Yonsei Class Registration.

Most incoming exchange students to Yonsei will probably feel the pressure and anxiety when it comes to registering for their chosen courses. I know I was when the "course registration period" came. So to help you guys out, here are the steps on how I applied for my courses at Yonsei.

So when you have fully paid for your housing account and have given your health insurance evidence to Yonsei, they will send you an email saying that your enrollment has been completed. In this email, they will give you your student ID number. The student ID number is different from the initial admission number (SAY****) that was given to you for making an account for the housing application. Now if you have your student ID number, you can then log-in to the Yonsei portal web. The password for your Yonsei portal account will be your date of birth written in this form: YYMMDD

Yonsei Portal: http://portal.yonsei.ac.kr/main

Take note that Yonsei has advised students to use Internet Explorer when doing the course registration. Apparently, the web page doesn't work well with Chrome, Safari and Firefox. Being the good follower I am, I used Internet Explorer to apply for my courses to avoid mishaps during the application period.

Just like the housing application, the course registration for classes is also very competitive. All of the classes in Yonsei will have a maximum amount of students that it can take. If you are late applying to a subject, then you will be put on a waiting list. The waiting list flow will be dependent on two things: other students dropping out or you personally asking the professor on the first day of class to remove you from the waiting list and register you for the class. I don't know the chances of you getting into the class if you've been placed in a waiting list, but just make sure to register for your classes on the day the course registration opens.


Pro tips:

• You can check the different courses available for the semester at the Yonsei portal under "Course Catalogue and Syllabus: Undergraduate and Graduate". This is the one that I drew a red outline on from the photo above. When you click that, another web page will pop out (pic below). It's pretty easy to manoeuvre so go ahead and search up your desired subjects.

• When you're searching up for the courses, there are three things that you need to watch out for: #1 the Purple boxed arrow which will contain the course information of that subject, #2 the time in which that subject occurs (just in case it clashes with your other desired subject) and #3 make sure that the reference doesn't have a "©: Offered at the International Campus" because that course is on a different campus and not in Sinchon. 

• You are only allowed to take three business courses per semester. The course code for business courses starts with BIZ****

• An hour before the course registration period opens, log-in to the Yonsei portal and make a wishlist for all the courses you want to take. This will make it easy and fast for you when you're actually applying for the courses. To make a wishlist, click on the "Undergraduate Course Enrolment" which I outlined in blue from the photo above. Click on your desired course and add to wishlist.

The bidding system for course registration:

The bidding process for course registration slightly confused me considering that it wasn't a topic that many people talked about. Once you get your head around it, it's actually pretty straightforward. First of all, you must click the "Undergraduate Course Enrolment" from the Yonsei portal page and log-in to your account. Assuming that you have made a wish list, you can then, during the course registration period, assign "miles" to each subject that you have. Undergraduate students are given "72 miles" to distribute to the number of courses they're taking.

For example, I wanted to take four courses at Yonsei, so that's 72 miles ÷ 4 subject = 18 miles for each subject. So I distributed these "18 miles" to each of my subjects. You can bid between 1 to 36 miles for each subject. You can bid higher if that course is something that you must take, or if it's a really popular  course and has got a low number of students it can take. For me, I distributed my miles equally because all the subjects I'm talking had the same importance and the max students for each class were quiet decent. You must make sure that the overall miles you allocated add up to 72 otherwise your whole course registration will not be valid. 

A day or two after the course registration period ends, the result will be posted. You know you've been accepted to a course when it shows up under the "Confirmed List" row, but if not, it will be under the "Waiting List" row.

So that's pretty much it. If there are things that I missed feel free to ask me questions.

Until then,

xxx

Arrowtown - New Zealand

Arrowtown is a charming wee town that is 20 minutes away from the town centre of Queenstown. It used to be historic gold mining town in the 1800's during the Otago gold rush. Before you embark on your exploration around Arrowtown, make sure to check or take a picture of the town map so that you won't get lost (although it's impossible to get lost). 

The streets are lined with historical buildings that were restored and made into business establishments, cute souvenir shops and cafes.

If you fancy sweets, you must visit this sweet shop. I forgot the name but it's not hard to find since their window display sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the other buildings. 

There are also heaps of shops that sells cute bits and bobs that you can bring home as souvenirs or as gifts.

If you have a more flexible time than we did, I suggest you visit the Lakes District Museum. They have an excellent historical exhibition of Arrowtown and are open every day of the week from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Entrance fee for an adult is $10 NZD and $3 NZD for a child.

Look at those two lovey-dovey dogs <3

You'll seriously enjoy walking around Arrowtown. I just love the ambience of the place despite the cold and chilly weather that day.

Another highlight in Arrowtown is the Chinese settlement at the edge of the river. There is no admission, but there's a lot of walking involved. There's no walking pavement so heels and uncomfortable shoes are a big NO-NO. The settlement is delicately preserved to allow visitors to see what it was like living in the gold rush days.

That little doorless-house looking thing used to be their toilet. I couldn't imagine myself using that on a cold winter day.

It was odd seeing the amount of snow during our visit since it was already spring. Alas, it is not New Zealand if you don't experience four seasons in a day.

It was quite a hike walking around Arrowtown; make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and probably water to hydrate yourself. If you seek more information about Arrowtown or would like to visit, check out their official town page here.

Until next time,

xxx

Lake Tekapo, South Island - New Zealand

If you're driving your way to Dunedin, Queenstown or Invercargill from Christchurch, then most definitely, Lake Tekapo will be your quick stop over. Last year around September, my family and I decided to pay an overdue visit to the tourist capital of New Zealand; Queenstown. And as mentioned earlier, we made a quick stopover in Lake Tekapo for a quick breather and brunch.

You know you're close to the actual lake when this "Hachiko"-like statue is visible. 

September is normally the start of spring in New Zealand, however, when we went to Lake Tekapo a large remnant of the previous winter season greeted us. It wasn't even a mere remnant, in fact, it was like winter stayed. The ground and the plants surrounding were frozen; which made it difficult to walk around the rocky terrain. The wind also felt like it was ripping our face. Our supposed sunny brunch outside turned into a hasty inside-the-car eating contest. The photos below are some snaps we took before our fingers turned into popsicles.

There is so much to do and see in Lake Tekapo, but since we did not stay there to leisurely enjoy the place, I can only show you pictures of the surroundings. Some of the top things to around Lake Tekapo includes indulging yourself in their beautiful hot springs and spa. Personally, I very much prefer Lake Tekapo's hot springs over Hanmer Spring's (another hot spring close to Christchurch) because on most days, there are only a handful of people. I like it when there are fewer people in the pools. Although it is smaller than Hanmer's, the beautiful overlooking view you get compensates for its size.

Photo from www.newzealand.com

Taking a cruise is also another thing that you can do in Lake Tekapo. They also have a large golf course for those that wants to test their swinging skills at the Cairns Golf Course. 

If you're not an acrophobic, then a 50-minute air safari overlooking Mt Cook (Aoraki), Westland National Parks and the 12 major glaciers of the South Island is ideal for you.

And if you fancy learning about the stars and our incredible universe, then for $80 you can get your a family pass to partake in a tour at Mt John Observatory.

There's so much to do and see at Lake Tekapo, which is why it is one of the quick getaway destinations for Cantabrians. Whether you're there for a quick visit or a long one, I'm sure there is something that Lake Tekapo has for you in the bag.

Until next time!

xxx

Yonsei Study Abroad Housing Application // Outbound exchange experience with the University of Canterbury (Part 2)

As promised, here is the second part of my Outbound exchange experience with the University of Canterbury. After receiving the acceptance packet from Yonsei around December, they also sent me instructions for the housing application. It was pretty simple. They sent me a webpage link on where I can make an online account that I will use to apply for a dorm.

The below picture is basically the overview of the whole housing application process.

Before applying for a housing application, you MUST first make an account using your admission number that was given to you when you received your acceptance packet from Yonsei. The admission number begins with "SAY*****". Making an account is pretty straight forward, just make sure you remember your log-in ID and password because you'll definitely need it later!


The picture below is a notice given to the spring semester students for 2017. It basically outline the overall application period, housing period, payment period and other necessary events that students need to take note off.

There are two housing application period. The first one is on the 22nd December 2016 at 10 AM Korean time sharp. And I mean SHARP. I recommend you apply on the first housing period, especially if you're planning on staying at SK Global since the rooms sell out quick. You also have to be on time. It is very competitive! I set my alarm 15 minutes before it was 10 AM Korean time and logged into my account in advance. I refreshed the page a lot until the housing application opened. It's basically a competition on who can click the fastest, and possibly the fastest internet connection?

There is absolutely no time for hesitation when you're applying for the accommodation because it goes out by seconds, not even minutes! You have to figure out which housing type suits your budget and your personal preference weeks begore the application period begins. For me, I applied for SK Global's single room because I wanted to have own room and my own privacy. I've never had a roommate before and I wasn't ready to give up my personal bubble. Plus with SK single, I get my own mini fridge. How awesome is that! I don't mind having a roommate, but I personally prefer having my own space to myself. Also, I didn't know anyone at that time that I can share rooms with.

A friend of mine who went to Yonsei last spring told me that the number at the end of the "Housing application number" is the number sequence in which Yonsei received the application. Meaning, as shown in the picture below, I am number 93. Basically, the lower your number is, the more chance you have of being accepted. It's a first come first serve basis so it's good if you get a lower number.

Information about the housing prices and when the housing application is is available from the Yonsei Housing Page. There you'll find information about the current prices of the rooms, the application dates, procedures and what amenities are offered in each bedroom type. You can NOT log in and make an account with the Yonsei housing page until you are given your acceptance packet and have received your admission number. Below is the Korean price of the rooms. Obviously to all exchange students, the housing prices are subject to exchange rates and transfer/bank fees.

For those that applied for a single housing option at SK Global, the results were released on the 10th January of 2017. Those that applied for a double at International House or SK Global received theirs on the 30th December 2016. Thank goodness for me, I managed to get a single room. You will know that you've been accepted when you see a "Pass" on the status column as shown in the picture below. After receiving the results you must immediately arrange payments to Yonsei since there is a cut-off date. If you press the numbers that I marked on the picture, you'll be given a swift code and other relevant information to make your housing payment.

When you have made your payment to Yonsei for the housing and they have CONFIRMED it, then you must prepare the necessary documents that are needed for checking in at the dorms. The first necessary document is a tuberculosis test report. You MUST do this exam before you leave for Korea otherwise you'll have a problem getting one in a foreign country. You cannot check-in at the dorms if you do not have this test report. The second document that you must provide is a scanned and printed copy of your passport.  You have to bring these two documents with you when you check-in at SK Global or International House otherwise they might reject your check-in.

So that is pretty much everything about the housing application. It is a lengthy process but nothing too stressful if you organise your time and yourself ahead of time.

See you on my next post!

xxx