125 reviews
4.25 / 5 based on 125 reviews

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2
Jennifer M
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Was learning the local language a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my the local language
How much did you improve your the local language?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
It was a constant struggle. I mean, I chose the country to learn more about it...to feel a culture shock in a way..but it was an absolutely different language from my own. Learning it though...it motivated me for that very reason. But no matter how much of an effort I made it did hinder my social life with native Koreans because if you don't speak to them or approach them...don't expect them to come to you...unless its about something weird cause you DO get weird looks for being foreign. You should consider taking atleast a whole level 1 course before coming here... Even ordering food was a challenge at times especially because there will be those one or two times where they will take advantage of the fact you are a foreigner and will make you order whats more expensive or will be rude and unattentive to you because they know you can't say much back.
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0
sarah b
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
hasookjibs have curfews, and the university housing has a curfew as well... usually at midnight. i figure for just a bit more money, i can get an apartment and stay out as late as i want.
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Personal comments
i didn't personally stay there, but when i visited people who did, the housing arrangement was nice. the rooms were smallish (as everything is in seoul) but there are communal tv rooms and kitchens.
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0
Magnus F
Overall
I wish I had known...
In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
If you can go, you should! I had the time of my life!
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0
“Avoid this university, especially technical fields”
bubu c
Georgia, Graduate
, 2019
Overall
All Yonsei has is a good reputation and good location. I would add library as well. But here I stop listing pros of Yonsei, because it does not have any. I spent 1 year as a full time grad student at Computer science department and I can tell you: AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. Administration, professors and student body all together are surprisingly bad.
let's start with administration: surprisingly unhelpful and unresponsive. If you speak Korean fluently you might have a better situation (for example me, I had it good but my international friends who are not fluent in Korean had a big trouble communicating).
Professors: They have basically become 'comfortably numb' and have taken the form of not adapting to the new environment. They are given a job, a salary and that's it. It is not surprising that the only thing they want to do is publish papers. To them, only quantity matters, not quality.
students: I think they are not used to interacting with international students so it was very hard making friends (I only made foreigner friends)
courses: very low quality. not well prepared. everything looked
experimental. It's a shame though, because one semester in grad school costs about 6500-7000USD.
Every international student that I knew in this department got out of Yonsei. There are a few exceptions and they must be really lucky to have been able to put up with everything.
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Pros
library, clean, city center
Cons
quality of education, attitude of every person including students, professors and administration.

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1
Jennifer M
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Nightlife, Travel, Activities: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Best bars? Sinchon and Hongdae for sure. Only because they are so cheap especially when you are on that student budget and wish to use money to travel then on expensive drinks like I did at least! On those nice nights though you can never go wrong with going to Gangnam once and a while. Octagon is the best club they have out there at its Free on Thursdays. Also if you happen to be a little familiar with Korean familiar faces (aka celebs and actors) you run into many out there! They all like to spend time around Apgujung and expensive areas (hehe) The Han river is GORG during the summer. It does get busy though! (not that it's a surprise....South Korea is a tad crowded on the weekends, be prepared to get bumped into every now and then) Student Life? Yeah....You make that for yourself. Foreigners stick to foreigners. They don't tell you that. No one will EVER explicitly tell you that...but as time goes after you realize you aren't on vacation, but actual living there for XX amount of months...Your integration with Koreans at school is almost non existent unless your Korean is A++, You're really pale and cute, you find yourself a Korean connection, or are just Korean. It's sad, but unintentionally (at least I hope thats always the case...) They don't know how to accept diversity...So Koreans WILL ALWAYS stick together.
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0
“Not as international as everyone says”
배지나
Korea, South, Graduate
, 2023
Overall
I am not quite sure where everyone gets the impression from that Yonsei is very international and accommodating to international students or whether it is just my department that is being sh***y to foreign students. I pay the exact same amount of tuition fees as Korean students but get treated like absolute crap and some low-class student by the department. My eMails are being ignored by BOTH the department as well as the general graduate school if they are written in English (great service for international students my foot), eMails in Korea are also never being answered with an actually useful answer and they give you about 0 opportunity to get a merit-based scholarship as international student because a professor has to recommend you. How does Yonsei think a professor is going to recommend a student during a pandemic in times of online classes? Not only do they pretty much refuse to communicate in English with you if you reach your limits of Korean skills but they also blatantly ignore any applications for positions like teacher assistant positions from foreigners, xenophobic much?
I had high expectations for Yonsei when I first enrolled but now I will make sure to not recommend Yonsei and my department to any fellow international student because the treatment we receive is sub-standard and considering the money we spend absolutely ridiculous.
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Pros
some teachers are nice
Cons
xenophobic, ignoring students