Manoa International Exchange (MIX)
I went to Korea through the Manoa International Exchange program. Many Shidler students opt for this program, especially if they are planning to study abroad in Asia, as it offers more diversity in the choices of universities.
Before choosing universities on your MIX application, it’s also important to consider what classes you’ll be trying to take abroad. Make sure to check the Shidler course equivalencies for their partner schools (not all courses are guaranteed for each semester, also remember to check the expiration date of the equivalency).
Packing
If you’ve never experienced seasons in your life before like me, you may not know what to be prepared for in terms of clothing to pack. If you go to Korea in the spring like I did, the weather will start off cold and slowly get warmer as we approach summer. I didn’t have any winter clothes, so for the first few days I just layered tops and bottoms until I could buy a puffer jacket and some warmer clothes in Korea.
Everyone will tell you this if you’re planning to study abroad in Korea, but I’ll say it again: PACK LIGHT! If you want to come to Korea to do a lot of shopping, you’ll need to save as much suitcase space as you can get to bring things home. I packed what I felt like, at the time, was the bare minimum of clothes, but even then I ended up not wearing a lot of stuff I brought from home.
Nest suitcases! Pretty self explanatory, just put your small suitcase in your larger suitcase and pack from there. This will help you avoid overpacking. Also, once you land in Korea, if you plan to take the Airport Express (Arex) instead of a taxi (much cheaper!), one suitcase will be easier to manage.
For toiletries and other assorted things as well, it may be better to wait till you get to Korea to buy it. There are a few Daisos and Olive Youngs in the Hongdae/Sinchon area so I stocked up on shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toilet paper, etc.
Scholarships
Studying abroad can be quite costly, with flights, housing, and miscellaneous fees adding up quickly. My semester abroad would not have been made possible without the help of the Freeman Scholarship.
This scholarship awards $6000 to business students studying in Asia
You must maintain a blog (like this one!) throughout your time abroad
You must join and achieve Active Status in the International Business Organization (IBO) upon your return
You must take three business courses while abroad that will transfer back to Shidler for credit
STAR
Apply to scholarships through STAR!
J. Whitlow Scholarship
The International Business Organization hosts one event per semester open to all Shidler students that awards two $1,000 scholarships to students going abroad through a UH-sponsored program within a year of receipt.
Keep an eye out for announcements regarding Passport Fair (fall) and Global Learning, Global Success (GLGS) workshop (spring).
Booking Flights
I purchased my tickets using majority credit card points (Chase) and bought two one-way tickets. Booking a one-way allowed me more flexibility with my return date, since I didn’t book the flight home until about a month and a half before I left.
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