Azerbaijan Experience - American Council's OPIT Past Review
By Rachel D (Global Studies / Political Science, Concordia College - Moorhead) - abroad from 06/11/2015 to 07/27/2015 with
American Councils (ACTR): OPIT Internship Program
The program and my time abroad was absolutely worthwhile. I learned more about myself: the way I process new things, clarification on what future career goals, and gained more confidence in my ability to live and work abroad in a new place. I learned a lot about Azerbaijan and its culture. This internship experience has also given me a desire to continue learning, both in a typical classroom and through more international travel.
Review Photos
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. |
Because this was an internship program, the focus was not on academics. With that being said, I did have a fairly full schedule between my internship placements, (optional) language classes, and weekly meetings. I did not find it to be too much though. I still had enough time to spend exploring the city or spending time with my new friends. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt very supported by the on-site staff. I found it extremely valuable to have both Americans and Azerbaijanis as on staff site. If I had a question about cultural differences, I was able to talk with the American without fear of offending a local. And, if I wanted recommendations on restaurants or a more local perspective, the Azerbaijani staff were always more than willing to help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family provided me with a clean, safe home. It was only four stars because I feel that the relationship between myself and my host family did not grow as much as I would have liked or anticipated. American Councils did do a really nice job of finding a host family that was located very centrally to all of my activities. |
| * Food: |
My host family provided two meals a day for me, and I never had a problem finding a place to eat for the other meal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in a host family, working with Azerbaijanis, and spending time outside of work with Azerbaijanis really helped me immerse myself into the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no major health problems. I have no doubt that the American Councils staff would help me connect with the correct resources, had I had some sort of health issue. |
| * Safety: |
There were only a few times in which I felt slightly uncomfortable in regards to safety. As a whole, Baku is a very safe city. The people are willing to answer questions or help in whatever ways possible. I really enjoyed this city and am hoping to return! |
| 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) |
Transportation was very cheap. It was very easy to live cheaply. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm not sure on an exact total, but most likely around $50. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Sometimes it can be easy to spend money in a foreign currency, but remember that whether it is a manat, euro, rupee or dollar, it is still money. |
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 |
OPIT is designed to be accessible for English speakers. With that being said, they did have optional language classes for an additional cost. I found these lessons extremely beneficial. My tutor was a local Azerbaijani, and she really encouraged me in my language learning. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Repetition is key, especially at the beginning. |
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? |
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? | Language learning is hard. It takes dedication and hardwork! |
