Sharing My Experience at a Korean Autumn Language School
chiehchieh
4 days ago
In 2025 I attended level 1 of the Seoul National University of Science and Technology fall program. I originally decided to enroll in the Seoul National University language school because its tuition was the cheapest among Seoul schools, but unfortunately I couldn’t get a dormitory and had to find my own housing. Since I had only taken one semester of Korean as an elective during university and had basically forgotten everything, I wanted to start learning from scratch so I didn’t take the placement test and began at level one. At first I worried that because the tuition was cheap the classes might be low quality and I wouldn’t learn much, but after actually attending classes I found the teachers to be very nice, they teach seriously and patiently, and they grade assignments. As long as you attend class diligently and do your homework well, you can really improve quickly. There are also two cultural experience activities during the semester, which are very fun, and because everyone is there to study, it’s easy to get along with classmates. The university also has a language buddy system; those who are interested can sign up and are arranged to have two hours of interaction with a university student each week. Overall I am very satisfied with the university; it was a very good experience.
The class uses Seoul National University Korean textbook and workbook. The pace is fairly fast — about one lesson every two days. After a lesson there will be a dictation the next day, and there are also small unit quizzes. As long as you attend class seriously and review at home, it won’t be too difficult. The classroom atmosphere is very good, and because the textbook includes many interactive parts with classmates, you can boldly speak Korean. The teacher often talks with students to build speaking confidence, and using the vocabulary and grammar you’ve learned really feels rewarding. Seoul National University of Science and Technology’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing balance is quite even, and each lesson ends with a short composition. There is homework almost every day, but it’s a manageable amount. There are midterm and final exams each term covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The school’s promotion requirements are quite strict and attendance is closely monitored, so if you want to advance smoothly, don’t slack off!
In Korea, tuition, plane tickets, and living expenses all cost about 200,000 TWD in total. During the semester I went to Daegu with friends, and after the semester ended I traveled in Seoul with friends for a few days, so I spent more than expected. However, food accounted for a relatively small portion — I lived in a goshiwon where there was free rice and instant noodles, so for lunch I sometimes kept it simple before afternoon classes, and for dinner I ate in the school cafeteria with classmates. Korea really has so many great places to browse and shop, so I spent a lot on purchases. If someone isn’t very materialistic, they could probably save quite a bit.
It was right in the fall, and I went to many places to see the maple and ginkgo leaves—the scenery was truly gorgeous.
I feel that after this session of classes, I dare to speak foreign languages, and I met many international classmates. Also, because I lived abroad alone, I discovered that I am braver than I thought and have many possibilities. I really think the most regrettable part is that I only signed up for one session; if I had continued, I would have gained even more.
It’s recommended to just bring basic items and clothing; if you need more, buy them in Korea. When returning to Taiwan, if you have too much luggage you can use an international shipping company to send items back — it’s usually cheaper. When I bought a comforter, the shop suggested that if you needed to ship things they could recommend a logistics company to work with; using the post office tends to be a bit more expensive.
For the phone, I used Jeongu Communications — they happened to be running a group-purchase deal, so I only spent 10,000 won over three months and the network was pretty fast. I booked with customer service in Taiwan first, picked up the SIM card at the airport, and contacted customer service to activate it. It was very convenient. Actually, schools, testing centers, and many shops all have Wi-Fi, so you don't need to buy an expensive plan for it to work well.