Life Changing Year in South Korea

Studying in Seoul through TEAN made a huge impact on my time in Korea! I was helped through the whole process, from getting my visa and setting up appointments for residency to preparing transcripts. TEAN also took care of university housing, which was a huge plus because my friends with other programs spoke about how difficult it was to get housing. There are also fun activities that TEAN organizes that take you to places in Korea you may not have thought to visit such as Nami Island and you can connect with other students and with the staff on these trips. I felt at ease knowing that the Seoul staff was there to help me with any issues that came up while I was abroad.

I truly enjoyed living in Seoul and felt very safe even when walking alone at night, just remember to be aware! The public transportation is amazing, it is very clean and reliable and is usually around $1 per subway/bus ride. Even though Anam (where Korea University is located) isn’t in the center of Seoul having access to Korea’s public transportation system made the huge city of Seoul feel accessible and the journeys never felt very long. I loved hanging out in Myeongdong with my friends going to cafes and eating street food. For me, Myeongdong is the right amount of bustling without being overwhelming like Hongdae can be sometimes.

It can be a bit difficult to adjust to living in a new country but knowing some Korean and making friends makes it a lot easier. I am very glad I decided to go to Korea after two years of learning Korea because I was able to navigate lots of events on my own and it helped boost my confidence every time I could. Being able to make deep friendships with both foreign and local students is something I will forever hold dear and would go abroad again with TEAN.