E-mail:
Study Program:
Exchange semester:
Academic year:
Host University:
Country:
thomaskortsmit@gmail.com
Organization Sciences
Spring semester
2015
Yonsei University
South Korea
I GENERAL INFORMATION
I lived in the capital of South Korea, Seoul. It is one of the biggest cities in the world with over
10 million inhabitants. The public transport is very well organized in this city and tourism is
booming. In general, the infrastructure is very good and the city hosts a lot of free events for its
inhabitants and to promote tourism and intercultural activities. Yonsei University is located in
the northern part of the city, above the Han river. It is located in the Sinchon district alongside
many other universities. The area is famous for its modern look and feel and this is where most
of the university students live and hang out during the day and night. Yonsei University’s
campus is very large and has a wide array of facilities like several libraries, an open air stadium,
a hospital, an entire student union building and sports facilities like basketball halls and a
swimming pool. This is a map of the university campus.
The best place to eat and drink would be the student union building. They have several
restaurants that offer different kinds of food for very reasonable prices, especially compared to
the restaurants in Sinchon. With regards to dancing and sports, I would suggest doing those in
the university facilities because you can make use of them for free, considering you are an
exchange student and they are very well kept. You will also get to know fellow students that
exercise there which is a nice addition. With regards to interesting things to see in Seoul, there
are never enough. I’ve studied there for 5 months and did a lot of things and still haven’t done
half of the possible things there are to do there. I would suggest joining a club for exchange
students that organizes events so you will get to know other exchange students and Koreans
and this will be a lot of fun! Some of the things that are fun to do include: Visiting the palaces,
going to ancient history museums (especially the one under the statue of King Sejong is a lot
of fun), going to the zoo, cycling along the Han river, visiting building 63, going to the top of the
Namsan tower, going to karaoke bars with friends, going to Hongdae park for a drink and listen
to the live performers. Going to the Olympic park, taking the subway for the weekend to
Chuncheon and relax at the lake, going for Korean BBQ with a large group of people and eat
and drink all night long, and many more. The city is very different from Tilburg, first of all
because of the size difference. If you want to visit certain places in Seoul you shouldn’t complain
about travelling for an hour sometimes. A plus side is that the public transport is very, very well
arranged, on time and cheap. Then, the culture is very different of course. Koreans tend to
move in groups and shy away from foreigners, but if you approach them on the street to ask
them for help they will always try to help (providing they speak English). The students in Seoul
are generally really fun and kind people and are very interested to hang out with western
students and learn more about their culture. It has happened many times that I would be
approached in the street by two students who asked me about how I liked Korea and some
questions about my home country and recorded the conversation for their use. Eating is
considered something very important in Korea. You wouldn’t see people eating while they are
walking in the street like in the Netherlands and if they go out to eat in the evening they usually
stay for 5 hours and eat and drink and talk a lot. Usually in large groups, people do not like to
eat alone and sometimes restaurants even refuse customers that come in by themselves. As I
said, the Korean people are very kind and helping but they would not invite you to their home
very fast. This will only happen if you become very good friends with a Korean person and you
should feel special to be invited to their house; that means that they value you as a true friend
and would do a lot for you. Also, age difference is really important in Korea. You shouldn’t be
surprised when one of the first questions that a Korean person asks you when they meet you
is how old you are. This determines how they should address you. There are different words
for older brother and younger brother and in general there are different endings of words that
you use when talking to a younger or older person. These are some of the most visible
differences between Seoul and Tilburg.
Yonsei University information:
The student body consists of 38,725 students: 26,731 undergraduate students, 11,994
graduate students, 4,518 faculty members, 6,788 staff, and 257,931 alumni. Today, Yonsei
operates its main campus in Seoul that have extensive programs in the Korean and English
language. Their colleges include:
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College of Liberal Arts
College of Business and Economics
School of Business
College of Science
College of Engineering
College of Life Science and Biotechnology
College of Theology
College of Social Sciences
College of Law
College of Music
College of Human Ecology
College of Science in Education
University College
International College
College of Medicine
College of Dentistry
College of Nursing
Open Major, University College
Underwood International College(UD freshman, ASD, TAD, ISSD, ISED)
College of Medicine(freshman)
College of Dentistry(freshman)
College of Pharmacy
School of Integrated Technology, College of Engineering
Global Program – Pre-Major Program
Graduate School
United Graduate School of Theology
Graduate School of International Studies
Graduate School of Information
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Graduate School of Communication and Arts
Graduate School of Social Welfare
Graduate School of Business Administration
Graduate School of Education
Graduate School of Public Administration
Graduate School of Engineering
Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Graduate School of Law
Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences
Graduate School of Economics
Law School
Graduate School of Government and Business
Graduate School of Health and Environment
Graduate School of Education
Medical Center
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Severance Hospital (Sinchon)
Gangnam Severance Hospital
Severance Mental Health Hospital (Gwangju-si Gyeonggi-do)
Wonju Severance Christian Hospital
Yongin Severance Hospital
Yonsei is one of Korea's three "SKY" universities. These are the most prestigious universities
in the country, with the other members being Seoul National University and Korea University.
Admissions are extremely competitive. Inside Korea, admission to a SKY university is widely
considered as determining one's career and social status. In 2012, Yonsei University was
ranked 112th overall, 81st in Arts and Humanities, 12th in Modern Languages and 69th in
Management and Social Sciences in the world by QS World University Rankings.
For 2015 spring semester, Yonsei University had around 900 exchange students from countries
all over the world. Some of the nationalities in my classes included Kazachstan, Canada, China,
Japan, France, Germany, Austria, Chile, Finland and Mexico.
With regards to study structure, Koreans tend to start studying when they are around 20 years
of age and have a 4 year Bachelor, followed by a 2 year Master program. Unless they are
Medical students of course, who have a longer career.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
When did you receive the pre-arrival information from the host university? Any difficulties?
At the beginning of January, and I started my semester on the 24th of February. No difficulties.
Visa procedure and arrival
 How long did it take you to arrange your (student) visa (if relevant)?
About two weeks.
 How much did you pay for the visa (if relevant)?
About 80 euros.
 How was your arrival organized?
I went from the airport to my university myself, I made use of the bus system which was
very well explained and it brought me right to the entrance of the university.
 Did someone pick you up from the airport/station?
No, but if requested this could be arranged.
 How was the reception at the school?
Good, we were welcomed the next day with a nice and informative reception.
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
Yes
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What problems, if any did you encounter?
None.
Orientation/Introduction activities
 Was an orientation or introduction activity organized?
 Yes, there were tours of Seoul and visits to companies organized. I went on a Seoul tour
by day and I liked it a lot.
 Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
Yes.
 Did you have a student mentor/buddy?
No, but if I wanted a buddy or mentor I could request one. I did have a language
exchange partner though.
Housing
 How was accommodation organized?
There were two big houses: International house and SK Global house, they both had their
rooms and a big lobby. I lived in SK house and on every floor there was a relaxing room
with chairs and a TV and computers. In the basement of SK global house there were more
computers and a fitness area and a laundry area. I enjoyed my stay there a lot. Look on
the website of Yonsei University for more information about the houses.
 Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a place
to live after you arrived?
I booked it in advance, but full is full. The houses are always full and the first places are for
the exchange students but some people have to look for housing outside of the campus.
 What kind of housing does the university provide?
Two person rooms and single rooms. I lived in a two person room.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
I used the school dorms but had I not used them, I think would have to look for a place in
Sinchon by myself. Other students that lived in Sinchon have told me this.
 Were you satisfied with your accommodation?
Yes, it was small but it had everything. It is a good for a semester but for a longer time it
might become too small to share with someone else. Anyways, you should be outside
and not in your room most of the time.
 Any special issues or good ideas/useful websites for prospective students?
The
yonsei
university
page
for
the
exchange
student
houses:
https://ih.yonsei.ac.kr/?code=0101
Living Costs
 How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg
University?
Since it was my second time going on exchange I did not receive a grant from Tilburg
University. I had some help from my parents, my DUO loan and I had a student living in my
room in Tilburg and paying rent there for the time I was away.
 What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg?
I spent a lot more money, let’s say 15-20 euro’s a day because Sinchon is an expensive
area in Seoul. Also, South Korea is a very modern and economically strong country. Do not
confuse it with other Asian countries that are a lot cheaper like Thailand or Vietnam. Be
prepared to pay prices compared to Dutch prices.
 What did you spend most of your money on?
Food, drinks and public transport.
 What would you advice future students to spend their money on?
Food, drinks, public transport. Travel a lot! It is cheap!
 Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange:
 Housing
~350 euros
 Food
~300 euros
 Transport
~50 euros
 Books
~20 euros
 Miscellaneous ~20 euros
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date & introductory week
24th of February and the following week
 First day of the semester?
2nd of March
 Last day of classes?
12th of June
 Mid-term break?
Last week of April
 Examination period?
3rd week of April and 3rd week of June
 Any special events?
Buddha’s birthday on May 25th this year! (differs per year). Holiday!
The International Office
 Is there an international office?
Yes
 Who is responsible for incoming exchange students?
The international office
 How does the international office function?
It functions well, they respond quick to emails and you can call them or even drop by.
 Are you satisfied with the information provided to you by the international office?
Yes
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Tilburg University at your
exchange university?
There was no real event to promote my home university that I participated in but I talked to
a lot of Koreans about my home university and I even met some Koreans that have studied
at Tilburg University in the past and were very pleased by their experience.
Social Activities
 Which social activities are organized by the university/students for exchange students?
Many, many many social activities, it is impossible to name them all. You will never be
bored here as an exchange student. Trips, drinking nights, gaming nights, language
exchange, sports teams are just a handful of all of the activities they organize.
 Is there a student organization for international student?
Yes
 Did you have contact with local students?
Yes, a lot.
 Did you have contact with other exchange students?
Yes, a lot.
 Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
Yes, I visited other cities in South Korea, and even worked for a while in a guesthouse in
Busan (the second biggest city in South Korea) which was a nice experience. I also
visited the Philippines.
Culture and Language
 Did you experience culture shock while on exchange?
No. This could be because I have been on exchange before and the first time I went to
Colombia which was a bigger difference from the Netherlands than South Korea.
 How would you compare your host culture to your own culture?
Very different, it is a lot more group orientated (because of Confucianism) and a lot less
individual than our culture. Family is more important than in the Netherlands.
 What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
To be honest, not that much new things because I have been on exchange before, so I
have taken an outside look at the Netherlands already, when I went on my first exchange.
 What was different about your host culture than you expected?
I don’t like to have any expectations before I travel somewhere for a long time, so there
were no differences. Just new experiences.
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How would you describe your host country’s culture?
Confucianistic, group oriented. The younger people are more westernized. I explained it
roughly on the second page of this report.
What did you like and not like about your host culture?
I didn’t like that there is not that much openness as in the Netherlands. Because it is a
confucianistic culture, bad things you do are only considered bad if they come out into the
public, if that makes sense. They tend to be more conflict avoiding and sometimes they
blatantly ignore a problem which is right in front of their eyes just because they do not want
to deal with it. Something I liked a lot is that any employee working in a store or restaurant
really goes out of their way to help you, the customer is really king. In the Netherlands,
people just tend to do their task but would not do something extra for you because you are
a customer.
Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to
learn more?
I feel like I have learned a lot about my host culture, yes.
If you travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different than
your host city/country, and how?
Yes, I’ve travelled to the Philippines which is a lot poorer country than South Korea and
this was very different therefore. The people in the Philippines are very catholic and
almost everything seems to revolve around Catholicism. Because it is a lot poorer country
they also try to make tourists pay more for transport and food, whereas in South Korea
there are fixed prices and you pay for what you get, in general.
Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No.
Did you follow language courses during your exchange?
Yes, I took an intensive Korean Language course.
Did you follow the Erasmus Intensive Language Course?
No.
Personal Development
 How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point
of view?
 I think I realized that there is no such thing as “normal”. Our culture in the Netherlands is
also the way it is because of history and certain factors, and you can think that the Dutch
culture is normal but if you start behaving like a Dutch guy in a Korean company it won’t
work, you won’t get far. So everything is only normal in a certain culture or situation, there
is no general “best way” to behave or to do things.
 How do you think the exchange experience will influence your future career possibilities?
It might have opened up some possibilities for jobs in South Korea and I made a lot of good
friends with people from all over the world that could help me with jobs in their countries in
the future. It definitely influenced my future career possibilities in a positive way but how it
exactly influenced it I can’t tell yet.
 What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange?
Just not too judge too fast or attribute characteristics of a person to that person, and not to
external factors like his or her culture or background. Take time to get to know people, there
is more than what meets the surface. In general, treat people well and you will be treated
well.
 Would you do things differently if you had the chance and what would you do differently?
No, I wouldn’t.
 What was your best experience, and what was your worst experience?
My best experience was all the friendships I’ve formed during my stay. The worst
experience was probably all the times I got lost and found nobody that spoke English and
had to find my way back to my room haha.
 What will you never forget about your exchange period?
The view from my hostel (Noordzee hostel) in the Philippines. It was amazing. I would like
to wake up to that every day.
 What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange
period?
 I don’t think there were any really new things but more things that you have always known
but become more prominent during the exchange. Things like be tolerant, be patient and
don’t judge too fast. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, just do whatever you
like. Understanding between people is the solution to a lot of things. Try to really
understand what a person is saying instead of just waiting for your turn to talk and it will
help you a lot. People are quite the same everywhere around the world.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
 In what language(s) are the courses offered at a partner university?
English and Korean.
 Did you follow any courses taught in the language of the host country?
Korean language class. My teacher didn’t speak English.
 Which courses did you take and why?
Business and Society
Human relations in the social environment
Korean language
The first two courses I took because they seemed interesting to me and a valuable addition to
my career, and because they fit in my schedule. And Korean language because I like learning
languages and it helps me understand the culture better and I get to know interesting people.
You speak more to your fellow classmates in language classes than in other classes because
speaking is part of a language and I’ve always found this very useful and pleasant.
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Which courses would you recommend?
All of the courses I took. My professors were very nice and intelligent people.
How would compare the academic level at your host university to the academic level at
Tilburg University (e.g.: level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English,
workload, etc.)?
I would say it’s roughly the same.
Is the teaching style primarily practical or theoretical?
Korean teaching style is primarily theoretical, but when you have a non-Korean teacher it
can be more practical.
What teaching method is practiced by the host university: case studies, group work,
seminars or lectures (or a mix)?
A mix of all aforementioned things.
How would you describe the relationship between the students and the teaching staff?
A lot more informal than the relationships between Korean students and their teaching staff,
I think because teachers that teach to exchange students already speak English and
understand that exchange students are not from the same culture as they are.
In general, were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange?
Yes 
Exams
 What types of exams did you have to sit?
Papers, group projects and individual exams.
Other
 Can students easily access the library and its resources?
Yes, everything is explained on the introduction day.
 Were there public computers available on campus/in university buildings?
Yes, many.
Description of Courses
Please list all courses you have taken at the partner university in the form below:
 Course title and code
 Course level (BA/MA)
 Prerequisites, if any
 Form of exam
 ECTS credits you have obtained in total:
 Comments: Relevance, Difficult/easy, Practical/theoretical, Enrolment problems
Example
Course
Business and
Society
Human
Relations in the
social
environment
Korean
language
intensive
course
Course
level
BA
Prerequisites
Exam
None
Written and
Presentation
BA
None
Written
Korean
credits
3
Comments
Mid-term, many
group
assignments
3
Midterm paper,
In class group
assignments,
bonus system,
very nice teacher
BA
None
Writing,
Reading,
Speaking
and
Listening
6
Intensive class,
5 days in the
week,
vocabulary tests
every week.
Midterms and
finals
I still have to convert my Korean credits to ECTS but I think it is roughly 1 Korean credit = 1,5
ECTS.
Tips for the future students:
 Would you recommend an exchange period?
Yes! Always, you’ll learn a lot no matter what destination you go to.
 Would you recommend your host university?
Yes, it was a very well organized university with intelligent teachers and good students,
open minded people who like to meet westerners.
 What should prospective students absolutely not forget before going on exchange?
Leave your prejudices and judgments at home and try to understand the society in which
you will start living.
 How can they better prepare before going on exchange to this destination?
Try not to expect too much, and just live and learn. Also, arrange housing! Think of the
electricity sockets too, if your Dutch plugs fit in those electricity sockets.
 Was there anything you should have arranged before departure that you haven’t?
No.
Contact details:
Can the International Relations Office share your e-mail address with prospective exchange
students, so that other students can contact you for more information? If yes, make sure to
write down you e-mail address on the first page of this report.
Yes you can!
PHOTOS: