Review of my Spring Korean Language course at SNU.

So I have just finished my level 1 Korean language course at Seoul National University and I have to say I am quite relieved. I found it so hard to go back into a classroom and study again after having not studied for 5 years, it really was a shock how difficult I found it.

Why Seoul National University
First of all I was accepted into to language programs Sogang University and Seoul National University, I opted for SNU due to hearing that it was the most prestigious university in the country. Turns out I should of listened to my girlfriend and chosen Sogang University as SNU was a horrendous bus and train journey that took 1hour 30 minutes whereas Sogang was a 50 minute bus journey from Gimpo (More on that later).

Cost and course outline
Anyway it cost roughly 1,600,000 won and the duration was 10 weeks with lessons taking place from 9am to 1pm Monday-Friday. The text books consisted of the alphabet and 16 chapters of which at the end of every 2 chapters you would have homework and also a lab test plus role play to prepare for. The homework role play and lab test contributed to 30% of your final score while the rest was made up by a mid term exam and a final exam.

Classmates and Progress
I would say the language programs are made up of Chinese students although there are endless different nationalities represented. My class was made up of 14 students who were all super nice but totally different from me in so many ways, however I always love meeting new people from different cultures. The Asian nationalities seemed to progress a lot faster than the western students this may be because they are already used to using symbols and the language sounds pretty similar or it could just be that they have a higher work ethic than us westerners. Whatever the reason, they were light years ahead of me which frustrated me to a degree, however I remained positive as my girlfriend was very impressed with my Korean and I was using in everyday situations.

Accommodation
As I mentioned above my commute was terrible so I decided to rent a room in Gwanak close to the university this cost 300,000won per month but was very basic and the kitchen and bathroom were shared. I believe there are dorms on campus for a similar price however these are shared.

Final Thoughts
So my final thoughts on the last to months are yes it was a costly experience but I learnt more Korean than I ever thought I would and can now actually speak basic Korean to my girlfriends parents which is important to me as they don't speak a word of the queen. The text books were good and the teachers complimented them very well and all were friendly and were up for the odd joke or two.

Looking back I probably could of stayed in Gimpo-si with my girlfriend and took private lessons with a tutor and home studied for the  money I spent but it was a good experience for me as I never went to a University in the UK and probably never will. 

For more information about SNU's language program check out http://lei.snu.ac.kr/klec