Tag: university of denver

The Rush Back Home

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Packing Up Experience

The worst part of studying abroad is packing up to go back home. Towards the end, you make your decision and create an opinion of the country you have lived in. Another downside to the end of study abroad is the packing. Luckily for me, all of my items fit in the luggage I brought to Korea; a backpack, carry-on, and two large suitcases. One of my friends had to go out last minute to buy another suitcase because it did not fit all of her things.

Depending on what you plan to buy in Korea, just know that you will bring so many things back home. This can be clothes, skincare, and stuffed animals. I wish I packed fewer clothes because I bought clothes in Korea. I also wish I had self-control when buying a bunch of smaller items because all of my smaller items ended up being a lot of stuff. It is so easy to shop in Korea because you can find anything anywhere and it is so cheap. Shopping in Korea was my kryptonite because there were so many cute things I saw and then knew I couldn’t live without buying.

Detailed Planning

Before going abroad, create a plan of what you want to do in Korea. Also, create an itinerary for what you want to do most. When creating your plan, I would recommend not doing activities that are high-energy on consecutive weekends. With school also happening, it gets exhausting very quickly. Throw in some low-energy activities so that you don’t pass out from exhaustion. It is important to keep your plans as realistic as possible. There is nothing wrong with having a lazy day and doing what you feel like at the moment.

During the time you are abroad, see if there are any concerts or festivals you would be interested in.

Here are links to Korean concerts:

https://tkglobal.melon.com/main/index.htm?langCd=EN

https://www.globalinterpark.com/?lang=en

Finals in Korea

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The Stress

While being in Korea, I have realized that you do not have the comfort of constantly seeing your grade as the classes are happening. So I could not check my grade online after every assignment, test, or project. This was incredibly stressful because I am unable to know how well I was doing in the class until I receive the transcript from Korea University, which is sent 2-4 months after the semester is over. There was also lots of stress when studying because I don’t know how I’m doing in the class as well.

To add to the stressful Korean school system, most professors will grade ambiguously. There will be no clear rubrics. The grading in Korea is a lot more strict. If you were to meet all the expectations and do what you needed to do on an assignment, test, or project, then that is considered a C grade because C is meeting the bare minimum; which is poor because you must go beyond expectations to receive an A. In all my classes, every student was struggling because the grading expectations were never clear.

Here is one of my professors explaining how he grades:

How to Prepare

While it is a must for you to explore and have fun while studying abroad, it is important to keep in mind that you are still attending school. For Korea University, the grade you receive in your classes is the grade that transfers to DU; Korea University is not a pass/fail school. If you finish a class with a B, then a B will be transferred to your DU transcript. Another thing is to not skip class. It is a bad habit to fall into, especially when at Korea University because it will cause you to automatically fail a class. At Korea University, I had a professor who would take attendance in every class, if you were absent then you would lose points which really adds up.

At the beginning of school, create good study habits and find the best place for you to study. Around Korea University, there are many cafes that are open late. There are also various libraries and designated study spaces all around Korea University’s campus.

Remember! School in Korea is way more intensive and serious in Korea. In Korean culture, education is super important not only ones’ oneself but to your family, because Korea is a collectivist society, and therefore a child’s education also represents their family.

You Aren’t Your Grade

At the end of the day, as long as you try your best, and learn from the University then you have made the most out of your study abroad. If you do not mature and grow as a person at the end of your study abroad then I believe that you did not make the most out of your time there. Study abroad is the best time to connect and learn from a culture that differs from your own.