STEP 3: The final arrangements |
If you are preparing to depart for Korea, I encourage you to read this section in its entirety. Here we'll cover the following topics: visa application & processing, flight bookings, living/accommodation arrangements, quarantine procedures, and course registration.
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The pre-departure journey is slowly coming to a close! However, this is where the final arrangements are crucial to tying together your experience abroad. Bare with me- there are tons of information below, and every single bit of them is crucial to know prior to departure. Just a disclaimer: the following information is what I experienced, and may differ from person to person, and also my be different for you. While I can offer my perspective, be sure to be aware of any procedures suggested by MIX and KUBS. They're you're primary source of guidance!
visa application & processing
To study abroad in Korea as an international student, you will need a D-2-6 Student Visa. This visa will only allow you to stay in Korea for 5 months, so don’t apply too early otherwise your visa may expire before the end of the Korea academic semester. You may have to gauge how long you will be in Korea to correctly time the appropriate moment to apply for a visa. To obtain one, you must go to your local embassy - in Hawaii, this will be at the Consulate General of The Republic of Korea in Honolulu, right on Pali Highway. They are open from 8:30 AM - 4 PM on weekdays, with a lunch break from 12 PM - 1 PM. All that you need to do is simply go the consulate with all your documents prepared, and they’ll take care of the processing.
So what documents are needed?
Required Documents For D-2 Student Visa
Please note that processing times vary from person to person. It took three weeks for my visa application to be processed, so plan accordingly! You won't be able to board that flight without that visa!
So what documents are needed?
Required Documents For D-2 Student Visa
- Completed Visa Application
- Valid Passport
- Admissions Letter / Certificate of Registration
- Just bring the entire admissions packet to be safe
- Passport Photo (2 in. x 2 in.)
- Most Recent Academic Transcript
- I know, I know, another transcript
- Must be official, so don’t open it!
- Certificate of Bank Balance
- Balance must be greater than the expected expenses listed in the certificate of registration
- You may use your bank statements and/or Freeman Award Letter
- $45 processing fee (they only accept cash)
Please note that processing times vary from person to person. It took three weeks for my visa application to be processed, so plan accordingly! You won't be able to board that flight without that visa!
BOOKING FLIGHTS & TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
There is no such thing as looking or flights “too early.” However, there is such a thing as looking for flights “too late.” In all honesty, you can start the flight booking process as early as you want as long as your travel preparations are ready. So when is too late? Your flight should be booked at least one month prior to departure to ensure favorable prices, and room for any necessary changes. Further, wouldn’t a booked flight excite you even more? Book it early so you have something to look forward to!
Here are some things to keep in mind when booking travel arrangements:
Once you've booked your flight, it's not over. In light of the pandemic, be aware of any travel restrictions or travel requirements imposed by both Hawaii and South Korean governments. There are two major things to note when flying into South Korea:
Here are some things to keep in mind when booking travel arrangements:
- The time of arrival is crucial; it is much more favorable to arrive during the daytime when transportation services are still available - you don’t want to be left out in a foreign country in the dark.
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the best time to book flights - these are when flights are cheap!
- Life hack: searching via incognito tab can also allow you to find much cheaper flights!
Once you've booked your flight, it's not over. In light of the pandemic, be aware of any travel restrictions or travel requirements imposed by both Hawaii and South Korean governments. There are two major things to note when flying into South Korea:
- Unless you are a South Korean citizen with a residence in the country, you are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. This means two full weeks of isolation. I've included a separate section below dedicated to quarantine procedures. As situations change (hopefully for the better), be sure to check the most updated quarantine regulations. (This is updated as of 08/18/2021).
- You will need to show proof of a negative COVID test result to board the Seoul-bound flight and to clear customs at Incheon Airport. The test conducted must be a PCR test and has to be taken 72 hours prior to the time of departure. (This is updated as of 08/18/2021).
housing / accomodation arrangements
Keep this in mind: a study abroad experience isn’t merely a get-away and/or vacation; you will actually be living in a country far away from home. Finding housing and accommodation is crucial to making a study abroad experience worthwhile. Ideally, this is something that you would want to secure at least one month prior to departure. A lot of other exchange students from around the world will be booking their places too, so start thinking early!
Unfortunately, the opportunity for on-campus housing at KUBS (aka the dorms) is extremely limited - even their acceptance package details the difficulty for exchange students to secure a dorm room. However, don’t let this discourage you. KUBS does an awesome job at providing details for off-campus housing that’s affordable and close to campus.
Here are some of the off-campus housing options that KUBS provided to help international students find housing.
I decided to opt for a goshiwon living experience. Goshiwons are small living corridors where your bed, desk, closet, shower, and toilet are all in the same room. This isn't for the claustrophobic, but it has its advantages over the dorms for the following reasons:
The goshiwon that I opted for was Coco Livingtel, or Unidence Korea due to its community orientation. This goshiwon welcomes international students from all over the world, and serves as a gathering place for those who are studying abroad at KU. Coco is within walking distance of the KU campus and is 5 minutes away from numerous restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. My room's monthly rent is only 550,000 KRW ($470) and includes a variety of amenities. If you're interested in Coco, check it out here! Book quickly though - they fill up pretty quickly, and I was considered fortunate to get a room!
Unfortunately, the opportunity for on-campus housing at KUBS (aka the dorms) is extremely limited - even their acceptance package details the difficulty for exchange students to secure a dorm room. However, don’t let this discourage you. KUBS does an awesome job at providing details for off-campus housing that’s affordable and close to campus.
Here are some of the off-campus housing options that KUBS provided to help international students find housing.
I decided to opt for a goshiwon living experience. Goshiwons are small living corridors where your bed, desk, closet, shower, and toilet are all in the same room. This isn't for the claustrophobic, but it has its advantages over the dorms for the following reasons:
- There are lots of goshiwon complexes around KU and the booking process is far more easy than on-campus housing.
- Goshiwon monthly rent prices fall anywhere between 400,000 - 800,000 KRW ($350 - $700).
- Landlords of goshiwon complexes often provide free food and laundry needs. Great way to save some cash!
- Goshiwon complexes also serve as communities of other international students!
The goshiwon that I opted for was Coco Livingtel, or Unidence Korea due to its community orientation. This goshiwon welcomes international students from all over the world, and serves as a gathering place for those who are studying abroad at KU. Coco is within walking distance of the KU campus and is 5 minutes away from numerous restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. My room's monthly rent is only 550,000 KRW ($470) and includes a variety of amenities. If you're interested in Coco, check it out here! Book quickly though - they fill up pretty quickly, and I was considered fortunate to get a room!
quarantine procedures
Because South Korea has a strict quarantine regulation, finding quarantine accommodation might be easier than you think! Don't delay though - just like housing, quarantine facilities can fill up quickly prior to the start of a semester. KU offers an option to quarantine at their on-campus facilities, even if you are not planning to dorm. Because of how early they required students to arrive in Korea to utilize their facilities, I opted for another quarantine facility which was more flexible in dates.
I decided to opt for stay4korea through the Global E&S Reservation System. This is one of many government quarantine facilities specializing in making arrangements for incoming international exchange students. I would recommend this quarantine option as they offer a "packaged deal." In addition to two weeks of accommodation, stay4korea also offers three meals each day and transportation services from the airport and to the mandatory PCR testing days. Arranging accommodation, meals, and transportation yourself can be quite overwhelming, so if you'd prefer a "packaged deal" I'd suggest stay4korea! It costed me 1,246,000 KRW ($1,064) to stay at the hotel, and costs anywhere between 80,000-140,000 KRW ($70 - $120) for transportation costs.
Check out my blog posts to learn more about my own quarantine experience!
I decided to opt for stay4korea through the Global E&S Reservation System. This is one of many government quarantine facilities specializing in making arrangements for incoming international exchange students. I would recommend this quarantine option as they offer a "packaged deal." In addition to two weeks of accommodation, stay4korea also offers three meals each day and transportation services from the airport and to the mandatory PCR testing days. Arranging accommodation, meals, and transportation yourself can be quite overwhelming, so if you'd prefer a "packaged deal" I'd suggest stay4korea! It costed me 1,246,000 KRW ($1,064) to stay at the hotel, and costs anywhere between 80,000-140,000 KRW ($70 - $120) for transportation costs.
Check out my blog posts to learn more about my own quarantine experience!
course registration
Okay. Final item. And while this is probably the last super stressful thing to take care before your official journey begins, this is a working process that begins well before departure. Yes, KUBS' registration occurs only two weeks before the semester start date, but start looking at course equivalencies the moment you are certain that you will be attending KUBS. If necessary, meet with your academic advisor well in advance to see what your semester may look like. You really wouldn't want to take classes that won't transfer back credit to UHM - such a situation could cost your more time and money.
As KUBS does an excellent job at providing guidelines, expectations, and procedures for course registration, this section will be just tips and advice.
As KUBS does an excellent job at providing guidelines, expectations, and procedures for course registration, this section will be just tips and advice.
- Once KUBS releases their course offerings for the semester, start looking for course equivalencies ASAP. This will also give you the chance to petition for courses that aren't on the Pre-Approved List of Course Equivalencies between KUBS and Shidler.
- When searching for courses, make sure the class is taught in English. Unless you can speak and write in Korean, this will make a HUGE difference.
- Don't forget to review the syllabus of the courses offered! They offer a general overview of the course layout and expectations. Often times, same classes can vary widely between professor to professor.
- Familiarize yourself the registration procedures. There are 3 general phases: the Preferred Course List System, the actual Course Registration, and the Add-Drop Period. Ideally, you would want to register all your classes during the Preferred Course List System and the Course Registration. And as silly as it sounds, this is true: how fast you can click and navigate the system determines what classes you can register for. There are limited spots for exchange students in every class, so register fast before other students win. Every second counts!
- When preparing to register for classes, use this website [https://time.navyism.com/] and input the KUBS registration link [https://sugang.korea.ac.kr/] to countdown to the exact moment when registration opens. I used this and was able to secure all my needed classes within a matter of seconds. Again, every second counts!