TEAN: Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

I studied abroad during the summer, and I loved it. It was shorter, and I didn't get to meet as many students at KU, but I got to meet many other people from the USA who were there to study. The dorms are very close to the MRT; you can take it anywhere. You literally can go anywhere. I loved how we could explore so much of the city and how easy it was. The food is fantastic, and you can get a variety of the same food, whether it is tteokbokki, bibimbop, jjajangmyeon, and more.

I went as the first group after COVID, so it was a little stricter, and we weren't allowed to do as much stuff. But it was so much fun just to be there and experience how beautiful the city is.

Studying abroad in a city like Seoul has offered me so many new perspectives. South Korea was an amazing destination to study abroad; with so many places to explore, eat, shop, and see, I believe Korea has something for everyone. I am glad I chose this program to study abroad because they have provided me with numerous resources to make this trip as smooth as possible. The ISA/TEAN staff was extremely helpful throughout the process, and their activities, lunches, and orientations made the first few weeks in Korea feel less overwhelming. This allowed us to meet and make friends with other international students. The on-site team was wonderful, and they had all the resources necessary to assist the international students. The staff planned fun excursions for the TEAN students and were very easy to talk to!
One of the excursions included a weekend getaway to a city called Busan, where we had access to a private bus to take the TEAN students around the city and explore various popular travel locations. Seoul is a technologically advanced city where everything seems to make sense. Everything in Seoul is more efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and beautiful than anything I've seen in the United States. Seoul is buzzing with people and activities, with opportunities for amazing and fun nightlife, cafe hopping, city shopping, and even some sightseeing. The nightlife is a must-have experience for students studying in Seoul. Busan, a coastal city about 3 hours outside of Seoul, is a coastal town with incredible views and landscape, beautiful beaches and fish markets to try, and everything from Buddhist temples to small colorful villages to walk through. While Jeju is a small island off the coast of Korea, it is only an hour away by plane and has a completely different vibe than the city. It feels like a tropical vacation, complete with beautiful beaches, palm trees, fresh food and fruits, and amazing views. It has opened my eyes to the reality of the culture and way of life in Korea. I am happy to have experienced such a unique and advanced city, where I felt safe and independent despite the language barrier.

It was the best 4 months that I've ever lived. I highly encourage everyone to do a semester abroad! One of my favorite activities was going to a 24h spa at 3am and just relaxing there. I traveled a TON and had so many wobderful experiences! I got to see Jeju Island, visit many museums (a huge majority which was free), eat deliciois and cheap foods, and visit cute cafes. Seoul felt extremely safe. I traveled alone and never felt uncomfortable (also helps that people are respectful.) Once again come to Seoul because there is a lot to do (Im definitely going back) and it will be an amazing experience!

This program is one of the best short term winter programs I have done. Korea University has a beautiful campus and great facilities. The professors were also amazing. I was able to take a class accredited for my major (Communication major) and have the chance to learn and then participate in Korean culture. I got an insight into Korean popular culture and how it is influential worldwide. I understand now. It is worthwhile to see the love for Korean culture (kdrams, kpop, Korean health and beauty products) and where it comes from. The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) also was very supportive. They provided support pre-departure and in-country. Before departing, there was a pre-departure orientation where we got to hear about the logistics upon arrival and during the program. We had a welcome and farewell dinner from TEAN. Also, in-country, the resident director was amazing. They gave great recommendations and were always responsive through Kakao Talk (Korea's messaging app). TEAN also had cultural activities as part of the program. We had a movie night were we ate Korean pizza and watched a Korean movie. There was a day where we went to the DMZ and Korean War memorial museum. I felt very supported by TEAN and my home university when going abroad. Overall, it was a wonderful experience thanks to TEAN and my university for making it happen! I would go back and do it all over again.

My study abroad experience in Seoul, South Korea was phenomenal. From animal cafes to nightlife the city of Seoul has a lot of extraordinary events. During my time in Seoul, I got to step out of my comfort zone and learn while living in a completely different culture. Each week Korea University hosted cultural events to immerse students into new and fun experiences. From the first to last day in Seoul, TEAN staff were always there and ready to help whenever. TEAN hosted its own orientation of Anam and Korea University before our official KUISC orientation, which I found more efficient and helpful than the one provided by the university. During orientation, TEAN gave us T-Money cards for the metro, which were godsend to our time studying abroad in South Korea. During the course of KUISC, I made amazing friends that I cannot picture my life without now.
During the Summer, the Korea University campus is full of greenery. The campus architecture makes the University look like a modern-day castle. In the Summer, the temperature is scorching, and the sky is mostly sunny. Located in the campus underground area, there is KU study rooms, a Morning Glory (stationary store), a CU (convenience store), cafes and restaurants, a cafeteria, and KU Optical. While classes were in session, I got to connect with knowledgeable professors in their field and learn in a small class setting, which facilitated the learning process. Professors hold office hours in addition to teaching classes, which are very useful. If you take third to fourth-year level classes, it will be difficult, but I learned great study habits during my time abroad.

I had a really good time attending Korea University over summer. It was really great to experience Korea for the first time with many other students from around the world! While studying at Korea University I was able to learn about Korean culture but also interact with a large global community. Not only was I able to meet many new friends during my time in Seoul, I was also able to have many experiences that I would not have had if I had attended a different program. From big group dinners to our big trip to Lotte World. If you would like to study in Korea, I would highly recommend studying in Korea through the Tean Summer in Seoul program. All of the Tean Staff members are so kind and so helpful throughout the whole process, from predeparture to return. 10/10!

My dream since I was 11 years old was to travel to Seoul, South Korea and learn all about Korean language and culture. I was really nervous about picking the study abroad right program. I wanted to challenge myself academically, but also leave enough time to explore and have fun. My university didn't offer a program to South Korea, but I saw TEAN's table at my university's study abroad fair. After speaking with the representative and researching Korea University; I knew that this was the right program for me. My sociology and Korean language classes at Korea University were challenging but the professors were amazing. The town of Anam was also amazing. I never felt unsafe once and that's saying a lot because I grew up in Baltimore. Anam also had some the best & inexpensive food that I ate while in Korea. During TEAN's welcome and farewell dinner, Sandra and Katie ( from TEAN) took us to awesome restaurants. The excursions that were included in this trip were so much fun. My favorite was Lotte World because I love amusement parks. During the excursions you could get to know your KUBA better ( Korean buddy) and then have a Korean friend for life. I honestly don't have one complaint about this program, I would go again in a heartbeat.

This was an amazing experience! It was my second time abroad with The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) and I can promise you this is an amazing program. I was impressed with the amount of care I felt from the advisers and tips that they gave to me - not only for school and culture, but also life advice and wonderful memories of actually becoming friends that still text till this day.

The other students in TEAN were also great, I loved how during the orientation with TEAN we really got a chance to become friends with fellow TEAN students so when classes started we already had a support group. TEAN also did an amazing job at making sure everything went as smooth as possible with orientation at Korea University, classes and teachers. The trips TEAN took us on were all amazing like the trip to the DMZ, to Lotte World, as well as monthly coffee catch ups to destress and get food.

Korea University is also an amazing university that completely enriched my learning, I was able to meet soooooo many amazing classmates and really get involved on campus.