Motivation
I was interested in learning more about South Korea and immersing myself in another culture outside of Australia, as well as having the opportunity to travel and gain new experiences.
Personal Development
I was interested in learning more about South Korea and immersing myself in another culture outside of Australia, as well as having the opportunity to travel and gain new experiences. This experience has allowed me to become more independent since I had to navigate the challenges of living alone in a foreign country. Moreover, I made many great friendships during my time in South Korea and explored Seoul together with them, having unique experiences and making great memories that I believe have changed my perspective on a variety of things.
Academic Development
I had the opportunity to learn more about economics from a practical perspective in the course I took and encouraged me to think about how I can apply the theory I've learned so far to real world scenarios. I enjoyed learning from a professor who was very knowledgeable in a subject which is not available at UQ and making use of the facilities available on campus. One of the challenges I experienced was the short duration of the program which involved long lectures with a lot of content covered in a short period of time. I overcame this by reviewing my notes before any assessments and attending every lecture. The workload was comparatively heavier compared to UQ due to the short program duration but it was manageable through the use of good time management.
Professional Development
I believe I improved my communication skills and ability to engage with others with different cultural backgrounds and perspectives since my experience was located in South Korea which has a different language and culture to Australia. This contributed to my professional development since I feel more prepared to effectively work in diverse groups and my communication skills also improved through this experience. One of the main challenges I encountered was the language barrier, especially when trying to navigate daily life. However, I managed to overcome this obstacle by exploring alternative methods of communication (e.g through translation apps) and also learning a little bit of the language.
Costs
I used an app to keep track of my spending and stick to my overall budget. I spent around $6,000 (accommodation = $1450, transport = $250, food = $800, travel = $1600, others including shopping and entertainment). I would let future students know they should set a firm overall budget and adjust spending accordingly.
Funding
Funding allowed me to not have to worry too much about finances and be able to have a variety of experiences that I would otherwise not have experienced since I was able to use funding to cover the big expenses such as accommodation, course costs, and flights. I was able to fully enjoy my time in South Korea and have new experiences since I had disposable income through the funding available to me.
Accommodation
I found my accommodation through a list of recommendations my host university provided. I lived in a private studio apartment near the university. Some of the pros included privacy since I did not have roommates and did not share common facilities, and also proximity to public transportation (e.g. train station and buses). One of the cons was that there were limited opportunities to connect with other university students in my accommodation. I would let future students know that on-campus accommodation is very competitive so make sure to have alternative housing lined up if you are not accepted into dorms.
Highlight
The highlight of my experience was connecting with other students from all around the world and exploring South Korea and the culture and experiences it had to offer. For example, I particularly enjoyed participating in one of the city tours offered by my university and seeing Seoul landmarks while learning more about the history behind them together with the other summer school students.
Advice/Top Tips
I would tell other students to make friends and connect with other people who are participating in the summer school since sharing that experience with others who are in the same situation as it provides a support system and also generally makes the experience more enjoyable.
