project, do something that you know you would like to do, for example, I did my blog! I also plan on making scrapbooks. You can do vlogs or weekly videos, anything that you can keep up with and have fun doing :) Thanks for asking for help! I appreciate it.

Why are you so awesome! I miss you girly! I love and appreciate how dedicated you are to your blog!!! :D

I miss youuu <3 Thanks for checking it out though, but I would have to say your blog is so much more awesome! All your professional works; I'm so jelly!

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