Motivation
My motivation for participating was to regain in touch with South Korean culture and improve my speaking skills. I wanted to take this opportunity to experience travelling alone and enjoy the freedom of exploring new places. It felt a lot more productive being able to study and gain credit while also having a lot of fun.
Personal Development
The most significant personal development I experienced during my time in Seoul was independence and experiencing different cultures. Although I was born in South Korea and kept a lot of the cultural background while in Australia, it was great to experience living in Seoul. Going for a short-term exchange was just the right amount of time to settle in enough to not just feel like a tourist. It really helped me in fluency and day-to-day speaking skills as well.
Professional Development
I definitely think this global perspective and bilingual skills will extend my employability in both Australia and Korea, as well as other countries.
Budget
I spent just less than $4000 (excluding plane/course fees) on transport, food and shopping.
This was similar to the budget I had set for me before my trip. I recommend setting out category limits and only purchasing things that are unique/necessary throughout the trip so you can come back at the end to decide what else to purchase.
The funding I received was extremely beneficial as it could cover most of the plane ticket and course fees for the experience. This let me use the money I had saved to have a trip where I could try a lot more different activities and feel financially comfortable to enjoy my time there instead of being stressed about tight financing. It turned the experience much more positive in the financial aspect as well.
Highlight
The highlights were all the pretty cafes and scenery all over Seoul. The different types of desserts and drinks are so much more diverse and creative than Australia. It was definitely a highlight to try them all out in the most relaxing interiors too! Han River was also so beautiful and a great area to bike around in, I wish the Brisbane River was like Han River!
Advice/Top Tips
I would suggest to definitely plan the trip well and down to the details. But also not put too much pressure to follow it exactly. Planning it out specifically will help guide the trip as well as make sure you aren't wasting too much time. Having a good sense of direction really helps too since there is usually a lot of walking you can do but through a lot of small streets! Definitely helps to know the language of course!
