I encountered lots of difficulties when doing my paperwork for SEP, it seemed that the paperwork for last year’s SEP to Korea changed. Now that im back from SEP, ill be slowly recalling the paperwork i did before i went to. I will update this post time to time whenever i recall something.
Before Applying for SEP
Wait for Suraini or your faculty sep coordinators to email you on sep application. Take note of the vacancy for each university and check which university is most suitable for you, like the number of modules that you can map.
Release of SEP application results
Congratulations if you have been selected! Now you will have lots of things to do.hehehehe
Preparing for SEP
1)Modules mapping:
It would be good if you know who are also going on sep, then you guys can map together.
For me, that time some modules I mapped wasnt approved but yet it was approved for other students so I emailed the professor my friend’s mapping form and he approved mine too. So I saved some time from mapping from scratch again ^^v
If you want to map UE, you have to ensure that the UE you wanna take at the partner university is similar to the module in NUS. Like for eg, NUS doesnt offer fashion merchandising while SNU offers fashion merchandising. Hence i cant take it as UE.
I feel that gem is easier to map than UE. For gem, you have to email the GEM coordinator the mapping form. And they will give you the dummy codes.
For SDE, we are quite lucky, there is a document in the intranet where you can find a list of modules that has been mapped before by the seniors so one can use it as a reference. I heard that Business faculty also has one too. Not sure for the rest of the faculties though.
While filling in the module mapping form, you will need to state the description of the module like its syllabus,workload, etc. You can obtain the information from the SNU course catalog, example if you are going in the winter semester, you can click on that semester to check for the syllabus. If you cant find the syllabus for that semester, try clicking the previous semester by using ‘advanced search’ (a tip from my korean friend).
Before i went to SNU, i mapped about 7 cores, but when i was there, some of the modules werent offered in english anymore. So do map as many cores as possible as backup.
My semester in SNU started in September, but it was only in July then the syllabus for the fall semester was released in the course catalog. So by then we had to map again, some new modules were being offered.
in short, you have to map and map and map AGAIN , very tiring
Wondering where to find all the courses/modules offered in snu? click here , At the website, you can just click ‘e’ for english courses.
Looking for the course catalog? click here
As for exam timings, for CORS, all the dates are predetermined. But in SNU, the lecturer do not plan the exams that early. We asked our Prof when the exam would be held and he told us that he has yet to plan the questions .
2)Finding accomodation:
Depending on price, location, and your needs, there are a variety of accomodations to choose from. You can visit craigslist to find out more.
If your priority is on price, then apply for a dorm in SNU.
Dorm in SNU is dirt cheap, like at most 800k++ won for 1 semester.
If you want some happening life, with lots of restaurants and nightlife, can try sharing an apartment with your friends at gangnam.
For me, as i have lessons on most of the days in the week, i stayed in a goshiwon(FineHouse) . Its near SNU station exit 2. It is highly accessible and convenient but alas very expensive. 380k won per month, interior window with attached bathroom.
a)Applying for dorm in SNU:
You will need to submit medical certificate and chest xray report. You dont need to submit any xray film. For the medical certificate, just go to the university health centre and ask for a copy of your medical cert and chest scan.
In other words, the whole body checkup you did when you matriculated->no nid to do. Just get a duplicate of the medical report .
Updates: For the medical certificate, you need to do the whole body checkup that you did when you matriculated, including chest checkup.
sorry for wrong info, there was some mixup. paiseh
b) Staying in a goshiwon:
There are many types like rooms with attached bathroom and toilet or shared bathroom and toilet, exterior or interior window,etc. Some of my friends stayed at Bobo , DreamGoshitel ,O2Livingtel , Coco , FineHouse. For a longer list, check this website !
I didnt get the dorm so I stayed at FineHouse. I had my own attached bathroom but shared toilet and a interior window that overlooks into the corridor. I was lucky that I wasnt claustrophobic. Back in singapore, I could stay in my room the whole day without opening the windows. My other friends all stayed in dorm, envy them totally. Jen didnt understand why i was always complaining about my room, and when she visited my room, she fully understood. She told me she felt super lucky to get the dorm and can never imagine herself staying in a goshiwon.
Since we are on this topic i shall just do a review of my goshiwon here.
Pros:
-My room is room no.4 , the advantage to me is that the toilet is right beside my room and the washing machine is near my room. As i use the toilet very often, i like that the toilet is near me. And sometime when people wash their clothes and forget to collect it, other occupants will just take out the washed clothes and leave it a random basket and god knows if the basket is clean or dirty. I hate it when people touch my clothes and put it in the basket so i like that my room is near the machine . When the machine finish washing the clothes, some tune will sound. So being near the machine meant that i could hear the tune easily and collect my clothes before anyone touches it.
-The room is clean.
-We have a common kitchen and its clean, i like. I have been to Dream Goshitel that is up the hill on the way to SNU, and the kitchen is damn dirty there. Not sure if they have cleaned it up now though.
-There is a shoe cabinet for each occupant, 3 shelves in each cabinet, but i only managed to store a maximum of 6 pairs of shoes in my cabinet before i had to store them under my bed.
– its easier to travel around. If you stay in dorm, to get to the nearest subway station, you will have to take a bus. Also there are many more food choices available. Also, you dont need to pay for electricity bills, water bills, etc.
-although my bathroom is small, i like the water system. The warm water is very hot. Although sometimes there are some hiccups like it will become cold suddenly, but those problems werent frequent.
Cons:
-Sound Proofing is inadequate.Sometime i can hear the occupants talking on their phone beside my room. But i learnt to zone out the noises when i sleep ^^v
-The wardrobe they have are not well nailed, apparently the person who setup the wardrobe, closet isnt precise in his measurements.
-my fridge started leaking halfway into the semester ;/
-One problem of staying on my own is that its hard to eat bbq meals as you are required to order a minimum of 2 servings that is for 2 people. For one person, 2 servings are far too much. I was lucky that near my goshiwon, there is a kimbab store, mcdonald , misoya that doesnt require you to order 2 servings at one go.
-the room is so small. How small? well for me, when i wake up, i sit on the edge of my bed, and my rollerchair will be right beside my legs. i stretch my left arm and my hand will touch the bathroom door knob. I stretch my right arm and it will touch my room door knob. I am less than 1.50m tall. i was told that each room is a maximum of 6m2 .
– super small bed. The smallest i have ever seen. My bedsheets were super huge on the bed and draped loosely from its sides. My friend actually rolled off her bed when sleeping, shall keep mum on her name. keke but i think you would have already guessed it. sheesh dun say, later i get whacked. kekeke
-The bathroom is also very small, sometime i accidentally hit my elbows against the glass door. Some people tell me that during winter, you wont shower daily cuz its too cold. But for me, my ondol heating was good and sometimes it heats up the bathroom tiles floor also. When the bathroom floor is cold, ill spray the hot water on it before stepping on it to ensure i enjoy my shower ^^v
c) Staying in an apartment:
If you dont want to stay in dorm and dont want to stay in a shoe box room, you can choose this option. Im sure the first thing in your mind is, shucks,wouldnt it be very expensive?
Solution: share with other students. It will be cheaper and you share your bathroom and toilet with fewer people. Your room will be much bigger than a shoebox room aka goshiwon. You will have to pay for your electricity bills etc.
3)Insurance:
ah this one you should know, just google online (;
4)Letter of Recommmendation(x2):
Email your professors and ask them to help you write a letter of recommendation. Different professors will have different requirements. Some professors asked me to write background information of myself, etc. Some asked me for proof of my CCA . It will be good to do it way in advance as some professors take very long to reply emails.
5)Transcript:
Go to myisis.nus.edu.sg and apply for a copy of the official transcript.
6)Statement of Purpose:
Its just a letter whereby you write on why you want to go to this university for exchange. At least 1 page long to be safe.
7)Visa
From what i remember, you have to bring the exact change when you apply for visa.
Location: 47 Scotts Road #08-00 Goldbell Tower Singapore 228233
Operating hours:
Monday~Friday 09:00-12:30, 14:00-17:00
I heard that there were a lot of people and long Q so i went at 9am and waited for them to open. Even though i went so early, there are people who were there before it even opened. Please grab a Q ticket first before you photocopy your documents there(if you havent photocopied). It is advisable to prepare all the photocopied documents beforehand.
When you make your visa, they will keep your passport for a while, and they will give you a receipt/collection slip.
Documents required:
1) A photocopy of your passport
2) 1 passport size photo(3.5cm by 4.5cm)
3) 3-months transaction record of your bank account
3) Bank Statement:
just photocopy the last page of your bank book that shows the amount of money in your account + the 1st two pages of the bank book to show that it is your bank book, then bring the photocopies to the bank and ask for their stamp/signature to certify it
4) Birth Certificate
5) Letter from your home university to prove that you are a student there
6) Certificate of Admission(CoA) – you will find it in the acceptance package when you collect it
7) Completed Visa Application Form – download from the website that i have indicated above
8) Passport – they will take away your passport
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