It’s official! I am an international student at Yonsei University!!! Woop woop. It has precisely been one week since I landed in South Korea. My week was full of happiness, making friends, and exploring the city. This week, I am most proud of taking the initiative to visit all the places that I did. I landed one week prior to school starting so I had a lot of free time to roam through the districts and get lost in Korean culture with my newfound friends. This week I have visited Sinchon, Idae, Hongdae, Myeongdong, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Kwangjang Marketplace, and Dongdaemun. I am going to make separate blog posts for each area to highlight some of the best restaurants and stores. Here is an overview of my week. To look at more pictures, please go to my Weekly Recaps gallery.
Until next time~ Cheers!
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Today marks the day that I am officially starting my study abroad journey! I will be flying on a direct Korean Airlines flight from the Honolulu Airport to Incheon Airport. The flight will last about 10 hours and I will land in South Korea at about 5:55pm in the afternoon. To be honest, I am quite dreading the long flight as I always experience some air sickness. Also, this will be the first time that I will be flying completely on my own. Fortunately, my friend, Julie Li, will also be flying to Korea - but on a different flight. We plan to meet at the baggage claim at Incheon after we land to regroup and find our AirB&B host. Our AirB&B host is very nice and will be picking us both up from the airport to drive us to our room. We will be sleeping there for one night before heading to Yonsei first thing in the morning to check into our dorms. Dorm check-ins start at 9:00am and I plan on being there bright and early so I can settle in quickly and relax a little before I start exploring the city. Leaving home is a bittersweet moment as I am excited to be able to finally live my dream of studying in South Korea, but also a bit sad as I have to leave my friends and family. The time difference doesn’t make it easy as there is a big 18+ hour difference between Seoul and Hawaii. :,( Luckily, phone apps like KakaoTalk, FaceTime, and Facebook Messenger help connect me back to home. It puts ease to my mind that Hawaii is only one call away. I highly recommend downloading the KakaoTalk app well before traveling to Korea to help familiarize yourself with the user interface. KakaoTalk is the main form of communication for local Korean citizens. I also recommend checking the weather trends leading up to your flight to S. Korea so you know what to pack and bring on the flight. Currently, it is around 0 °C in Seoul. To help you out, I have a created a little carry on packing list below. Note: this is what I have packed and you can pack more or less depending on your needs.
Until next time~ Cheers!
After accepting your nomination to Yonsei University through the MIX program, you will then need to complete the Study Abroad at Yonsei (SAY) application to fully complete the process. The only way to receive the SAY application is through direct email. The regional coordinator of Yonsei’s exchange program will send you an email that includes link to the application as well as your personal login information to the site. The application is straight forward and should not take you a long time to complete. It is crucial that you follow the criteria that is listed in the application. The deadline for the application is in Korean time so mark your calendars accordingly. I did not have to mail anything in (unlike in previous years for the SAY app) but I still completed my application well ahead of the due date. Important application tips
ID PHotoYour ID photo is critical to your identity while in Korea and very strict rules have to be abided when taking the photo. Below is a picture of the requirements that have to be met. Requirements:
***note the photo has to be 3.5cm x 4.5cm*** Upload in .jpg format I used my iPhone camera to take my photo so it is okay if you do not have a professional DSLR to take your ID photo PassportThe SAY application requires you to upload a scan of your passport. I uploaded mines in .jpg form. At the time I didn’t know whether or not Yonsei wanted all of the attachments in PDF or JPG format. I just took a shot in the dark and it worked out! Luckily, I already had a passport on hand by the time that I started the SAY Application. I highly recommend getting a passport once you’ve decided on applying to a study abroad program. It takes a good 4-6 weeks to receive a U.S. passport so please plan ahead and don’t procrastinate! You can get your passport done at the Hawaii State Library or UH Manoa’s campus center. Health InsuranceMy personal insurance plan does not cover me internationally so I had to purchase insurance from MIX. When I started the SAY application I had not purchased the insurance yet so I just attached a PDF that stated “Insurance proof to be provided on admission.” It looked like this. I wanted to purchase insurance only after I received my acceptance letter from Yonsei. ***very important*** You are allowed to edit your personal information after you have submitted your application. Please remember to upload proof of your insurance as soon as you have it. Personal StatementAt the end of the SAY application, there will be a word doc for you to download and complete. There will be roughly 4 short response questions that should only take 1/2 of a page each to answer. I spent a considerable amount of time working on my short response answers and I made sure to be respectful and honest. Make sure to proof read your responses before uploading the word doc to the application. And... congrats! You are completed with the application You have now completed the application. Now you have to wait for your acceptance packet which should come in about a month from the due date of the application. Your acceptance packet can be picked up at the MIX office in QLC. Your next step should be applying for dorms. Stay tuned for posts on how to choose/ apply to the dorms!
Until next time~ Cheers! |
About meMy name is Elizabeth (Liz) Q. I am a full time student studying at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. I am extremely passionate about helping people, learning things and developing relationships. Archives
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