Details

• Republic of Korea
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

We were the first semester to go through the new system, so I think some things definitely changed since then. The overall idea is to be aware of why and where you want to go. As now there is no separate interview for each partner university, I don't think it is still necessary to know in advance which classes you want to take and other overly specific details, that others suggested to prepare for the old interview system (if you already researched it, or that is among your top interests in a partner university - that is great and you should talk about it ofc). Prepare your motivation well in advance; it shouldn't be just "because it's fun", show that you are interested in both universities you applied to and the country/region. If you end up applying to multiple totally different parts of the world (which I think is not the ideal outcome, but it can happen), make sure to have the well-prepared reasons why, as you will be definitely asked how come you are interested (for example) in Korea and the USA at the same time. You should also show how the WU and the partner institution will benefit from sending you abroad, and that you are willing to contribute back. And, quite obviously, but often neglected in exchange interview preparation, be ready to talk about yourself, your background, and your plans for the future. You should seem like an interesting and goal-oriented person in the first place, not just because you learned some information about the university online. As for the semester abroad preparation, it is really nice and reassuring to talk to someone who has gone abroad before, if you have such friends (you can also reach out to people who went to your university before you, as I think most of us agreed to share our contact information). Be proactive with researching about dorm applications, visa process, flight tickets, etc. Korea offers a lot of options for shopping, so I wouldn't say to pack at all, but be ready to buy a second suitcase or send a box home after the semester ends. As for trips, events, parties, and so on, I would not recommend really booking a lot in advance, as there will be more than enough options from the very first days in Korea(I wasted like 25 EUR on an exchange party ticket I never went to, as there were other options that everyone I knew was going to). Same with trips, yes its cheaper to book in advance, but unless you wanted to travel alone anyway - don't book before coming, its unlikely people will just decide to join (and, VERY IMPORTANTLY, you cannot leave a country and return back before receiving a residence card, which takes about 2 months, so DO NOT book any overseas trips for this period). It is worth looking into some big concerts or other events happening during your stay there, as those should be booked in advance, but again, expect to go there either alone or with not your closest friends, unless you are really lucky. You can also try looking for some "exchange students at Yonsei" communities on Reddit or Discord, as those are created every semester, to get to know people before coming. I never actively talked there and was perfectly fine with finding friends, but I know some people who already went to Busan in the second week after coming to Korea, because they organised a trip through Discord in advance.

2. Accommodation

I lived on campus at SK Global dorm; however, I had some friends living off campus, so I can talk about both. The on-campus options are a safe choice if you don't feel comfortable looking for private options and paying up front, etc. There are 2 dorms available: SK Global with single and double rooms for both females and males, and I-House, which is female-only with double rooms. They are ok, not bad, not perfect. You are getting a light room with a big window (not always the case with private options), there is a common kitchen on the ground floor (you won't need it), a small gym, and a convenience store. You cannot enter another gender's floor or have outside guests, yet, at least, there is no curfew, as it was abolished some years ago. It is close to uni, yet slightly off the main Sinchon area, so you will need to walk 20 minutes or take a one bus stop ride if you want to eat or do some shopping. Important to say that there is no guarantee that you will be assigned a spot, especially if you are a male or want a single room. I applied within like 5 minutes after the application opening and still got a single room, but I've heard demand can vary, and in some semesters, you need to be really fast. As for the private options, there are plenty of them, from shared houses on Airbnb and Facebook, small rooms on EnkoStay, to private co-livings like Episode, Mangrove (those are pricier). Those offer higher flexibility, can be better located than Yonsei dorms, if you look for the Sinchon area ones (don't be fooled by the maps, any commute in Seoul is at least 30 minutes, more often an hour, so you are better off living near the university). My friends paid about what I did and had similar-sized (small) rooms; however, it can vary greatly, depending on your luck, so you can end up with even smaller options. If I were to choose now, I would try to find a private room, as it offers much more flexibility and no control. I chose dorms in hopes of it being a social space and a place for gatherings, yet there were barely any events organised by the dorms. My friends "happened to live in the same dorm" but we didn't actually met there, and all our gatherings were off campus as well, so I wouldn't miss out much. However, it really depends on what you are able to find and has more unknowns than the dorm option, so if you would like to play it safe or is ok with the above-mentioned rules, on-campus can still be the right choice for you.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is really nice and beautiful, with 5 different cafeterias with big meals for reasonable prices, a couple of convenience stores, a big library, and cats (many departments have their cats, I mainly saw the one in the business building). Some buildings are rather old, with the US high-school vibes, but there are new ones, as well as just well-preserved and renovated halls like Underwood. There are tens of student clubs and plenty of major events like YonKo games and even K-pop concerts. Yet, we as exchange students were somewhat excluded from all of it. The majority of clubs don't want to take exchange students because of either Korean skills or the fact that you are there only for 1 semester. And for some events, you simply cannot get a ticket if you are not a full-time student. Yet, there is still plenty to see, especially in the first half of the semester, and I am still impressed by how proud local students are to be a part of their university, and this is a really cool thing to experience. The academic culture is quite strict when it comes to attendance and hierarchical in the teacher-student relationship, yet this is a part of Korean culture and is to be expected. Expectations for exchange students are lower, so unless you take some engineering courses, you won't really have a crazy workload. I would say that even general non-exchange courses are quite ok and not harder than WU. The teaching style really depends on a professor; they are quite nice and open to questions, but the teaching style is mostly a lecture-type classroom. You also have an option to learn Korean, yet I have to warn you that the intensive course is Mon-Wed-Fri, the attendance policy is quite strict, and they cover a lot in a single class - so if you want to have a long weekend for exploring or travelling, that's a trade-off to consider.

5. Every day life in the host country

I can probably talk about my time in Korea for hours. I really liked my stay in Seoul. It's a gigantic city, with all kinds of stuff happening everywhere, and I think four months is not enough to see all the areas. The public transport is nice and goes quite often, yet the subway doesn't run during the night, even on weekends, and there are not many night buses (which are really full near the club areas), so expect to Uber after a night out (it is quite cheap though). Korea is very safe, even safer than Vienna, you can leave your laptop in a cafe and go for lunch somewhere else - no one's gonna take it. Cafes are just next-level when it comes to design. I have never seen so many cool-looking places, with each having something unique. There are all kinds of activities available, with tons of places running around the clock, you can find something to do or to eat basically anywhere and anytime. The same goes with events or going out - there are places like Hongdae, which one would consider on a crazier side, "calmer" Itaewon with more bars, or higher-end clubs in Gangnam - you can definitely find something you like. Shopping is another kind of activity in Korea, with tons of local and international brands present and areas like the Dongdaemun night market, where stores close at 3-5am. And, of course, just exploring new areas, walking or cycling along the Han river, eating at a local restaurant (expect to eat out a lot, most locals don't really eat at home, as it's quite often similar in price to cooking). However, the interesting and cool part about Seoul is that there is not really a city centre, with each area having most of the things you would like to find, so it's only your desire to explore and try something new, and not an actual need, that pushes you to leave Sinchon and go somewhere else. As for sport options, there is a gym and pool on campus (paid), sports student clubs (if you are lucky to get in), ranging from running to horse riding and all other options off-campus you could imagine a big city should have.

6. Testimonial

It is really a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a county much deeper than I ever could as a tourist, without actually committing to move there permanently. Korea is an amazing country, and I would like to come back there, but it will never be as impressive and memorable as it was during my exchange semester. It can be difficult at times, or you can be afraid of not finding friends, but in the end, it is absolutely worth it. For me, it felt like a break from daily stress and thoughts about my future and career, but at the same time, I was still acquiring new knowledge, building my personality, and getting to know new people - and this is the best part about going abroad for me.