This is it. I can't believe it, but I can finally say that my study abroad is reaching the end.
Finals My finals were pretty spread out as I had one every week, giving me ample time to study. Some exams were pretty difficult, but I tried my best and that is all that matters. I do want to say that in comparison to my study abroad KU peers, I had a more stressful finals week because of my choice to take all core business courses. Looking back, one thing that I wish I did was register for three business courses and one elective (as Rikki advised). At the time when class registration began, there were no electives that fit my schedule which left me no choice. As one very last tip, make sure that you have multiple back up schedules, as you never know what might happen. I would like to say that though my classes were a bit more difficult, it did have its perks. All of my professors wanted to give students the opportunity to study for their other courses, so they had scheduled the exams earlier. I ended on June 11, whereas the last day of exams was June 22. All in all, I really enjoyed the professors I had and I learned so much more than I could've ever imagined. See ya later, Seoul To say the least, study abroad has been a life changing experience for me. Being in a different country and having to live life on my own (being confused a majority of the time) allowed me to grow and develop in ways unimaginable. I am so grateful to have experienced Korea the way that I did, as it offered me a new appreciation for the culture and the people. I have challenged myself, stepped out of my comfort zone, and created memories that will last me a lifetime. I am excited to return home as a better version of myself. As a bittersweet ending, I am going to return to Seoul one day, it's just a matter of when. It's not a goodbye, but a see ya later. I would like to thank Mr.Freeman and the Freeman Foundation again for giving me this wonderful opportunity to study abroad. I am sad to say this is over, but I will always hold this unforgettable experience close to my heart. Thanks for kicking it with me in Korea ♥
0 Comments
Every semester Korea University hosts an International Student Festival, where students collectively come together and create an informational booth on a specific country. Though Hawaii is a part of the US, the students here at KU insist that Hawaii deserves it's own booth because of the rich culture. I was more than happy to help with the decoration, as well as, coordinate the booth the day of the event. Though Korea is far away from home, we wanted to be able to offer authentic products that Hawaii proudly makes. Luckily, there were a few international branches of local companies such as Hawaiian Sun and Kona Brewing Company. I had actually reached out to Honolulu Cookie Company in Seoul too and was able to get a sponsorship for our booth! This was a really great way to alleviate my home sickness and bring the aloha spirit to the students at KU. There were over a dozen booths and hundreds of students who attended the event. It was a super amazing experience as we were able to learn about the many different cultures and try out delicacies from each country! Another exciting event that was held is "Ipselenti." It' happens once a year during the Spring semester and it is the largest KU event. All the KU students comes together to cheer and celebrate for an entire day and it is similar to a high school homecoming. They bring in actual KPOP stars and we had performers like Momoland, Zion T., Highlight, Hyolyn, BlackPink, and Psy come down. This event is like an actual concert and I was amazed at how a school was able to put this on. I actually made a short YouTube video of the event and I hope this gives you a better idea of what it's like! PT.2 NAMDAEMUN GANGNAM ITAEWON NAMDAEMUN MARKET Namdaemun market is a 15 minute walk from Myeong-Dong, so I highly suggest checking out both areas since they are so close by! This is a cute market where people come to buy numerous things like clothes, decorations, flowers, food, furniture, and more! It is a huge area that you will most likely get lost in, so if you're going to meet up with someone, MEET UP BEFORE entering Namdaemun. I don't have any specific places you should go because there is a lot of ground to cover! I do suggest trying the street food as it is probably the cheapest place to get it! GANGNAM (Garosugil) This is the area will you will be amazed by how beautiful everything is. If you thought you knew what artsy cafes and aesthetic stores were, think again! Garousil-Gu is in the Gangnam area and you're going to stop and want to take pictures of everything and anything you see. The stores and restaurants take pride in their creativity and decorations, so it is going to be like walking through an amazing art-filled street. TOP PLACESTO GO 1) C27 Cheesecake (Garosugil) : I cannot express how much I love this cafe because it is an entire cafe dedicated to cheesecake (my favorite dessert). I only have a video of my cheesecake, but I will be sure to upload photos when I return within the upcoming weeks. There is a display case with over 30 different cheesecakes and I was in heaven. Each cheesecake costs 8,800 KRW for a slice which is pretty pricy, but I cannot express how amazing it tasted. My recommendations because there are a lot to choose from: The Dutch Apple Pie Cheesecake, Green Tea Cheesecake, and the Earl Grey Cheesecake. 2) Express Bus Terminal (In the Subway Station, take Line 2): I This is the most well known underground shopping area in Seoul and it is HUGE. I spent over 2.5 hours walking around this area and it seemed never ending. I do suggest going during the weekday because it can get very crowded and I had an overwhelming experience. It is mostly clothing stores and restaurants. I think it is a really good place to buy relatively cheap clothes as I saw some stores selling close for 3,000KRW ($3.00) and up. I was there for a very long time because I stopped to look at every store, so it might not take as long for you. You're able to take the Subway Line 6 and transfer to Subway Line 2. The cheaper underground area is located near Exit 8. ITAEWON Itaewon is a 15 minute subway ride from Anam and it is known to be the international area of Seoul. This is the only area in Korea where you will see more international/foreign people than Koreans. This area also has a lot of amazing restaurants, bars, and clubs to check out. Do keep in mind, the prices of things in this area relatively higher than other places that I mentioned previously, but I only come here to eat. In my opinion, there isn't much else to do, so if you're a major foodie you should check out some of these restaurants! Just to name a few of the cuisines that you will find here: French, Turkish, Indian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Mexican, American, and more! TOP PLACES TO GO 1) Plant is a vegan/vegetarian based restaurant that is really close to the Subway Exit #1 and is a very popular eatery among the younger crowd. Everything is priced similar to how food would be back home and it is definitely worth it. I have been wanting to try a vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Seoul, but it is not very common here. If you have ever tried 'Ai Love Nalo back home then you're definitely going to love this. I ordered the Lentil Bowl which was 12,000 KRW and Maurice ordered the Hummus Salad (12,500 KRW) and Avocado Burger (13,500 KRW) . So yummy! 2) The Mi Three Cafe (Shiba Inu Dog Cafe) This is a cute little Shiba Inu cafe that is not in the main area of Itaewon. It is a bit of a walk, but it is really worth it, if you have a love for Shiba Inus. There is no entrance fee, but you are required to order a beverage which costs about anywhere from 7,000 KRW+. This dog cafe is fairly small and only has three Shiba Inus. You are able to pay for dog treats at the cashier, but I am not too sure how much it costs. Overall good experience, but if you're looking for more doggies to play with I highly suggest going to Bau House Dog Cafe. 3) Any Kebab Shop There are so many kebab shops in Itaewon and you'll notice that once you get off of the bus or exit out of the station there will be numerous places to choose from. I can't remember the name of the one I went to, but all of them are equally as good! To my surprise, there are a lot of Turkish restaurants here and this was my first time trying authentic Turkish food and it was absolutely amazing! It is finally midterms and the timing of getting sick couldn't have come at a worse time. It is amazing how you can feel so good one moment and terrible the next. Now I had gotten food poisoning and I want to say it was my fault, but it didn't feel like it was caused by just one particular thing I ate. I am not too sure what other factors contributed to this, but I was as sick as I could've possibly gotten. Visiting Anam Hospital (KUMC) The international health clinic is located on the 2nd floor and there you will find several receptionist that speak foreign languages. I went to the English speaking receptionist and had told her how I felt. She told me that a consultation with a doctor was 28,000KRW. Keep in mind that we are covered by health insurance prior to leaving, but we are expected to pay the first $50.00 and any additional costs will be covered. You basically pay upfront for everything and submit a claim with itemized bill in English to the health insurance company afterward. When I saw the doctor, she prescribed me over 4 different medications and said that I should get an fluid injections because I was very dehydrated. My total for this visit came out to a little under $100.00 USD. I had my midterm the exact day I went to visit the doctor, so I knew I wasn't going to be able to make the exam. *Keep in mind* some teachers do not allow students to do make-up exams. Luckily, this professor allows make-up exams, as long as I provide a note from the doctors. They will request an official note from the doctor which costs 20,000 KRW (little less than $20) that states that you went to visit them. I thought that price was ridiculous to pay considering I already had to pay $100 already for the visit and medications. I decided to send pictures of my receipt and bill to my professor and luckily she accepted it. It took me about a week to get better and I experienced some hair loss, which I wasn't very happy about. Apparently, the medications that I was prescribed to take has major side effects that I was unaware of. I was pretty saddened by this news and was upset that my doctor gave me such strong medicine that caused this. After speaking with one of my Korean classmates, she had explained to me why I was given so much medicine. Koreans are very hardworking and typically when they are sick, they are still expected to work. When visiting the hospital or doctor, they prescribe very strong medications in high dosage, so patients can recover as quickly as possible to return to work. I just wanted to leave this here, so if you do end up getting sick you're going to be more prepared than I was! MIDTERMS I already took half my midterms before the midterm period and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was a bit worried, but it honestly feels like midterms back home. I did a good amount of studying and I am praying that I did well! There is a week where midterms are scheduled, but some professors can choose to have it earlier/later. This is when all the cafes around Anam are filled with students studying for their tests. Luckily there are multiple 24 hour cafes by KU, so if one cafe is full, there is bound to be another one within 5 minutes. |
About meI am currently a junior studying Marketing & International Business. blog directory:Up, Up, & Away (February)
Settling + Tips for Transportation (March) Bump in the Road + Tips for Registration (March) Seoul, What's there to do? PT.1 (April) Midterms (April) Seoul, What's there to do ? PT.2 (May) Getting Involved: Hawaii Booth + K-pop Concert (May) Finals + See You Later, Seoul (June) CONTACT ME: |