Language and Internship Program in Moscow: Great Summer Experience Past Review
By Can S (Social Studies, Harvard University) for
Academy of National Economy: Moscow - Summer Language & Internship Program
I learned a lot about Russia and Russian. I realized I want to focus more in Social studies.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Harvard requires a lot of hardwork, whereas my program at the ANE was a little more laid-back, which I enjoyed since it was a summer program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program staff are very helpful and nice. They have really good Russian teachers, who take the time to show you around in Moscow. I guess the internship component can be improved. Some internships weren't as fulfilling as others. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a great host family, who took the time to help me with my language. |
| * Food: |
Russian cuisine is close to the Turkish cuisine, which is what I'm used to. I had great food at home and I had the chance to try out different dishes as I explored Moscow. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I went to many museums and had a great group of American friends to hang out with. I wish I could make more Russian friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My Moscow experience did not see any safety-related issues. However, one should be careful about not walking around in dark streets late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Most of my expenses were pre-paid. I approximately spent $40 every week mostly for lunches. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cabs are a little expensive, one should try to avoid them. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I spoke in Russian while travelling in Moscow; it helped a lot. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Enjoy your time abroad and study hard. |
