Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Very restrictive program January 05, 2023

By (Russian, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/28/2022 to 12/18/2022 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I improved my Russian some and learned about Kazakh culture. It was worthwhile but it could have been way better on a different program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall this program was not enjoyable. American Councils was overly strict about attendance, not letting us leave class to fill up water bottles/use the bathroom. Classes were at 8am everyday and almost everyone had a long commute, and 7 classes were required. I was incredibly sleep-deprived the whole time. Many of the classes were a waste of time.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

American Councils treated us like small children and did not let us travel abroad at all. When students asked for help from host country program administration after they were stopped by the police late at night, American Councils punished them for it, which does not promote asking them for help.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was comfortable and I had no problems with it.

* Food:

The food was mostly fine.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I found it hard to be too integrated.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

It was safe except for occasional stops by the police.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Absolutely not. I would do any other program with SRAS or Learn Russian in the EU to travel and have freedom and not be treated like a high schooler.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 300

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

We received verbal and written warnings if we spoke English with each other.

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Almaty
  • Independent Travel Around Kazakhstan
  • American friends
* What could be improved?
  • Travel restrictions
  • Class start times
  • General strictness
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew I would not be allowed by the program to travel abroad and that it would often be hard to get permission to travel independently. I also wish I knew classes would start at 8am everyday and I would have to take seven classes. I also wish I knew there are opportunities to study Russian in Almaty for way less money.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study
Course Department: Russian
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments: This course was very challenging and taught at a very fast pace. I learned a lot but this course had insanely hard exams every few weeks that included material not taught in class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Eurasian History and Culture
Course Department: Russian
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments: I learned a lot in this course but I would have learned more just going places instead of sitting in the classroom.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Conversation, Phonetics, and Intonation
Course Department: Russian
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments: This course was pretty strange and not the most challenging. Much of it was spent around writing transcriptions in Russian which was a pretty pointless activity.
Credit Transfer Issues: