You have to take a minimum of 2 classes and a maximum of 3 classes at YISS. I took the Introduction to US Law, Introduction to Investment and Beginner Korean I. I think there is a fair varieties of courses for you to choose from but mind that most of the courses are introductory level. The classes are fairly easy with moderate workloads so you will have time to experience Seoul after class and during weekends! At my time, there was a scholarship of ~HKD10,000/USD1,300 for students who achieve 3As or above (but I think now they have raised the requirement to 3A+s now). It was a pity that I just missed the requirement by a bit if not I would have HKD10,000 more to spend on my beloved Korean cosmetics and clothes!

My classmate wrote this on the blackboard on our last day class, which reads: Hello? Is our teacher beautiful? Yes, she is beautiful. The heart says: I love our classroom #529.

I highly recommend taking Korean Language while you are at Yonsei. The Korean classes take place at the famous Yonsei Language Center (which is also a part of the main Yonsei campus). 

Before the first class, there was an exam that helped to classify us into different classes according our Korean level. Since all i know about Korean at that time was the basic vowels and stuff, so I was allocated to the most beginner class. However, there was still a minor difference between classes at the same level. Since all of the students in my class had basic knowledge about Korean, the progress of our class was a bit faster than the classes with students who absolutely know nothing about Korean. Just let your teacher know if you want to move up or down at the first day of school, they will help you to arrange accordingly. 

Yes, you will have to buy the textbooks (written by Yonsei). I remember that they are not cheap but not unaffordable too.

Accommodation

My room!

There were 3 dormitories for us to choose from at that time. I ended up choosing a single room at the SK Global House. The room was nice and new but some may think it is a bit small, though spacious enough for me. 

Rooms in SK Global also come with an in-suite toilet which I personally love. The toilet compartment and the showering compartment was not separated so be prepared to have water splashed everywhere in the toilet after each shower. But there is ventilation facility inside the bathroom so it was not a problem. There was also a tiny fridge in my room. But since the electricity cut off every time I left the room, so it was not much of a use for me lol. 

Oh! A major setback is that there was no wifi in the rooms when I was there! There was wifi in the common area on each floor, but you can only connect to the internet in your room through landline/ethernet. Otherwise, I am happy with my room at SK Global House.

I personally recommend SKGlobal  House > International House > Muark Dorm. The International House is just next to SK Global House, so there isn't much difference except I think SK is newer and more expensive. Just try not to choose Muark. It is up on the hill and there is curfew (should be 12midnight)!

Gym inside the SK Global House

There is a gym and a tiny 'mall' within the SK Global House building. The mall has convenient store, cafe and restaurants. You basically have everything you need if you want to stay in for the day. 

I understand that the dorms come in first-come-first-serve basis and so do register as soon as you have confirmed your enrollment at YISS!

But dont worry if you cant secure an in-campus dorm place! A few of my friends lived outside campus in the "고시원"(Goshiwon). There were quite a few around Yonsei so don't worry. However, the rooms at Goshiwon are usually extremely small. You will have everything you need in the room - bed, desk, small wardrobe, toilet. However, the room is so small that you are technically sleeping beside the toilet. But I think it will be much cheaper than the in-campus dorm, so you may consider them if you are on budget. (Bonus: Goshiwon often provide free rice and Kimchi) Here is a website that I browsed around when I was planning for a back-up plan:

http://www.habang.co.kr/en

So I was planning to either to go to YISS or Language class at Ewha, so I also did my research on Goshiwon around Ewha of course (i.e. googling stuff is one of my many hobbies). And I found a decent one called "Eco House" around the Ewha area. It is for girls only, pretty new, have a gym and stuff. So I would recommend you to check it out if you are attending Ewha or don't mind travelling a bit every morning (Ewha is just one station away from Yonsei). Here is a blog that has a more detailed description of Eco House but unfortunately it is in Chinese, but you can still see how it looks like.

Okay, I have a feeling that this blog will become so long that it will look more like an essay than a blog! So I think I will have to share the fun stuff - foods, shopping, hangout spots - in Seoul in separate posts! Since Chinese new year holiday is coming soon, so I think I will be able to finish them soon :)

Coming soon... (link will be available once I finish them!)

What to eat in Seoul?
What to shop in Seoul?
What to do in Seoul?