International student exchange - experiences, advice? Updated - I think we're going to Korea!

[chocolate-chip chooky]

My youngest is keen to do a semester study exchange to a sister university in Seoul.

It sounds like an amazing opportunity, but there are SO many logistics to consider.

Firstly, she's only 16, so sending her to another country for several months is a big deal. 

But I'd love to hear any of your experiences and any advice you might have.

@Kareni Do you have any Korea-specific thoughts or advice?

Edited October 15, 2022 by chocolate-chip chooky

[Kareni]

Hello there, @chocolate-chip chooky

That does sound like a tremendous opportunity for your daughter!  

You mention a sister university. Is your daughter now a college student? ETA: Or is this a program for high schoolers? Does the program include housing in a dorm or with a host family? (I honestly don't know if dorms are standard in Korea since my daughter went to Korea to work after graduating from college.)

Is your daughter aware of anyone who has already done the program? They would likely be a great resource. (My daughter did a study abroad in New Zealand, and I recall her sharing a link to a blog that a prior participant of that program had created. That gave her - and us - an idea of what she might expect.)

When does the program take place?

If you or your daughter have specific questions, I'd be happy to pass them along to my daughter.

Regards,

Kareni

[Lilaclady]

First, find out the college’s policy regarding age. My dd wasn’t able to do study abroad because her college required the students to be over 18 but not all colleges have that policy. Things I will consider-

will the classes she will take there transfer back to her original college? 
mare there enough classes to fulfil her major/minor requirements

are the tuition costs the same or different. My dd’s school charges instate rates for study abroad so it’s a great incentive for OOS students  

[chocolate-chip chooky]

@Kareni

@Lilaclady

Thank you both for your replies. Much appreciated!

My daughter is 16, and she's in her second year of university here in Brisbane. SNU is a sister university to the University of Queensland.

She has a TOPIK Level 6, and immersion is really her next step. I'm kind of expecting we'll need to wait until she's 18, but goodness, she's so keen right now.

I really don't know if her age will be an issue. We'll need to nut that out with both UQ and SNU, and also any other organisations that need to be involved with things like student visas. We're waiting to hear back from a few key people.

And so far all we can see in the documentation is that flights, all transport, accommodation, meals etc are the responsibility of the student. I have no idea how we'd go about finding accommodation for a 16 year old in another country 😮  So, kind of overwhelmed at the moment.

The program offers a semester, so she could apply for first half or second half of next year.  

Thanks heaps Kareni for offering to ask questions of your daughter. Is she in Seoul? 

 

[MEmama]

Does the university not have a department for exchange students? 

[MEmama]

https://en.snu.ac.kr/admission/exchange/programs
 

This explicitly mentions that on campus housing is available

https://oia.snu.ac.kr/page/c_pre_arrival.php

How to get a visa, apply for housing, etc

My son is in university overseas for his full degree, not as an exchange student, but his school has a dedicated office specifically for international students, where they handle all the types of questions you are asking. It looks like the OIA is similar. 
 

Idk what the culture is like at Australian universities, but European school expect students to be much more independent than North American schools. So for example the idea that they grocery shop and cook their own meals even as freshmen is the norm, whereas that extremely uncommon here. There are no Facebook pages for parents like I've seen mentioned here, students are considered adults and treated as such. Just mentioning it because you may find similar differences, and you’ll want to be prepared especially since your daughter is so young.

Edited June 7, 2022 by MEmama

[chocolate-chip chooky]

7 hours ago, MEmama said:

https://en.snu.ac.kr/admission/exchange/programs
 

This explicitly mentions that on campus housing is available

https://oia.snu.ac.kr/page/c_pre_arrival.php

How to get a visa, apply for housing, etc

My son is in university overseas for his full degree, not as an exchange student, but his school has a dedicated office specifically for international students, where they handle all the types of questions you are asking. It looks like the OIA is similar. 
 

Idk what the culture is like at Australian universities, but European school expect students to be much more independent than North American schools. So for example the idea that they grocery shop and cook their own meals even as freshmen is the norm, whereas that extremely uncommon here. There are no Facebook pages for parents like I've seen mentioned here, students are considered adults and treated as such. Just mentioning it because you may find similar differences, and you’ll want to be prepared especially since your daughter is so young.

Thank you for your input.

A couple of days ago I did contact both of the links you posted. Just waiting to hear back.

The home university, UQ, replied promptly, saying they'd never had this request before, so they're looking into it.

So, we're making all the contacts with hopefully all the right people, and asking all the questions.

I just like adding the wisdom and experiences of all of you to the mix. I value it.

Independence expectation is very high on my need-to-know list. She's a super capable 16 yr old, but she still only has limited life experiences. 

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

And as to the culture of Australian universities - living on campus is possible, but not the norm here. 

My daughter has never lived away from our family home, or even travelled for that matter.

If she did this exchange, it would be a whole boatload of firsts for her.

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

And as to the culture of Australian universities - living on campus is possible, but not the norm here. 

My daughter has never lived away from our family home, or even travelled for that matter.

If she did this exchange, it would be a whole boatload of firsts for her.

I get it! DS went to his university sight unseen, across an ocean in a city he’d only spent one day in some years before (he was well travelled though, and had lived in a different country for a few years). Because of Covid most of his friends made similar choices without having seen their new schools and homes— I’m ever impressed by the moxie of these young people! And ofc the culture in Korea will be *entirely* different. Best of luck to her (and you)! 

[Kareni]

15 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

...all we can see in the documentation is that flights, all transport, accommodation, meals etc are the responsibility of the student.

It's interesting to look at the first link that @MEmamaprovided.

The Exchange Student Program mentions "On-campus housing is provided...."

while the Visiting Student Program "On-campus housing is not available for visiting students...."

It would be great if her program fits under the first designation.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

15 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

She has a TOPIK Level 6 ...

That is wonderful! My daughter last took the TOPIK test several years ago; if I'm remembering correctly, she scored a high four.

15 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Thanks heaps Kareni for offering to ask questions of your daughter. Is she in Seoul? 

She is indeed!

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

28 minutes ago, Kareni said:

It's interesting to look at the first link that @MEmamaprovided.

The Exchange Student Program mentions "On-campus housing is provided...."

while the Visiting Student Program "On-campus housing is not available for visiting students...."

It would be great if her program fits under the first designation.

Regards,

Kareni

Thanks, Kareni.

Yes, I found those links a few days ago, and I emailed them. I'm waiting to hear back with more information.

Even if they do provide accommodation, would they take in a 16 year old on a university campus, for example. I wonder if insurance or workplace health and safety policies could be a hurdle.

I'm pretty confident it is called the 'exchange student program' but I really need to find out if age could make her ineligible for normally included things, such as accommodation. I don't want to make any assumptions. 

We navigated early university entry with her, and that involved people needing to think beyond their current policies and procedures, to see if and how she could be accommodated. She doesn't fit the usual demographic, so I've learnt that written policies don't necessarily apply to her.

[Kareni]

I hope that the program will be available to her, @chocolate-chip chooky. And, yes, I think you are wise not to make assumptions.

Regards,

Kareni

[Bootsie]

DH has taught in Korea several times--but not in Seoul.  The university where he has taught did have dorms and cafeterias.  Overall, Korea is a safe place; our kids were 9 and 12, I think, the first time we were there, and they went about the town by themselves.  

There are a wide range of types of study abroad programs--with varying degrees of supervision and guidance.  It sounds as if this is a program where the student is "visiting" in that they are not degree seeking at that university, but for the most part are treated just as other students on the campus.  Usually, the home university will have some office that helps with making sure that credit hours will transfer and those types of logistics and there is an office at the receiving university's end that helps with visas, some type of orientation, and provide some social and cultural events.  At the same time they encourage the exchange students to get involved with local students and activities so that they are not interacting primarily with other exchange students. 

[Laura Corin]

31 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Thanks, Kareni.

Yes, I found those links a few days ago, and I emailed them. I'm waiting to hear back with more information.

Even if they do provide accommodation, would they take in a 16 year old on a university campus, for example. I wonder if insurance or workplace health and safety policies could be a hurdle.

I'm pretty confident it is called the 'exchange student program' but I really need to find out if age could make her ineligible for normally included things, such as accommodation. I don't want to make any assumptions. 

We navigated early university entry with her, and that involved people needing to think beyond their current policies and procedures, to see if and how she could be accommodated. She doesn't fit the usual demographic, so I've learnt that written policies don't necessarily apply to her.

When my under-18 moved into university housing in the UK, we had to sign a waiver that they took no in loco parentis responsibility.  Then she could stay with no problem. 

[Kareni]

@chocolate-chip chooky, we chatted with my daughter this afternoon, and she brought up a topic I had not considered. South Korea is high tech, and the use of cell phones is huge. One cannot get one's own cell phone (which is linked to one's national ID number or alien registration number) until age 18. Not having a phone tied to one's identity number makes life very challenging, she said.

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

23 hours ago, Kareni said:

@chocolate-chip chooky, we chatted with my daughter this afternoon, and she brought up a topic I had not considered. South Korea is high tech, and the use of cell phones is huge. One cannot get one's own cell phone (which is linked to one's national ID number or alien registration number) until age 18. Not having a phone tied to one's identity number makes life very challenging, she said.

Regards,

Kareni

Huge thanks to you and your daughter. 🌻

Can you explain this further? I'm not exactly clear what this means.  What sort of things require ID via phones?

 

[EmilyGF]

I did a year-long exchange at 16, but stayed with a family, and then returned to the same country at 20 and stayed for three months while working in a lab. I did a fair amount of traveling on my own both times.

With a semester - you'd need to make sure you get the right visa for that. Many countries only allow you to stay 3 months, and twice I've stayed exactly 3 months minus a day places because tourist visas are so much easier than other visas. 

It sounds like your daughter is really excited about this, which is great! I had decided at age 9 to be an exchange student once I hit my teens. I still dealt with a lot of culture shock and a bit of sadness, though, after the newness wore off. Other students I knew hit rough spots, too. It was common. Living in a dorm might help mitigate this (more control vs a host family experience) or make it worse (more loneliness, fewer connections with actual S. Koreans).

Emily

[Kareni]

2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Huge thanks to you and your daughter. 🌻

Can you explain this further? I'm not exactly clear what this means.  What sort of things require ID via phones?

I asked my daughter for more information. Here is her reply:

"There's no such thing as a "burner phone" in Korea; they're all tied to an official ID (passport is possible).  But unless your phone is officially connected to a domestic ID card (ARC/Resident Card) you won't be able to use it for a lot of apps or banking things.  You need to "verify" your phone number to do online shopping, order delivery food, buy movie/performance tickets, use the government tax website, etc.  Of course teenagers in Korea have their own phones, but these are usually under their parents' names.  I'm sure there are workarounds to allow minors to get an official government ID connected to their phone numbers, but these probably involve a parent/guardian in Korea signing papers or giving permission, so it would be much more difficult for a guardian overseas to do the same.  (I've heard that when a minor student comes to Korea the school/university has to act as their official "guardian" on paperwork for some things as well, but I don't know exactly how that all works.)"

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

55 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I asked my daughter for more information. Here is her reply:

"There's no such thing as a "burner phone" in Korea; they're all tied to an official ID (passport is possible).  But unless your phone is officially connected to a domestic ID card (ARC/Resident Card) you won't be able to use it for a lot of apps or banking things.  You need to "verify" your phone number to do online shopping, order delivery food, buy movie/performance tickets, use the government tax website, etc.  Of course teenagers in Korea have their own phones, but these are usually under their parents' names.  I'm sure there are workarounds to allow minors to get an official government ID connected to their phone numbers, but these probably involve a parent/guardian in Korea signing papers or giving permission, so it would be much more difficult for a guardian overseas to do the same.  (I've heard that when a minor student comes to Korea the school/university has to act as their official "guardian" on paperwork for some things as well, but I don't know exactly how that all works.)"

Regards,

Kareni

Kareni, can you please pass on my thanks to your daughter. I really appreciate you both taking the time to help with this.

We will most certainly take this information on board, and look into it further. It wouldn't have even been on our radar, so thank you!!

[Kareni]

Just now, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Kareni, can you please pass on my thanks to your daughter.

I shall!

And you are quite welcome.

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm reviving this thread because it looks like we're headed to Korea!

The original exchange didn't work out because the home university couldn't secure insurance for a 16 year old. Fair enough. We were not surprised. 

BUT my daughter is persistent, and she found a study opportunity that doesn't directly involve the home uni (other than providing a transcript for the application).

It's an intensive program at Yonsei University, and she's been offered a place! They are willing to take a 16 year old, but cautioned that travel and life there would be difficult on your own when underage.

So I'm going too 😮😬.  We've applied for passports, so it's starting to feel real. 

@Kareni If your daughter has any further advice for us, I'd be most appreciative.

We plan on booking an airbnb as close to Yonsei campus as possible. The course is a semester done intensively in 3 weeks, but we'll add some extra days to our trip for touristy things. 

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

I'm reviving this thread because it looks like we're headed to Korea!

The original exchange didn't work out because the home university couldn't secure insurance for a 16 year old. Fair enough. We were not surprised. 

BUT my daughter is persistent, and she found a study opportunity that doesn't directly involve the home uni (other than providing a transcript for the application).

It's an intensive program at Yonsei University, and she's been offered a place! They are willing to take a 16 year old, but cautioned that travel and life there would be difficult on your own when underage.

So I'm going too 😮😬.  We've applied for passports, so it's starting to feel real. 

@Kareni If your daughter has any further advice for us, I'd be most appreciative.

We plan on booking an airbnb as close to Yonsei campus as possible. The course is a semester done intensively in 3 weeks, but we'll add some extra days to our trip for touristy things. 

Oh wow, congrats!! What an amazing experience.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  So exciting that you get to go too. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh wow, congrats!! What an amazing experience.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  So exciting that you get to go too. 

oh, thank you 🌻

I'm not one to crave adventure, so this is way outside my comfort zone. I have a lot to learn about travel. 

But wow, what an experience.

[Bootsie]

What an adventure!  One recommendation I have is to make sure that you have written down (in Korean) where you are staying or any destination you want to go to when you get in a taxi.  DH had a taxi driver seem like he understood where DH wanted to go--DH ended up at the US military base; the taxi driver just assumed that is where a non-Korean would want to go.  

If you want to go anywhere outside of Seoul, Korea has an extensive, and well-run bus system for reaching other areas of Korea. 

[Kareni]

23 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

@Kareni If your daughter has any further advice for us, I'd be most appreciative.

How very exciting for your daughter and you, @chocolate-chip chooky!

When will her program at Yonsei begin?

We will be chatting with our daughter later today. If she has any further advice, I'll let you know. I suspect she'd be happy to answer questions if she can.

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

7 minutes ago, Kareni said:

How very exciting for your daughter and you, @chocolate-chip chooky!

When will her program at Yonsei begin?

We will be chatting with our daughter later today. If she has any further advice, I'll let you know. I suspect she'd be happy to answer questions if she can.

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thanks heaps @Kareni

The program is from Dec 27 - Jan 16 at Yonsei.

We've booked flights for Dec 18 - Jan 21. We haven't booked accommodation yet, but we'll likely go with an airbnb, maybe near Mapo-gu.

Two big things we need to work out are transport and communication. I really don't want to have to drive while we're there, so I'm hoping that it is feasible to use public transport for everything.  This will be a day one thing to work out.

And I know you mentioned previously that there are no burner phones there, so we need to work out our best option. My daughter and I will need to have reliable communication.

Thanks again 🌻

 

[Kareni]

WiFi is very accessible throughout South Korea (my husband tells me) and much of it has free public access.

Do you and your daughter have android phones? If so, consider getting the KakaoTalk app. This app is hugely popular throughout South Korea and could be a good way for the two of you to keep in touch. My daughter and her friends were already using KakaoTalk when she was an undergrad here in the US. My daughter and my husband (we live in the US) keep in touch with this app. (I have a flip phone so cannot use Kakao.) You will need to use your phone number to sign up.

Regards,

Kareni

[chocolate-chip chooky]

14 minutes ago, Kareni said:

WiFi is very accessible throughout South Korea (my husband tells me) and much of it has free public access.

Do you and your daughter have android phones? If so, consider getting the KakaoTalk app. This app is hugely popular throughout South Korea and could be a good way for the two of you to keep in touch. My daughter and her friends were already using KakaoTalk when she was an undergrad here in the US. My daughter and my husband (we live in the US) keep in touch with this app. (I have a flip phone so cannot use Kakao.) You will need to use your phone number to sign up.

Regards,

Kareni

I have a Motorola and my daughter has a Samsung. I'll definitely look into that app, thank you!

[Kareni]

Another thought, @chocolate-chip chooky: check to see what, if any, appliances your airbnb provides. I know that washing machines are very common in apartments; however, dryers are rare. My daughter dries her clothes and bedding on wooden drying racks.

Since you will be in Korea in the winter, you might invest in some lightweight/quick to dry long underwear.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

We've now chatted with our daughter, @chocolate-chip chooky.

She has had friends stay in airbnbs in Mapo-gu. She suggests learning whether you can control the heat or whether someone else has control (such as might occur in a hostel or dorm). Be aware that floor heating is quite common in Korea (so don't leave chocolate in your suitcase!).

My daughter says that Yonsei University is large. She lives about a 15 minute walk from one of the buildings but says other campus buildings might be ten minutes further.

She is happy to share restaurant recommendations. 

Regards,

Kareni

[Bootsie]

Check with your cell phone provider regarding your international coverage.  We have T-Mobile and get free texting and data internationally; we have to pay a per minute charge for calls.  Our regular phones worked in South Korea; we could text each other to communicate (and to communicate home)  We have also used WhatsApp to communicate in international settings.  

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Thank you 🌻