HanYang OSS Part II: Fun Summer School Insights

Students who are looking to enjoy their summer holidays while boosting their academic portfolio at the same time should consider enrolling themselves into a summer school programme. Most universities offer a holistic learning structure for their summer programmes that are both beneficial and rewarding for interested students. In conjunction with the previous Hanyang post on the academic review of Hanyang University summer school, this article will explore the fun side of studying in a foreign campus!

UCatalyst went hunting among the student population to sieve through those that went through the summer school experience. Once identified, we engaged them in a friendly interview about the fun experience they had outside of their academic life at Hanyang University. Below are the few recommendations on the exciting student life the students had!

Interesting Places of Interest

Jimjilbang (Sauna)

​When asked for the must visit attraction during their OSS experience, Ong Kai Xin a Year 2 Marketing student highly recommends the Jimjilbang (sauna). This is her take on it, “The one I went to with my friends is the Siloam Jimjilbang near Seoul Station. They have a sauna that is as low as negative 15 and as high as 86-degree Celsius. It is definitely an eye-opening experience. For shopping addicts, go to the underground shopping @ Express Bus Terminal, Bupyoeng. Go to their fish market, local wet market if you want toexperience the life of a typical Korean. The one that I visited is the Noryangjin Fish Market and Gwangjang Market.”

Bukhansan Mountain

On the other hand, if you are looking to experience something more adventurous, head on down to Bukhansan Mountain as recommended by Vanessa Chew a Year 3 Accountancy student. She exclaimed that hiking up Bukhansan Mountain was one of the main highlights of her trip. Here is her take on that experience:

“One of the highlights of my trip and the one which I considered most

memorable (and scary) was when my friends and I hiked up Bukhansan Mountain. Given that it was raining and the rocks and trail were slippery, the hike up was not easy and quite scary at certain parts. But with the help of my friends, we managed to hike almost all the way up to the top (some even reached the top) successfully! I'm quite afraid of falling from high grounds so it was quite an achievement for me.”

Boryeong Mud festival

Another must visit attraction is the annual Boryeong Mud festival! This festival is endorsed by Neo Yuan Xin a Year 3 Accountancy student who enjoyed immersing herself in the mud bath and games the festival has to offer.

Unisim students having fun at the mud festival!

Recommended Accommodations

Accommodation wise, an array of locations was recommended. Depending on your budget, choice of location and comfort level, each of our interviewees have recommended a few possible avenues that potential Hanyang summer school students might be interested in. The following are a few of the chosen recommendations.

Ong Kai Xin, Year 2 Marketing Student: “I stayed at URSeoul Residence. Yes, I would recommend it as it provides assurance of security, as well as convenience. It is just a 5 min walk away from Seoul Station.”

Vanessa Chew a Year 3 Accountancy student: “We stayed at a goshiwon called living castle (a dorm outside of school). A goshiwon is basically a small room with typically only a desk, a bed, and a closet which students usually rent to study and sleep in. We were each given a small cosy room that had a toilet, a study table, a bed, cupboards, and shelves. There was a common area where we could cook and wash our clothes. They also provided free rice, eggs, and kimchi. I paid about SGD$490 for one whole month. Even though the room is small I would recommend it to others since we spent most of our time outside our rooms and the size of the room didn't affect me much. If you want your personal space and want an affordable accommodation I think that a goshiwon is suitable for you!

Chua Li Zhen, Year 3 Finance Student: I stayed in an apartment rented via Airbnb. I would recommend this place if you don’t mind climbing up and down a hill every day. The upside is that it is very near Seoul station, Lotte mart, and a famous jimjillbang.

Hanyang University was one of the most popular destinations for Unisim students last summer. Why not experience for yourself the wonderful places and activities that are in store for you this coming summer! Stay tuned to UCatalyst social channels and blog for more scope on other summer school locations all around the world!

#Unisim #HanyangUniversity #SummerSchool