A week in KU's ISP

Hi Sharks, it's Tiffany again and let me speed run through what a week in the International Summer Program with Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea looks like. 

Here was the tentative schedule KU provided:

      

As you can tell, the schedule was packed for such a short stay. I initially thought that a month's stay was good enough for me but I quickly realized I NEEDED a full semester. Korea is the country I have always wanted to visit and what's crazy is that in 2021, I wrote that I plan to study abroad in Korea for a scholarship essay, and the fact that I did just that this past summer is actually unbelievable. It was mainly hopeful wishing because I did not think it was feasible, especially because of money. Manifestation at its finest 🤞🏽. But all it took was making an appointment with Melissa because she literally helped, supported, guided, answered, reassured, and everything in between me to make studying abroad possible. Shout out Melissa, everyone say thank you Melissa 🥹. Anyways, I digress.

From Incheon Airport, I took the airport shuttle to the school. The airport shuttle has multiple stops throughout Seoul and thankfully there was a stop near. I dragged my luggage up a hill to the girls' dormitory and got settled. I also used this day to buy necessities and explore a little. The next day was Orientation, which took the bulk of the day and I got to meet my buddy. Each student had a native student of the school, a buddy, to help us around KU and Seoul in general. That day, our buddies showed us some spots near the school. We went bowling, played board games, and ate sushi for dinner.

Next, we had a two-day field trip to Jeonju where we ate good food and played dress up.

Then the first class of the program came. I only took K-Psychology, which was three hours, and fortunately, it was in the morning so my afternoons were free. 

Next, Waterbomb!! Waterbomb is a popular music festival involving a lot of water to cool off 😎. I saw KISS OF LIFE, Lee Younji, Jay Park, Kwon Eunbi, and so many more artists! And I left drenched from head to toe.

Lastly, weekends were dedicated to me and my downtime 😌. 

The subsequent weeks followed this general format but were filled with different places, experiences, and food. I really liked how the field trips were educational and helped me learn about Korea's history. Now I feel smarter whenever I watch K-dramas and the Joseon Dynasty is mentioned. At the same time, they planned fun activities such as amusement parks like Lotte World and Everland, and a baseball game (Korea does not play when it comes to baseball - each player had their own chant and EVERYONE knew word for word). The food was amazing and cheap. Transportation was fairly easy to navigate but the apps they use are different, instead of Google Maps, use NAVER maps. The majority of the people were nice and knew some English; however, there was only one incident where I was refused service because I could not effectively communicate. To be honest, I understand. I only knew what Duolingo, K-dramas, and K-pop taught me, which are the basics. I believe when traveling international waters, it is important to know how to communicate the basics so you are not completely lost. But other than that, it was not too bad 😅. When in doubt, use Papago (the better version of Google Translate).

Although this jam-packed schedule felt hectic and tiring at times, I absolutely cherish my time there with all the memories I made and every person I met. Today, I still keep in touch with the group of friends I made (we bonded over our love for food - we would stay up into the AM at the campus's convenience store and big back (eat) EVERY NIGHT (not an exaggeration)) and even KU's Senior Associate of International Office, Lucky. 

Love Korea, love my big backs, love Lucky, love Melissa, and love me 😍.

MUST SEE AND DO IN LONDON

 Hi Sharks! If you didn’t see my first blog post, go check it out for basic information and what to pack! I definitely recommend studying abroad for two semesters if you are able to, as the first semester flew by and I was not ready to leave! I stayed on campus and lived in a townhome with 11 other random roommates. My biggest suggestion is to be open-minded because I went and did not know a single person and made the most amazing friends. I truly had the most incredible experience especially in the United Kingdom as there are unlimited amounts of things to do, see, and explore. If you have any other questions do not hesitate to reach out to me :) 

Culture shocks: I loved being surrounded by other cultures and learned so much that I never knew existed. Here are some of the culture shocks that I wrote down while studying abroad: 

1. A power bank is a portable charger 

2. There is only an “open door” button in an elevator (no close door button) 

3. Health care is free 

4. Ice doesn’t exist 

5. A backpack is a rack sack 

6. THE FOOD (best food ever) 

Tips for traveling to other countries: While being in London for the year, I traveled to almost 10 other countries! I would suggest packing very light and making sure your luggage fits the required size. Each airline has a different size requirement, but there have been many times when they almost didn’t let me on my flight because my luggage was too big. Also, if you are bringing liquids while traveling to other countries, they make you take all of them out and fit into a clear plastic bag, BUT they only give you one plastic bag. Make sure you are not bringing a lot of liquids and if you are, definitely put them in a bag that you are checking. Always have your passport and boarding pass out. You usually use your boarding pass to get through TSA, and then they check your ticket at the gate. 

(Cheese Fondue in Switzerland)                                     (Milan, Italy)

(Barcelona, Spain)

(Paris, France)

(Avoriaz, France)

(Barcelona, Spain)

(Eiffel Tower, France)

Sites that are a must In the United Kingdom: 

1. St. Paul’s Cathedral: This was by far my favorite place to go see in London. I would get tickets to go all the way up into the whispering gallery (which is the dome-shaped part of the cathedral).  I would go visit St. Paul’s to just read a book, eat some lunch, etc. 

(St. Paul's)

2. Borough and Camden Market: You must get the chocolate-covered strawberries from Borough Market! Seriously everything in both markets is so yummy! Very fun to walk around and explore.

                                                                        (Borough Market) 

 3. Dishoom: My favorite restaurant in London! It is Indian food, but everything is so good on the menu. 

(Dishoom) 

4. British Museum: You could seriously spend days in this museum due to the massive amount of artifacts and historical items to look at! 

(British Museum)

5. Tower Bridge: I would recommend getting tickets to walk inside and through the Tower Bridge. It was super cool to see how the bridge was built and learn about its history. 

(Tower Bridge)

6. Afternoon Tea: Anywhere in London is amazing for afternoon tea! If you are going to be in London, afternoon tea is a MUST! 

(Peggy's Afternoon Tea)

(Tiffany & Co's Afternoon Tea)

7. London Eye: I would suggest getting tickets to go on the London Eye! It is very cool because you can see all of the Big Ben and other famous monuments from the top! 

(London Eye)

8. Big Ben: Seeing pictures of the Big Ben does not do it justice…You have to go in person!!

(Big Ben)

9. Winter Wonderland: If you are in London during Christmas, they have this Christmas carnival that you must go to! It is filled with rides, games, music, food, drinks, etc. 

(Winter Wonderland)

10. Football (Soccer) Game: If you are a big soccer fan like me, you have to go to a league game to fully experience the culture of this sport! 

11. Christmas Lights: Starting in November, London starts setting up the most beautiful Christmas lights! Roam the streets in downtown London…Trust me it is magical! 

Preparing for a Year in London, United Kingdom

 Preparing for a Year in London, United Kingdom 

Hi Sharks! My name is Grace Cason and I studied abroad for a year in London, United Kingdom. I went to the University of Hertfordshire, which is located 40 mins outside the center of London. I had the decision to either study for one semester or two semesters, and I am so grateful I was able to choose to study abroad for two semesters. I arrived in London in mid-September and stayed until mid-July. I can’t wait to share with all of you about my experiences, how to pack for a year abroad, and tips to know before you get there!

Entry requirements: Since I was studying abroad for a year, I was required to apply for a visa. The process was not very difficult and by visiting the United Kingdom’s government website, it lists exactly the steps to follow in order to obtain a visa. I had to fill out online forms and then make an appointment with the immigration office where they took my fingerprints, specific forms, and my passport. My passport was then mailed back to me a month later with the visa inside. If i was going for a semester, I did not need to get a visa. 

Packing Clothes/Other Important Items: First of all, I had to get a whole brand new wardrobe, due to the fact I probably owned two pairs of jeans and a couple of hoodies. I would pack at least three big, warm raincoats because it rains almost every day in London. In addition, jeans are your best friend, so definitely have at least four good pairs! Definitely get thermals that you can wear under your jeans or even under skirts or shorts. I probably wore my thermals five times a week, especially if I wanted to wear a dress or shorts. I got mine from amazon and they are still in perfect condition, so they last you a very long time. I packed way too much and regret bringing three checked bags because I also shopped A LOT in London. The shopping is amazing in London, so I definitely recommend not bringing a lot because if you ever need anything there are so many shops you could go to and easily buy something. There are so many good stores for thrifting and other markets that have the cutest items! Bring a lot of plug converters!! I only brought one and had to go buy a lot more. Obviously bring your passport and other government-issued identifications. Since I was studying for a year abroad, I was required to apply for a biometric residence permit, which is basically another form of identification issued by the United Kingdom. 

Transportation: The University of Hertfordshire is located 40 mins outside the center of London, however, I would go into the city almost every weekend! I used the train and tube to get everywhere. It is honestly super reliable and easy to understand after a couple of times using it. Make sure you have Google Maps, type in where you want to go, and click the train icon. Once you do that, it'll show you the different routes you can take and what is the fastest way to get there. All of the train stations have signs, so I just followed what it said on Google Maps whenever I was in the train station. If you ever get lost, everyone is so helpful at the stations and would answer any questions you might have. Also, to make things cheaper, I purchased the railcard, which made my transactions a lot cheaper. All train stations have TAP, so I would just use my credit card to enter/exit the train stations. You can also buy train tickets online, and then print them out at the kiosks when you get to the station.  

London Spring: Some things you need to know

 Hi everyone!

It has been a minute but I wanted to come on here and share a little more about my second, and final, semester in London. Again, my name is Hope and I spent the last year studying abroad in London!

It has now been well over four months since I got back on the island and it has given me a lot of time to put together some things for you all. I would like to send a disclaimer that this is not going to be the most positive post but I hope it will help you in making your decisions!

Is Spring in London worth it?

Honestly, I would say it depends. I'm not going to lie and say that it was all terrible, because there were really good moments in my second semester, but there were other factors that made it not the most ideal situation. Also, these factors were mostly on me so if you catch these early on it would probably be better for you.

╰┈➤ There is no real "Spring" in London 

Now this might be controversial depending on where you are in the US, and maybe this is just because I grew up on island, but Spring doesn't really start until April-May (and saying April is really me being generous). Some days you would get lucky and the sun would come out for an hour or two but mostly it stayed winter weather almost my entire second semester there. Which would be good for those of that like that sort of weather but for everyone else, it is a big thing to consider when choosing what semester you would head out there.

 

On the left were most days and on the right was literally the last day of April. I kid you not when I say this was the first couple of days of Spring.

╰┈➤ It's kind of dull 

Due to the lack of holidays and celebrations during this time of year, compared to the Fall/Winter semester, London wasn't that exciting. There weren't that many events or fairs going on during the spring, like Winter Wonderland @ Hyde Park or any of the Christmas Markets. Even all of the markets were sort of empty due to the constant rainy and windy
weather so if you planned to try and do something they were limited to indoor activities. Which can be equally as fun, you just need to find your niche!

 

As you can see we did what we could but usually stuff was indoors and for a fee, and that plus transportation wasn't the most ideal.

╰┈➤  Classes 

This was my view most weekends :(

Now this is where I messed up big time. During my second semester, I took a media production class, not only that I took a photojournalism class as well. A huge part of this is because the school that I was going to messed up my schedule and I had to choose something available, which wasn't a lot. However, if you are going abroad and are there for a limited amount of time DO NOT choose a class that involves a camera. Unless that is what you're passionate about and you don't mind most of your time being consumed by editing or camerawork, you're just going to find yourself missing out on all of your time to explore!

Now, I don't mean to tell you this to push you off from studying abroad because there were so many incredible things I got to do during this semester too (which will be my next post!). However, it is important to know some of the things that I either wasn't aware of or didn't understand just how much of an impact they would have. I'm sure I would've had a more amazing time if I wasn't in certain classes and had more free time. So just take this with a grain of salt, your experience is up to you!!

Anyways, if you have anymore questions please feel free to let me know @/whenhopemeetsworld on ig would probably be best!! 

Thank youu :)) 

*ೃ༄  Hope