My Exchange at Sung Kyun Kwan University
Since the beginning of my uni life in UOA, I was always interested in an exchange programme, so I already knew about 360 International since 2019. I applied several times, however due to Covid-19, it got cancelled but luckily I got to go to Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea in 2022. My first impression of SKKU was very oriental. As SKKU has the longest history amongst other universities since the Chosun dynasty, university architecture was oriental, authentic and traditional. I really liked the vibe of peacefulness and calmness. My life in SKKU was special. People were very welcoming and generous. Also, the facilities were very nice and easy to find. There were also a lot of small and big events for students to join, and I got many free snacks and gifts from it.
I was in Media TV Films in SKKU. There were a lot of different courses that touched a variety of areas such as Film making, Video games, Music, Advertisement, Entertainment, Play etc. One interesting thing that I found during each course is that every course includes group projects, practical assignments and presentations. It is not only the professors giving lectures to students, but it is more of an interactive class between professor and students, and also between students and students. By doing different practical assignments, It helped me to apply different theories to assignments which eventually elevated my practical skill. Also by doing different group projects, it was easier for me to get closer to other students and become friends. I was very impressed with the course quality and professors’ passion.
For extracurricular activities, I joined acting club as well as English club. I could meet a lot of different friends there and we hang out a lot of times. From this, I could spend my spare time in a more wholesome way. I was very lucky as starting from 2022, most of the lectures were all on-campus, and resumed all the school events such as school festivals so that I could experience more of uni life and mingle with other students.
My first accommodation was G-house and it was a double room. I shared a room with a Japanese roommate and we made a lot of memories. The room was not very big, but it had many compartments where I could put things in. Communal facilities were clean and easy to use. My second dormitory was M-house and it was more like a flat. There were 5 other roommates from different countries and there were three rooms in the flat. At first, I was not used to sharing one room with a lot of people, but as time passed we became close to each other and we shared lots of memories. Overall accommodations’ condition was pretty good, both locations were great and I am very satisfied with all the time that I spent there.
Seoul is one of the well-developed cities in the whole world. One of the good things about this city is public transportation. They have buses, subways, taxis, trains and planes. Especially Korea has great subway system. It is clean, convenient and very easy to go from one place to another. Because of this great public transportation, I could travel not only in Seoul but also to another cities in Korea. People are nice, food of course never let me down. Korea has a variety of food starting from Korean authentic food to Italian, Chinese, Japanese and even exotic food from different countries. Also, Korea has so many coffee shops and dessert places. They were all very delicious.
Personally, I did not really have many challenges. I was lucky enough to be able to speak Korean as well, so it was easier for me to get along with Korean friends in SKKU and didn’t really struggle to understand lectures in Korean. However, if there was a language barrier, then I would have felt a little bit left out. Every bits of school life in SKKU are unforgettable. All the events, lectures, time with friends, memories in a dormitory and experiencing tons of different things in Seoul will all remain as the highlights of my exchange period.
One year of my exchange life in Korea was so special. I was very happy to be able to experience Korean uni life and make lots of friends from different universities and countries. This experience elevated not only my academic knowledge level but also my life as an independent woman. At the end of the exchange period, I could find myself that I was completely absorbed into this life. I recommend anyone who wants to experience a different life style by breaking out of the comfort zone and have a very special adventures in different country.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
It was interesting to see how there were always group projects and presentations. In UOA, all of my assignments were writing an essay and didn’t really have any interactions with other students, but because of all the practical assignments, I got to have a lot of opportunities to talk with other students, share our thoughts and make things that we learnt into our own. So different styles of assignments and class system were the highlights of the academic experience in SKKU.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Most Korean universities, including Sungkyunkwan University have school festivals every spring and autumn. They invite a lot of famous K-pop celebrities for the performances so that students can have a wholesome night. Also, school prepares different free food and booths for students to participate into different activities as well as firework at night.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Firstly, Korea winter can be quite cold. It is good to bring a puffer, gloves and a scarf to keep you warm. Secondly, Korea has a great food delivery system. You can deliver not only food but also groceries from supermarkets and convenience stores. Thus, there are several delivery applications such as Baemin, Yogiyo and Coupang Eats so it’s good to download one of those. Lastly, a lot of Korean students do not use heavy laptop. They love using light laptop or pads during school times, so it can be helpful to bring portable devices when you go to school.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I think budget is different for every person. For me, I had to buy every meal and every other things with my own money, so usually every month, I spent 500,000 won or 600,000 approximately, which is 630NZD to 750 NZD . However, I believe this can be different for each individual. Personally, I didn’t try hard to save money, because I thought it is best to eat well, and experience as much as I can while I’m on an exchange so sometimes I spent more than what I wrote above.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
At first, I was a little worried about mixing with full-time students in SKKU, but the students there were mostly very nice to me and treated me like a real SKKU student. Their warm welcome really helped me to adapt to the school system. Also, the courses that I took were very helpful. It wasn’t just about theory but combined with several group projects, presentations and practical assignments which helped to elevate my practical skill as well. Moreover, professors were also very passionate and well-taught.
Tags: 2022, Arts/Humanities, Report