# Aisha

**Source**: https://employability.uq.edu.au/story/18238/aisha-yonsei-university
**Parent**: https://employability.uq.edu.au/host/yonsei-university

B Mathematics / Arts

Semester 2, 2022

> Spending a lot of time by myself allowed me to gain more insight into myself and what I was capable of.

### **Motivation**

I wanted to travel overseas, but I didn't want to delay my studies. It was a good opportunity to immerse myself in a culture, whilst continuing my studies.

### **Personal development**

Socialising with new people all of the time helped me gain more self confidence. I also further developed my independence, by organising my own accommodation, routine and many other things. Also spending a lot of time by myself allowed me to gain more insight into myself and what I was capable of. I really enjoyed exploring the more rural areas of Korea, such as Suncheon and Tongyeong. I also travelled to Jeju Island by myself for 5 days, which I really enjoyed.

### **Academic development**

Yonsei university operated quite similarly to UQ. The major difference was the subject selection, which was more complex. I took majority exchange student subjects, which were extremely accommodating and not stressful at all. I took one local subject (maths), which was a bit harder to navigate, and provided a lot less support to exchange students. However, it still was taught in a similar fashion with lectures and tutorial like UQ.

### **Professional development**

I'm not sure if it counts as professional development, but I gained more confidence in organising things such as accommodation, flights, and health related documents and appointments.

### **Costs**

I did not maintain a strict budget. But before I went over, I had a rough idea how much I would spend on each section such as accommodation and food. I would recommend accounting for travel expenses which I did not, such as bus/subway cards, as well as other expenses like toiletries. Some weeks I tracked how much money I spent on food, which helped me try to maintain a consistent budget across the trip.

### **Funding**

I received the New Columbo Mobility Grant, as well as taking out a Help Loan. It helped me be a bit more selective in things such as accommodation, which I otherwise might of had to lower my standards. Also, It allowed me to return home still with some savings in my bank account, rather than using all of it overseas.

### **Accommodation**

I used Airbnb for all of my accommodation. I first booked for a month before I went over there. And once I was there I booked the remainder. I moved around to a few places, which allowed me to explore more intimately in the local streets. I did not stay in the Dorms at Uni, which I was glad about, as it gave me more of a local experience. Furthermore, in the places I stayed in, the local hosts provided authentic advice, as well as unique opportunities I otherwise would not have experienced.

### **Highlight**

I really enjoyed exploring a new area, especially using the city bikes to ride around. I enjoyed learning about a new culture and their norms and traditions. As well as seeing how different other people live.

### **Advice/Top tips**

I would recommend being comfortable hanging out by yourself before you go overseas. As I think being comfortable hanging out alone, allowed me to optimise my experience and do more things without being worried about having to do things with other people.