From June 22 to July 24 of 2015, I attended the Sogang Korean Studies Summer Program at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. Monday through Thursday I attended classes from nine to five, studying Korean language, culture, history, and architecture. On Fridays, my classmates and I went on field trips to museums, palaces, broadcasting centers, and even the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea! Weekends I had to myself, so I tried to explore as much of the city as possible. I managed to visit many shopping districts, such as Myeongdong, Insadong, Dongdaemun, Sinchon, and Namdaemun, as well as some other sightseeing places, including Namsan Tower, the Han River, and the Cheonggyecheon Stream. There may or may not be a picture in existence of me dancing to Gangnam Style in the Gangnam district...
This experience served as an introduction and adjustment period to life in Seoul, where I will begin a year-long exchange in August. My goals were to build a strong foundation for learning the language, become informed about the history and culture of the area, and acquire the knowledge necessary to carry out day-to-day life in the city (e.g. understanding public transportation, learning what to buy where, etc.). These goals were realized thanks to my language classes, seminars, and independent exploration. Moving forward, I hope to used what I gained in these five weeks to smoothly adjust to life at Korea University in the fall. Based on my previous experience living abroad, my first impressions are probably not an accurate portrayal of what life in South Korea will be like, nor do I think that they will match what I have to say a year from now, so I'll keep these thoughts to myself until I post a reflection for my Korea University experience.
You can still keep up with my adventures (and track my linguistic and artistic progress) on my Instagram @goingseoulsearching (linked on the bottom right corner of this page), and you can view a selection of my photos from this experience below (hover for descriptions).
This experience served as an introduction and adjustment period to life in Seoul, where I will begin a year-long exchange in August. My goals were to build a strong foundation for learning the language, become informed about the history and culture of the area, and acquire the knowledge necessary to carry out day-to-day life in the city (e.g. understanding public transportation, learning what to buy where, etc.). These goals were realized thanks to my language classes, seminars, and independent exploration. Moving forward, I hope to used what I gained in these five weeks to smoothly adjust to life at Korea University in the fall. Based on my previous experience living abroad, my first impressions are probably not an accurate portrayal of what life in South Korea will be like, nor do I think that they will match what I have to say a year from now, so I'll keep these thoughts to myself until I post a reflection for my Korea University experience.
You can still keep up with my adventures (and track my linguistic and artistic progress) on my Instagram @goingseoulsearching (linked on the bottom right corner of this page), and you can view a selection of my photos from this experience below (hover for descriptions).