Stories from Abroad

I really enjoyed this internship, it was interesting and I’ve got a lot of new emotions and memories. I think one of the biggest achievements is that I finished course on a completely different major (Economics and international trade). This internship was useful to me, because now I understand better what major I want to chose for my master’s degree, also these 5 months in China helped me to grow as a person and friend, and of course I improved my Chinese and dive into life in China and Chinese culture.

What difficulties did you have at the stages of preparation for the internship? What tips and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

I think one of the main difficulties is that we need to prepare so many documents, sometimes it’s hard to keep in mind what you’ve done and what you still need to do, so I recommend having a list with all documents tin order not to forget. The second big issue is that we must pay for insurance and other things in Yuan using Alipay and some people have problems with that, because they either don’t have Alipay or just don’t know how to transfer money to Alipay. In this case I recommend ask Chinese students to help you (because they need rubles and you need yuan) or use groups in WeChat or Telegram that specializes in helping transferring money fr om rubles to yuan.

Describe the process of obtaining a visa. Your advice for future participants of the academic mobility program.

Obtaining visa is easy, especially if you’re going to study in China. All information needed you can find in the official website of Chinas consulate. It’s very important to check your international passports expiration date and not to wait until the very last moment to apply for a visa.

What difficulties did you encounter upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program.

I think one of the first difficulties I’ve faced is VPN. To register in the university App you need to use Chinese phone number (it’s usually doesn’t work right away) or your email, and email doesn’t work without VPN. So before going to China it’s better to make sure that you have a good and stable VPN.

And the second issue is bankcards. I strongly recommend not making a bankcard at the university, but instead go to the bank yourself (in the bank you’ll get your card in about 30 minutes, but if you make it in the university during registration it is not guaranteed that you’ll get your card at all).

Overall, there weren’t any big problems when we arrived.

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs.

Visa cost- 2500 rubles, flight tickets to Beijing- 15845 rub, flight tickets to Irkutsk- 21470, registration fee-500 yuan, dormitory deposit-100 yuan, medical insurance- 400 yuan per semester, first week- about 2000-3000 yuan, later every week about 1000 yuan (food, transportation etc). In China there is a wonderful App Taobao (淘宝) wh ere you can buy clothes and other stuff, but also you can buy there coupons for coffee, food, different tickets etc. Also, they have Meituan App (美团) for food delivery, but there you can also find coupons for the restaurants (delivery and to eat in the restaurant) and tickets, for example for spa with a discount for students.

My internship in Incheon was one of the most vibrant and interesting experiences of my life. The fall semester in Korea was simply incredible: fr om the dazzling gold and crimson colors of autumn to the dynamic pace of life in the metropolis. I absolutely loved it all!
As for the results, I think I succeeded: I was completely immersed in an unfamiliar educational system, wh ere I had the opportunity to choose the subjects that interested me. My studies were entirely in English, so I experienced some difficulties at first. My English and basic Korean (TOPIK I) improved significantly.
And on a personal level, I think the main result was creating a network of friends fr om all over the world – South Korea, the USA, Germany, France, China, and the countries of Southeast Asia. We are still in active contact. This internship taught me independence, flexibility, the ability to step out of my comfort zone, and an appreciation for cultural diversity.

What difficulties did you have at the stages of preparation for the internship? What tips and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

Gathering documents: The most stressful part was collecting and certifying all the necessary documents (invitation, transcripts, certificates) within a tight deadline. Coordinating the curriculum was crucial.
Tips:
• Start preparing a year in advance. Check deadlines with your university and your partner university.
• Create a detailed document checklist and work through it step by step.
• Find contacts of current or former students at the host university through social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). Their advice is invaluable.
• Learn the basics of the host language (at least some common phrases) before you leave. This will be very useful both in your studies and in everyday life.

Describe the process of obtaining a visa. Your advice for future participants of the academic mobility program.

The process was standard:
After receiving my Certificate of Admission (COA) fr om the Korean university, I made an appointment at the Korean Consulate.
The application package included: passport, application form, COA, transcript (notarized), proof of financial means (bank statement), and photographs.
My D-2 visa was ready in approximately 10 business days.
Tips:
• Carefully check the list of documents on the consulate/visa center website.
• Prepare all the necessary documents as early as possible, as this can take a long time.
• Book an appointment in advance.
• Prepare all copies and translations in advance. It's best to have all the originals with you.
• Be prepared to answer simple questions about the purpose of your trip and wh ere you plan to study.


What difficulties did you encounter upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program

Challenges:
• Culture shock: The first few weeks were challenging due to differences in food, the lack of familiar foods, and especially the language barrier in everyday life.
• A different lecture format, more group projects to adapt to, and lively discussions on any topic in another language.
• Social integration: I felt a bit lonely at first until I became immersed in the international student community.
Tips:
• Be open and proactive. Be the first to reach out, participate in all university orientation and social events.
• Get a local SIM card or eSIM with internet access immediately upon arrival. This is a lifesaver for navigation (KakaoMap, Naver Map).
• Don't be afraid of making mistakes in the language or customs. Koreans are very loyal and welcoming to foreigners who show interest in their culture.
• Use university services (buddy programs, consultations for foreigners).

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs.

If you count only the bare necessities—accommodation, visa, insurance, flights, basic meals, and local transportation—I spent about 300,000 rubles per semester. And if you factor in all the entertainment, shopping, and travel around the country, the total came out to about 450,000-500,000 rubles.

Here's how it roughly broke down:
The flight (50,000 rubles) was my biggest savings item. I didn't take a direct flight; I flew with two transfers: first through Mongolia, then through China. It took a long time, but the tickets were almost half the price. Tip: look for complex routes and buy tickets well in advance.
First mistake and lesson: taxi from the airport (2,400 rubles / 40,000 won). After a tiring flight with transfers, I didn't bother figuring out public transportation and took a taxi straight to campus.
Accommodation (approximately 1,200,000 won). I lived in a four-person dorm at the university. It's the most affordable and social option—all the international students are nearby, so you make friends right away.
Communications and internet (6,600 rubles / 110,000 won for 4 months). I bought a local SIM card with a good internet package. I couldn't live without it: for navigation, translations, and communication.
Other expenses (visa, insurance, transportation, fees). The visa cost about 5,000 rubles. Health insurance is often included in the university fees. I spent about 15,000 rubles on subway and bus fares per semester, plus small university registration fees.
And here's the "black hole" of the budget: entertainment and shopping (150,000 - 200,000 rubles). This included trips to restaurants and cafes, museums, cosmetics at Olive Young (it's a real magnet!), inexpensive clothes in Myeongdong, and short trips around the country. I could have saved money on these if I had been more strict with my spending. Tip: set a monthly lim it for these indulgences and try not to exceed it. Many museums offer free admission days, and traveling around Korea on intercity buses instead of KTX trains is much cheaper.

Final advice: The most important thing is to plan your budget before you leave and keep track of your expenses.

There were no difficulties upon arrival, the volunteers and local students helped to quickly connect the SIM card, check into the apartment and prompt on all questions of interest.

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs.

Expenses for this internship: Visa: 2500 rubles. Flight: 50 thousand rubles from Irkutsk to Shanghai and back. Since there is no airport in Suzhou, a train ticket from Shanghai to Suzhou costs from 200-500 rubles (depending on the type of train). SIM card service (calls, SMS, 5G Internet) for the entire semester amounted to 300 yuan ~ 3300 rubles. Dormitory accommodation: depends on the dormitory, in our Wenhua Apartment the total amount in a room for two students is 1860 yuan ~ 21390 rubles per month. Food prices depend on what you want. Traditional Chinese cuisine will be significantly cheaper than European or Russian cuisine. The average restaurant bill is 150-200 yuan ~ 220 rubles. Fast food prices range from 10-45 yuan ~ 120-500 rubles.  Chinese establishments with noodles, rice, and dumplings cost about 9-30 yuan ~ 100-400 rubles. In China, food delivery is very developed, so it is cheaper and faster (delivery in 20 minutes) 18-40 yuan ~ 200-500 rubles. One-way subway fare is 1.5 yuan ~ 20 rubles. The same cost for buses.

This trip brought a lot of impressions and emotions, both good and bad, but everything I had to face there in Shanghai strengthened my personality and allowed me to grow up. Undoubtedly, when you are away from home in a foreign country, you begin to take things more seriously, give an account of all your actions and their consequences, allocate time and money, and rely only on your own strength. Thanks to this study trip, I learned to do this through trial and error, because the most important thing is to move forward and not give up. The experience I have gained has a positive effect on my studies at my home university, the level of my discipline has become higher and I allocate my time correctly and comfortably for me, thus, I manage to do all the scheduled tasks and not miss work deadlines. Personal life has also improved, because with a competent allocation of time, you can have much more time, allocate time for walks and time with family, as well as for entertainment and friends, supporting social contacts.

What difficulties did you have at the stages of preparing for the internship? What advice and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

There were a lot of difficulties at all stages of the internship, but I was able to cope with them. Before the trip, I was under a lot of stress due to the uncertainty that awaited me in the future. Later, after landing at Pudong airport in Shanghai, I did not purchase a Chinese SIM card on time and was left without communication for a while, so I would advise all those who are going to travel to purchase a Chinese SIM card as early as possible and check it on the spot to make sure that it is working. Another problem I faced was the language barrier, most Chinese do not speak English and are afraid of communicating with foreigners, so I lacked communication and the necessary information at the initial stages, so it is very important to have an average level of everyday Chinese in order to mix and communicate with the local population.

Describe the process of obtaining a visa. Your advice for future participants of the academic mobility program.

At the time of my trip to Shanghai, the process of obtaining a visa was not so difficult for me and went quite smoothly, but I need to be patient, because this procedure is not fast and requires some time to collect all the necessary documentation and the necessary time for this procedure. Therefore, I would advise all those who want to go on an academic mobility program to do everything necessary in advance and be patient, because the process is not fast.

What difficulties did you encounter upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program.

Upon arrival at my campus to check into a room, I encountered a language barrier between me and the Chinese guards, I had two printed versions with me, which confirmed my check-in at this campus, however, all the dormitory buildings on this campus had English letters for a simpler designation, however, the guards did not know They couldn't take me to the right dormitory, so it took me longer to find my building and register in it. My advice is if you want to learn something, but don't speak Chinese., It is best to ask the expert and the younger generation, because even if he or she does not have a sufficient level of English, they will use a translator and direct you in the right direction.

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees / taxes / deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs.

As for my expenses, it took me about 45 thousand rubles for the flight, 5 thousand rubles for insurance for six months, and 2-3 yuan for transportation (2- public transport, 3- school bus), taxi prices are low enough for such a large metropolis and are relatively similar to our Irkutsk taxi prices, food (groceries in stores) are quite inexpensive, so if you cook yourself it will take much less money than going to a canteen or restaurant, as for entertainment, it's a personal matter for everyone, there are different types of entertainment, for example, you can go to an exhibition, a museum, a park from 20 yuan (cheaper for students), there are also more expensive but memorable entertainment such as Disneyland, Legoland, aquarium, zoos and others (from 200 yuan per person) or you can go to neighboring cities (from 500 yuan or more), In general, this trip turned out to be expensive, but very impressive and filled with various events, new acquaintances and experiences, which will undoubtedly be a valuable part and will be useful in the future.