ISOIS ▸ Final reports

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Sungkyunkwan University

South Korea 2019/2020 Partner universities

Personal data
Mobility type:
study

Faculty at MU:
Faculty of Arts

Field of study:
English Language and Literature

Level of study during period of placement:
Bachelor

Language used:
English

Summer/winter school?:
no

Period of studies:
autumn 2019

Period of placement (from-to):
2019-09-02 - 2019-12-20

Number of months:
4.00

Activities before my departure abroad
Where can information be found about courses taught at the foreign school?:
University provides information on their web page

Which documents were needed for acceptance at the foreign university?:
Documents required by czs, transcript of records

How far ahead did you have to organise your acceptance?:
n/a

Did you need a visa?:
yes

Documents and materials needed for a visa:
Bank statement, Certificate of Admission, Certificate for Business Registration, photo (all documents are listed on the Korean visa web page)

Length of wait for visa:
3 weeks

Fee for the visa:
1000 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?:
Course registration has to be done through university's site, similar to course registration on IS

Did you take any examinations at the foreign school?:
yes, midterms and final exams for each course

Does the school use the ECTS system?:
no

If not then explain how the credits there were recalculated into ECTS:
university has conversion system

Describe the teaching methods (theory, practical and projects) and assessment of students:
Courses at SKKU had more home assignments, and team project. Midterms have to be taken durind the semester and finals are during the last class, there is no break before exams. Otherwise the methods were quite similar.

Quality of teaching in comparison with home school:
similar

How did you receive study materials?:
Through university online system (i-campus, similar to ELF)

Can you recommend an interesting course/subject/teacher?:
Korean language course classes were lot of fun, teachers tried to tell us about current events in Korea so that we can participate/understand.... professor Kang Yongsoon had also interesting and fun classes on English language/linguistics

How well is the school library equipped?:
very well

Availability of computers, internet access, level of software needed, requirements on notebook:
school library has a lot of computer rooms, no devices were required during the classes I took

Options from printing and copying:
available in every building for a small fee

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

If yes then what?:
buddy meetings, dinners, culture 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:
Most of my friends were other exchange student because we all knew no one and wanted to travel but the buddies were also very helpful and friendly

Practical questions on your placement
Where did you live?:
Sharehouse

Cost of accommodation - monthly:
320 USD

Additional comments to the price of accommodation (as to what the price includes):
Accomodation in Seoul is pretty expensive, this was one of cheaper options. The house was fully equipted, I also had option to rent the bedding. Finding a cheaper place is lot easier with at least some knowledge of Korean, there are One-roomtels/goshiwons all around Seoul

Describe the equipment. Tips for future students – what should they bring with them?:
I didn't bring any, most things are avaible there for public as well

How and how far ahead should accommodation be organised?:
Finding a place on spot is probably also a manageable option but having a place in advance is lot safer, closest and cheapest places are booked first...dorms are also an option

What are the catering options?:
school has many options on campus, food chains and canteens with Korean and foreign cuisine

What are the rough costs of groceries (compare with Czech prices):
most things are almost double the price

Transport to location of placement:
bus and subway, there is also university shuttle bus going from the city to the school campus

Rough prices for transportation:
school shuttle was around 300 won, bus and train go from 1000 - 3000 won depending on how far you go

Tips for purchasing cheap tickets and other recommendations:
korea tourist travel card are avaible at tourist centers, rechargeable transportation card (Tmoney) is the best for daily commuting

What are the local transport options (public transport, cycling, on foot, rough prices):
subway, bus, rental bikes, on foot if you live close

What kind of formalities have to be arranged before arrival, for example residence permit?:
You have to apply for Alien Registration Card, all information is sent from SKKU

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?):
ISIC insurance for students, it's one of the less expensive ones

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?:
n/a

Tips for free-time activities:
Seoul is beautiful city to explore, lot of historical areas and many themed cafes....the larger cities are great for a few day trip, AirBnb available - cuisine is different in every area, so it was always a good experience to go to the other places outside of Seoul

Financial support and expenses
Total grant from Centre for International Cooperation:
70000 CZK

Monthly grant in CZK:
17000 CZK

Number of supported months:
4

Total number of months:
5

What other sources did you make use of to finance your placement?:
my own savings

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 ???

b/ amount of tuition fees:
0 ???

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

 
What was your average monthly expenditure?:
500000 KRW

a/ of which for accommodation:
380000 KRW

b/ of which for catering:
50000 KRW

c/ travel and recreation:
100000 KRW

Any comments to the average monthly expenditure:
Really depends what kind of diet you have and where you travel

Recognition of foreign studies at the home faculty
How many credits did you gain during your studies (in the system of the foreign school)?:
15

How many ECTS credits were recognised at MU?:
30

Did you know in advance which of your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
no

What problems did you have with recognition?:
.

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

Assessment of academic benefit (1 = excellent):
1

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:
Maybe some souvenirs for the friends you make there

What most surprised you at the partner university in a positive way:
Professors are very friendly, go to outings with student, offer personal help if you struggle with anything...

What most surprised you at the partner university in a negative way:
That we didn't have extra time to study before final exams

Further comments: