Preparing for MIX & going abroad to Korea
***Disclaimer: This post is mainly written with the intention of giving prospective exchange students an outline of what they can prepare for and expect leading up to their study abroad program commencement, based on my own personal experience. For prospective exchange students, this is not a comprehensive guide and some elements may not be applicable at the time that you are preparing for your own study abroad, so please be sure to do your own research and refer to your MIX advisor, Partner University, and other program-specific requirements.***
Application to Manoa International Exchange (MIX) Program:
Typically students apply a year in advance for MIX. You can see the application deadlines on the MIX website.
Technically, I applied a year-and-a-half in advance for my international exchange, but only due to the fact that my exchange program was delayed a semester due to Covid. Originally, I was planning on going to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, which unfortunately got canceled due to Australia's travel ban for foreigners at the time. Luckily, I got to go to my listed 2nd choice school and country, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. I can say that I was equally happy to be able to go to Yonsei and Korea, because I had always been hoping to go there anyway, perhaps as a second study abroad exchange.
Application for Freeman Travel Scholarship:
I submitted my application with all of the required materials on Oct. 30th (for the Spring semester). If you are looking to apply for the Freeman Scholarship, you can check the deadlines and application requirements here.
The application in and of itself is actually a great way to start really thinking about and preparing for your exchange (in regards to courses you want to take, your academic plan, and your finances with budgeting). It forced me to get a head start on those things early on.
Application to Yonsei University as an Exchange Student:
After being nominated by MIX to go to my partner school, I received an email from Yonsei Office of International Affairs with instructions, deadlines, a portal link, and log-in information to complete Yonsei's online application.
Yonsei required exchange students to physically mail some documents (official transcripts, bank account statement for proof of finance) to their International Office of Admissions. Because I was nervous that international shipping and delivery times might be delayed due to Covid, I think I ended up sending my Official Transcript and current Bank Account Statement 1 to 2 months in advance of the stated deadline (via international mail courier– UPS– with tracking) to Yonsei.
Applying for Study Abroad Health Care: TW Lord & Associates
You apply for your study abroad insurance though UH. Your MIX advisor will give instructions and deadlines on this. The study abroad coverage plan only costs $1 per day (I believe because students apply for a group rate though UH's SAC program). More information about the insurance can be found on the MIX Website here.
3 Mandatory Country-Specific Meetings with MIX Advisor and MIX Students:
These meetings go over general key information about the exchange programs, and materials that you must submit to UH and MIX before departure. You should also get to hear the perspective and tips from a Freeman Scholar from the prior or current semester.
Acceptance Package from Yonsei:
This was delayed because I had not included a copy of my birth certificate in my application or in my mailed package. Because the proof of finance that I had sent had been from a joint savings account, the birth certificate was needed to prove that I was related to the other name listed on the account, even though we share the same last names.
I was able to submit a copy of my birth certificate onto the application portal under my profile's personal information, and my Acceptance Package was emailed to me shortly after.
Finding Housing:
As soon as I received my acceptance package I started looking for housing. After asking many current and previous exchange students about their experiences with housing, I opted to get off-campus housing through AirBnB, mainly because I could not be 100% sure that I would be able to receive housing through Yonsei, since dorm application is very competitive. I also heard that there are many regulations and restrictions in the dorms, such as curfew, needing to check-in guests, etc.
I also was able to quarantine in my Airbnb, which meant that I could settle in to where I was going to be for the rest of the semester, and I could order delivery for food.
Housing comparison:
Off-campus: AirBnb, Goshiwon
AirBnb: on the pricier side, but the accommodations may also be nicer and more spacious, with less restrictions.
Goshiwon: probably the cheapest route you can take, with prices only being a few hundred USD per month, but they can be kind of sketchy (so do your research) and you need to be okay with living in a very small, limited amount of space.
Other exchange student housing includes apartments and share-house options, which I don’t know as much about.
On-campus dorms: SK Global House, International House
Yonsei international exchange students can dorm in SK Global House or I-House. The dorms are about a 15 minute walk from campus center. Generally, the dorms are probably a bit more spacious and nicer than many goshiwons, and offer more student resources. Pricing probably falls in-between what you would pay for a goshiwon versus an Airbnb.
SK Global Dorms: Nicer, more expensive, individual/private bathrooms. Single and twin rooms are offered. Mixed gender.
I-House: Not as nice as SK, cheaper, communal bathrooms for each floor. Only twin rooms. All-female.
Dorm applications are very competitive (first-come first-serve, online), usually filling up within half-an-hour of opening, so make sure that you have stable, fast wifi, and you log-in to the portal before the dorm application opens.
Booking My Flight:
After housing was squared away, I started looking at flights. After asking previous exchange students on how far in advance they went up, taking into account the quarantine, I decided to try to go up about 3 weeks in advance, so that I could have at least 1 week post-quarantine to get used to Korea, shop for essentials, take care of vaccination registration and ARC application (I'll get into these processes later), and prepare for school to start. I also wanted to be up in Korea during course registration (which happens about 2 weeks before the start of school), so that I could focus on the stress of traveling and get that out of the way prior to focusing on course registration.
Luckily, right before my departure to Korea, the mandatory quarantine was shortened to only 7 days.
Applying for a D-2 Student Visa:
Refer to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu website for D-2 Visa application requirements and materials.
You should try to apply for your student visa as soon as possible after receiving your Acceptance Package. I would say, ensure that you submit your visa application to the Korean Consulate at least 3 to 5 weeks before your departure date, so that you will receive your visa in time. You will probably receive your visa in about 3 weeks (that’s how long it took for me and some other students), but the processing time can vary, so try to submit it earlier if you can to give yourself a buffer.
Purchasing a Korean SIM Card:
I purchased my Korean SIM through Trazy, a Korean travel agency.
I opted to get my SIM card delivered to my home prior to my departure, so that I would have my SIM card and Korean phone number prepared and ready immediately upon arrival in Korea. If you want to be sure that you will receive your SIM card prior to your departure, I would recommend ordering the SIM card about a month or so in advance.
Other SIM card options:
Chingu Mobile
Enkor
Stay4Korea (1 month only)
Comparison:
Trazy: easy, convenient, but the most expensive.
Chingu Mobile: cheap, but to get the discounted price, you need to purchase the plan with a group of people while in Korea I believe.
Enkor: I don’t have as much experience or knowledge about this option, but I think it is also cheaper than Trazy.
Stay4Korea: This quarantine provider was recommended by Yonsei for exchange students, and I believe they do offer a SIM card that you can use only for your first month in Korea. Then you would need to purchase another plan.
Making a Reservation for Alien Registration Card (ARC) Application Appointment
The ARC will be your main form of identification while in Korea (replacing your visa), so it is crucial to get it as soon as possible, since you need your ARC to access many Korea-specific services. Yonsei will give exchange students the option of applying for your ARC through the school (they will handle all of the paper-work, etc); however, previous exchange students cautioned that those who had applied with the school did not receive their ARC until more than half-way through the semester, or at the very end of the semester before they left the country (you need to turn in your ARC when you leave Korea).
In order to receive your ARC faster, although the process will still take 3 to 6 weeks, you can make an appointment to apply for your ARC individually at the HiKorea website. You must have received your Visa Grant in order to make an appointment. If you are living at the Yonsei dorms or nearby campus, make sure to book the appointment at the Seoul Southern Immigration Office.
Packing:
Clothes:
Pack 1 to 2 weeks worth of clothes, especially if you like shopping and you like clothes, because you will be able to buy a lot of new, cute clothes in Korea. However, one caution to keep in mind is that a lot of clothes are “free-size” or “one-size-fits-all” in Korea, which typically ranges from around a US Small to Medium size in clothing.
Shoes:
Again, I only brought 2 pairs of shoes with me to Korea, because I was planning on buying other shoes in Korea as well. I would say bring one good pair of walking/work-out shoes, and then bring a “nicer” pair of shoes that can be dressed down or dressed up according to the occasion. If you wear larger shoe sizes, then maybe bring more shoes with you as needed, in case you have a difficult time finding your shoe size in Korea.
Toiletries:
Pack 1 to 2 weeks worth (just to get you through quarantine).
Electronics:
Chargers, devices, etc.
Adapters/convertors
Documents:
This is the most important! Make sure that you have multiple copies (digital and physical) of any important IDs, documentation, vaccination records, Covid tests, etc.
I would recommend keeping key documents and ID in an easy to access place while going through the airport.
Currency:
I had my currency exchanged at my bank. You should exchange at least a few hundred USD worth of KRW, or more!
Other Tips:
Find ways to connect with other exchange students before your departure! A previous exchange student sent me the link to a Kakao chat of other Yonsei exchange students, which was really helpful in understanding things I needed to prepare for and staying current on anything Korea/travel-related, Covid-related, and Yonsei-related. Another Yonsei exchange student from the previous semester told me she had found this group chat from Facebook, so look on Facebook for any groups that you can join for your exchange school! I also was able to meet many of the students prior to going to Korea, and make plans to meet up when we got there.
