St. Petersburg - The Best Place to Study Abroad! Past Review
By Jessica J (Russian Language, Literature, University of Maryland - College Park) - abroad from 01/19/2015 to 05/19/2015 with
American Councils (ACTR): Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)
I learned a lot about living on my own, I improved my russian language skills, and made some great lifelong friends.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were challenging, but not overly so. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Nathan, the program director, was incredibly attentive and sensitive to everyone's needs. Couldn't ask for a better program director! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family, the location was only 20 minutes from campus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We didn't get to spend a lot of time with Russians - it would've been nice to have mixers with Russian students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
At the end of the program I had to go to the hospital due to a bacterial infection. Nathan met me at the clinic, held my hand while I had various needles poked in me (not a needle person), and helped me work out the payment with my insurance. The clinic itself was clean, I had my own room, and the staff were incredibly friendly. |
| * Safety: |
At no point did I feel unsafe in St. Petersburg, as long as you use common sense and travel in a group you will be fine. |
| 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) |
I found it tough to live on a student budget because whenever my friends and I wanted to hang out, we had to go a restaurant or somewhere else. The first month especially is expensive because you have to buy a phone, internet modem, metro card, etc. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to work up until the day before you leave! You can't work on a student visa and you will see your money dry up quickly, especially if you travel. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | I had completed the first series of the 300 level Russian classes. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | It's best to talk with your host family! Not only can you bond with them, they will also help you with conversational speaking in a non-stressful environment. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | I wish I knew how much time was going to spent in class - it was a lot like being back in high school time wise. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
