Hello

Maggie Zhang, Seoul

/in , /by

stuffHello, this is Mengyuan (Maggie) Zhang, a senior marketing concentrator at SMG. I studied abroad in Seoul, Korea in spring 2014, which was the second semester of my junior year.

Seoul National University (SNU)

Courses
Each course in SNU counts as 3credits at BU. I took four courses (12 credits in total) at SNU, including a Korean language course that did not belong to SNU course system, but still count 3 credits at BU. Other courses I took were all English-taught class. I suggest one course in CBA (business school) called “Special Topics,” which counts as one international management course at SMG. This course is mainly designed for international students to learn more about Korean culture, and includes a field trip to the top Korean company, Samsung. There were also lots of guest speakers in this course who are all from the management level of the leading company in Korea.

 Club (동아리)
Joining student clubs is the most efficient way to know more local students. It is common for Korean student to participate in the clubs they like. SNU provides a wide range of clubs include golf, horseback riding, dance, music, camping and so on. I strongly recommend you to join one if you want to know more about Korean culture. If you are interested in the student clubs, go to the SNU website to find out more about this.

International student support
There are two student associations helping international students: SNU Buddy and CBA Buddy.  CBA Buddy is mainly for business school students and SNU Buddy is a general club for all exchange students. I joined both of them. You will be paired with one local buddy who can help you a lot when you are there. These two clubs provide a lot activities including city tours, travel to the cities outside Seoul, and “office pubs,” to help you learn Korean culture and meet Korean friends.

Restaurant
There are a lot of restaurants on campus, and you can get the location of each one on the school website.

On campus transportation
SNU has a really, really huge campus! Luckily, they have both a clockwise and counterclockwise free shuttle bus and pay bus. It is a little bit inconvenient if you want to leave campus, because the subway station is not walking distance from the campus. You need to take a bus first and then transfer to the subway to go to other places in Seoul. You will get more information when you go to the orientation.

Dormitory
Most international students choose to live on-campus because it is more convenient. I also recommended this. You will be assigned to the room. Usually it is a double room in the three-room suit, and includes a restroom.

Korea in general

Food
I love Korean food so much! Mandu(만두), Bokkumbup, 닭갈비, Soft tofu stew, kimchi stew, BBQ… great food everywhere!

Transportation
The public transportation system in Seoul is really complete. It is convenient to go anywhere in Korea. You can download a transportation app for your smartphone.

I really had a wonderful experience in Korea. Email me if you have more questions: Maggie.zhang93@gmail.com. I would love to talk to you more about my experience in lovely Korea.

Thomas Tung, London Internship

/in , /by

London Bridge with crowdInterned at a company called Thriev, a start-up company that specializes in private chauffeur service.

Internship: Thriev is Kind of like Uber, but they use all electric vehicles and their target market is mostly corporate customers. I was a graphic design and social marketing intern for them. Projects included creating new websites, finding optimal solutions for the phone network, managing Google AdWords to promote job listings and the company’s services, etc.

I learned: From my time abroad, I learned to trust my instincts more. You go abroad to experience a new culture, create new memories and build new friendships. You’re living life and enjoying every moment of it, but you realize you should acknowledge that little voice in your head or that gut feeling. It can help you get out of sticky situations if you ever encounter them. Also, you learn to respect different cultures. Living in London for three months makes you realize that you’re not just a tourist in a foreign country.You’re living in a different country where there is a different culture than America. Traveling and studying abroad allows for a student to embrace the lifestyle of the community that hosts him/her.

I was surprised by: I learned that British people ‘work to live’ which is the opposite of Americans who ‘live to work.’ It’s not to say that British people are not hard working. They are extremely hard workers. They just understand that work is not what life is all about. They care about downtime, and spending that downtime with friends and family.

The hardest part: The hardest part was getting adjusted into the English culture. It is so different than what it is like in the States. Social norms are different in the UK. Currency is different and at a different value. For the first month or so, you forget that you have to convert all the values into American dollars.

The best part: The best part was meeting new people from the different colleges in the States as well as British people with whom you develop professional relationships. You get to learn and experience education and business from a different perspective. Traveling all over Europe was another plus.

My tip: Keep an open mind, but trust yourself. That is the best way to enjoy your semester abroad.

Ann Masline, London Internship

/in , /by

Ann PenguinsInterned at Whisky Mist Nightclub

Internship: I worked at Whisky Mist Nightclub in the district of Mayfair in London. I was the PR and Marketing Intern at Whisky Mist. During my time at my internship, I planned events, managed the club’s social media accounts, and emailed prospective clients, from musicians to fashion designers, to visit Whisky Mist and have their events with us.

I learned: From studying abroad, I learned that there are so many fun and exciting opportunities beyond jobs and internships in the US. Knowing this, it’s exciting to realize that if I wanted to go back to London, or any other international city, it’s possible, and I now have the independence, resources, and skills to do so.

I also learned that “please” and “thank you” go a long way, no matter what country you are in.

I was surprised by: Something that surprised me most about my time abroad was just how many young people, both American and non-American, there are travelling around the world. Everywhere I went, there were college students and young professionals making memories and exploring, just like I was. It was amazing to meet these young people who were having similar experiences to the ones I was having.

The hardest part: The hardest part about studying abroad was balancing traveling and exploring with taking time for myself to relax and reflect. It was my initial instinct to book trips across Europe for every weekend I was abroad. After a few weekends of traveling though, I realized that I needed to balance my down time, time spent exploring London, and time spent exploring the rest of the world. Initially, I wanted to do it all, but I found that it was necessary to truly evaluate how much energy, money, and time I had.

The best part: One of the best parts of my abroad experience in London was at the end of the program when I no longer felt like a tourist, but more like a local. By the end, I was confident enough to give people directions, I was a “pro” on the buses and tube, and I was establishing a real routine in my day-to-day life. This was one of the best parts of my time because I no longer felt intimidated by the city, but rather comfortable and confident. By the end, I could also truly envision myself working and living in London in the future.

My tips: 

  • Plan on traveling the most during the first half of the program, when you have classes. During the second half, when you are doing your internship, you won’t have three-day weekends, and everyone will be exhausted from working all week.
  • If you have to choose between shopping at Harrods and buying plane tickets, don’t shop! You will always remember the fun and excitement you had traveling more than the new shoes that you bought.
  • Go to the markets! They are amazing.
  • Try to meet as many locals as possible; not only will you meet great people and learn more about London, but you’ll have a couch to crash on if you ever want to visit again!