My project for this summer is to encourage more of my peers to study abroad and help them on their preparing process as much as possible. With that being said, I find that being honest with what I experience during my stay is necessary to achieve my goal.
Day one: My flight here and first night
Using Student Universe I booked my flight to Seoul, South Korea for $1651.51 USD. The flight was with two airlines, Virgin America and Korean air after the layover. I had never traveled internationally before so I don not how it compares, but Korean Air was excellent at making the 11 hour trip bearable. I would definitely recommend it and will personally try to fly with them for later trips. After landing in Seoul it's when things got tough. I really wish I had researched better how to get from the airport to my hotel as I learned the following information after I struggled my way to my "hotel". There are buses outside the airport that take people to different parts in Seoul for around 15,000 won ($13-$15). There is also some hotels, hostels and guest houses that offer airport pick up to guests. My friend Madeline came to Seoul three days before me and stayed at Zaza hostel, they picked her up for 75,000 won. I decided to take a taxi which can be very expensive, I payed 63,000 won to get to Gangnam area, because I was afraid to get lost using the bus and my "hotel" did not offer pick up. If you decide on taking a taxi, please opt for an international taxi over a regular taxi if your Korean is not very strong, it will make your life easier. Avoid the airport vans as they are ridiculously expensive, I think they are only worth it if you are spitting the fare with multiple people.
Day two: Living situation
The reason I say "Hotel" is because although the place I booked called itself a hotel it turned out to be a terrible place managed by terrible people and it does not deserve to be called a hotel. So my next big tip is to get assistance when booking a place to stay for the duration of the internship or if you are living outside the Korea University dorms. Try your best to find people with experience and knowledge of Seoul to guide you on your research. Look up reviews of the places you might choose and be very cautious of what the places show to be their facility and services and make sure they are not lying or exaggerating the reality. I did the mistake of waiting until my scholarships arrived to look up where to stay for the month of my internship and that gave me very little time to do research. To be honest, this was a very stressful and depressing first day for me and I really wish Korea University offered assistance to help their exchange students settle safely. Korea University does specify that housing accommodations are responsibility of the selected interns, but they should take under consideration those who have never traveled to South Korea at all and therefore need assistance. So please take your accommodations very seriously, ask the study abroad office, friends and people online to make sure you will be okay. My friend Madeline stayed at Zaza backpackers hostel for $50 USD per night and it is a nice place to stay if you can afford it. I am now staying at 24guesthouse for $33 USD per nigh and it provides a single room and restroom with free services like WiFi, breakfast, washer, microwave and television. They also provide rental services like dryer, cleaning and Transformer in case you forgot yours. Goshiwons and hasukjibs are also a good option, they are generally around university areas and the easiest way to find them is to walk to them and ask for available rooms and prices. I will be researching more about them and will dedicate a post to them once I find more useful information. Whatever you do stay away from "Mini Residence Hotel"!
Day Three: Adjusting to Seoul
It is inevitable to get homesick, specially after all the mistakes I have made so far. The important thing is to push forward and take everyday as an opportunity to focus on the positive and incredible of this experience. Seoul is a beautiful city with many things to offer. There are restaurants with all kinds of delicious food in every corner and many are open 24/7. There are also many shopping districts that offer cheap and pretty clothing, as well as popular makeup and skincare stores. So far I have visited Myeongdong and Edae and they are pretty impressive. Many exchange students have told me they bought so many pretty clothes here that they wish they had not brought so many from home, so if you want another tip to pack lightly consider buying some clothes here.
Apps will help you adjust to live in Seoul faster and make things easier for you.
- Naver Map- It will help you navigate through the city easier. It only comes in Korean but after playing a little with it it is easy to understand.
- Subway (지하철)- Helps understand Seoul's subway system.Tells you the stations,routes and exits.
- Yogiyo- Food delivery app. For those shy days.
- Kakao Talk- Messaging app almost everybody uses in South Korea.
- Seoul Bus- Tells you about bus routes, times and stops.
Also into buying a Korean sim card and if its right for you. It can save you some money.
Despite my ups and downs, it is only three days since I got to Seoul. I still look forward to my internship, school what this experience will teach me.
I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post and for no post in Spanish. It was a difficult beginning but I will now work harder to produce better and more helpful post for the blog.
Las siguientes entradas de mi blog seran en español también
