Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Moscow Spring 2015 Past Review

By (Russian Language, Literature, Temple University) - abroad from 01/20/2015 to 05/19/2015 with

American Councils (ACTR): Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made huge language gains, which was my intention for going. I also met lifelong friends and learned a lot about Russian people, culture, and history, which I loved.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I had a great experience with American Councils. I studied in Moscow, which was absolutely a good decision. The city felt very Russian, there were lots of opportunities to practice speaking the language, and we never ran out of things to do. The program was a bit unorganized at times and some of the excursions fell short of expectations, but our professors were top notch and our study trip to Volgograd and Saratov was definitely a highlight. The university is small, but the RLASP professors are great and our group really bonded and had a great time both in classes and exploring all that Moscow had to offer! Lots of individualized attention in class, which was very helpful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

It was disorganized at times and there were questions that went unanswered for longer than we would have liked. I'm not sure if that's just Russia in general or the Moscow program in particular.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was wonderful and happy to chat, help me practice homework, or just leave me in peace if that's what I wanted. I think they were one of the more "hands off" families though, which I liked since they let me use the washing machine and the cooking utensils unsupervised (like I do at home).

* Food:

Food in the stolovaya at school was not good, but my host mother's cooking was wonderful and there's plenty of great food to be had in Moscow.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had tutors, but I did not really connect with mine which made it hard to want to spend time with him. I personally wish I'd made more of an effort to make local Russian friends, but I'm not sure if that was the fault of the program or just me. We had "American Club" every Thursday which allowed a chance to meet Russians.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Moscow, and never had any problems being either a foreigner or a woman.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

I spent more money than I could have, and it didn't help that the ruble gained strength while we were there. Could have budgeted better for myself, but Moscow is also expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

While there was technically a "Russian only" policy on campus, no one enforced it. However, all of our classes were in Russian and we tried to speak it outside of the classroom.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 3rd year semester 1

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Language classes, particularly Speech Development
  • Study Trip
  • Volunteer/Internship
* What could be improved?
  • Organization
  • Clarity--website matching the actual program itself
  • language policy enforcement
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That my credits were not going to transfer back quite the way I wanted, and that it was going to be more disorganized than I had initially expected.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!