Exploring Korea

Dana Kim talks about how her exchange to Kyung Hee University in South Korea broadened her perspective and remains one of the best decisions she has made.

Dana Kim

Why I chose my host uni:

Kyung Hee was only university offered for exchange in South Korea. Having been born and raised in Korea until the age of 10, I always dreamed that I’d explore Korea on more than just a short trip. This aspiration led me to choose Korea as my top choice for the exchange programme. I wanted to make my university life more adventurous and with my computer science degree I saw Korea as the perfect place to expand and broaden my perspective with students from another country.

How I found applying to my host uni:

Before the exchange application was open, I needed to ensure that all courses I was enrolled in at AUT aligned with courses offered at Kyung Hee University. The fact that Kyung Hee had all the courses I needed to take was a major factor in my decision to choose it as my exchange university. I searched courses at Kyung Hee, and looked for courses that had a similar course name and course descriptor.

To confirm my choices, I then reached out to my faculty enrolment advisor (Jamie) who reviewed the selected courses and either approved or rejected them, along with an explanation.

From Kyung Hee, following documents were required:

• Copy of passport
• Scanned ID photo (3.5cm x 4.5cm)
• Certificate of enrolment (from the Student Hub)
• Official academic transcript
• Recommendation letter from an academic advisor or professor
• Korean Language Proficiency Document for those taking Korean Track - (TOPIK level 3 or higher)
• Official bank statement (over USD $5000 per semester)
• Insurance certification (NHI)
• TB test result (if staying at on-campus dormitory)

To satisfy exchange requirement from Kyung Hee, I also had to get a medical assessment document completed by doctors (I did this at AUT’s Student Medical Centre), a vaccination form and a study plan document at Kyung Hee.

Because I hold a Korean passport, I didn’t go through visa applications, and didn’t need to submit language test results and bank statement documents. However, I did need to renew my passport, as it was set to expire in less than six months by the time I returned to New Zealand. Normally exchange students to Korea will have to obtain D-2-6 visa they enter Korea.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

In Korea, the grading system follows a curve, meaning that grades are distributed based on a fixed ratio. For example, the top 45% of students receive grades in the A range, while those in the top 50–70% fall within the B+ to C range. Alongside the fact that Kyung Hee is one of Korea’s top 10 universities, this made studying at Kyung Hee University quite competitive, especially as an exchange student. Most courses were taught by experienced professors who had been teaching the same subjects for many years. Course prerequisites, exam formats and even answer expectations were heavily influenced by the professors and teaching assistants. For me personally, I found it tricky to write exact answers that professors were looking for, which were not just written answers from lecture slides.

One of the most helpful resources was the library, which remained open 24 hours during exam weeks. Studying there made it easier to stay focused and keep up with the rigorous academic environment. I took a mix of fully Korean-taught courses and half-English courses, and I found the half-English ones to be more manageable.

Also, enrolling in courses in Korea is much more competitive than at universities in New Zealand, with classes filling up within seconds. However, exchange students were given the advantage of enrolling before local Korean students, which made the process much smoother.

What I gained from this experience:

On an academic level, I gained a more global perspective through the different approaches in teaching. On a personal level, I’m grateful that I was able to make new friends and stay in touch with them even after returning to New Zealand. These valuable memories have helped me build confidence, and going on a student exchange will always remain one of the best decisions I've ever made while at university.