ISOIS ▸ Final reports

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Host institution:
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Faculty:
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Sungkyunkwan University

South Korea 2018/2019 Partner universities

Personal data
Mobility type:
study

Faculty at MU:
Faculty of Arts

Field of study:
General Linguistics

Level of study during period of placement:
Master

Language used:
English

Summer/winter school?:
no

Period of studies:
autumn 2018
spring 2019

Period of placement (from-to):
2018-09-03 - 2019-06-21

Number of months:
10.00

Activities before my departure abroad
Where can information be found about courses taught at the foreign school?:
University website and the university also sends a catalogue with courses

Which documents were needed for acceptance at the foreign university?:
Online application, Confirmation of studies, Transcript of records, Health insurance...

How far ahead did you have to organise your acceptance?:
At least 6 months before leaving

Did you need a visa?:
yes

Documents and materials needed for a visa:
Application form, passport+ copy, passport photo, Certificate of Admission, Confirmation of studies, Certificate for Business Registration, Invitation letter, bank statement, recommendation letter

Length of wait for visa:
One week

Fee for the visa:
1500 CZK

Studies
Did you have a Learning Agreement signed before your departure?:
yes

If not, why not?:

Before your departure did you know how your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

During your stay did you change your Learning Agreement?:
Yes

When and how did course registration take place? Are there any restrictions? Possibilities of making changes?:
Registation is in the first week of semester, on university website. Graduate students can take courses for undergraduate students and you can change courses within the first two weeks of semester

Did you take any examinations at the foreign school?:
Yes

Does the school use the ECTS system?:
no

If not then explain how the credits there were recalculated into ECTS:
Majority of courses are for 3 credits which are 6 ECTS

Describe the teaching methods (theory, practical and projects) and assessment of students:
Lectures, presentations, watching videos, field trips...majority oc courses have mid-term and final exams, some also presentations or papers

Quality of teaching in comparison with home school:
Depends on the course and professor

How did you receive study materials?:
University website- icampus, in the class

Can you recommend an interesting course/subject/teacher?:
Comtemporary Korean society and culture, The population and politics of contemporary Korea taught by Eui Hang Shin

How well is the school library equipped?:
They have many books in Korean but also in English and also computers, printers, scanners

Availability of computers, internet access, level of software needed, requirements on notebook:
Computers are in the library and also in the university buildings. Access to wifi is everywhere- classrooms, cafeteria, library, dorm. We needed to install a program to access the university system but it was changed later

Options from printing and copying:
There are print machines or in the library

Does the foreign school/student organisation arrange special events for exchange students?:
yes

If yes then what?:
Welcome party, Buddy day, bbq and other trips

How would you assess your integration with the local students (evaluation like in school from 1 to 5 with 1 as highest):
3

or describe in your own words:
Lots of Korean students are shy to talk to foreigners so it's quite difficult to become friends with them

Practical questions on your placement
Where did you live?:
I-house (dormitory)

Cost of accommodation - monthly:
0 USD

Additional comments to the price of accommodation (as to what the price includes):

Describe the equipment. Tips for future students – what should they bring with them?:
Room is for two people, it has a bathroom, closet, balcony, dryer, pillows, blankets and bed sheets

How and how far ahead should accommodation be organised?:
Around 2 months andtThe university will inform about the deadline until when you can send an application

What are the catering options?:
Cafeterias in the campus

What are the rough costs of groceries (compare with Czech prices):
Vegetables and fruits are really expensive (e.g 6 apples for 5000 won= 100 Kč), also meat is quite expensive, in general the prices are higher than in Czech

Transport to location of placement:
Airplane (Prague- Dubai- Incheon)

Rough prices for transportation:
One way flight ticket was around 15000 CZK but cheaper tickets can be found too

Tips for purchasing cheap tickets and other recommendations:
Don't look just at one website when buying a flight ticket, check more pages

What are the local transport options (public transport, cycling, on foot, rough prices):
My dorm was really close so I could go there on foot but there's also a shuttle bus that goes to the other campus in Suwon

What kind of formalities have to be arranged before arrival, for example residence permit?:
Within one month you have register for Alien card. The university gives information about it

What health insurance did you use? (rough price, advantages, disadvantages, is it necessary to arrange insurance at the university other than your home (Czech) insurance?):
Travel inssurance: around 4000 CZK for one year (ISIC)

Did you have any experience with medical treatment abroad?:
No

Did you work during your studies?:
No

What are the conditions for working for MU students?:
-

Tips for free-time activities:
You can join some of the university clubs and meet new people- dancing clubs, religious clubs, sports clubs...
Then you can travel around Seoul and visit many beautiful places and monuments, go to cafes and restaurants, hang out near the Han river...

Financial support and expenses
Total grant from Centre for International Cooperation:
200000 CZK

Monthly grant in CZK:
20000 CZK

Number of supported months:
10

Total number of months:
10

What other sources did you make use of to finance your placement?:
My own money, money from my family

If you received another grant, state which and how much in CZK:

 
Total fees associated with enrolment at the university:
0 ???

a/ amount of enrolment fee:
0 CZK

b/ amount of tuition fees:
0 CZK

c/ amount of other fees (which):
0 CZK

 
What was your average monthly expenditure?:
18500 CZK

a/ of which for accommodation:
8500 CZK

b/ of which for catering:
7500 CZK

c/ travel and recreation:
2500 CZK

Any comments to the average monthly expenditure:

Recognition of foreign studies at the home faculty
How many credits did you gain during your studies (in the system of the foreign school)?:
24

How many ECTS credits were recognised at MU?:
My credits haven't been recognised yet

Did you know in advance which of your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

What problems did you have with recognition?:
-

Overall assessment
Assessment of personal benefit (1 = excellent):
1

Assessment of academic benefit (1 = excellent):
2

Evaluate the information and support provided by the foreign school (1 = excellent):
1

Did you encounter any serious problems during your stay:
No

What would you recommend to take with you:
credit card, some cash (for taxi or bus when getting from the aiport)

What most surprised you at the partner university in a positive way:
The professors were really nice, they were always willing to help you. The university is placed in a really good area- there are lots of cafes, restaurants and shops

What most surprised you at the partner university in a negative way:
Some courses were supposed to be for international students but in the end they were taught only in Korean. There's a curfew in the dorms (1-5am)

Further comments:
I am really happy that I could study in Korea. It was one of the best moments of my life. I have met wonderful people, got to know Korean culture and cuisine and I became more independent and confident when it comes to ceartain things. It was an amazing year and I will never forget this