Exhilarating Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found the classes to be much easier than my home university, but I still learned a lot so the academics were still great.

On-site administration of your program

The administration is different in Bulgaria as is the work ethic, but I really didn't have problems with administration. Sometimes you just have to check if they are going to be there.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a dorm, which was good and bad. I think for a small school it was good to meet everyone and be right on campus. I wasn't used to going back to dorm life as an upperclassman but it was fine! I met a lot of people that way. Just had some initial issues with being placed in a triple instead of a double. Also be careful if you live on the first floor. Don't leave your windows open a lot.

The canteen food was very repetitive and not very good. I had to eat similar things everyday especially because of my eating restriction but they did have an allergen key which was helpful. I did eat out a lot. The dining hall food is primarily Bulgarian cuisine. As an exchange student you have a lot of campus cash to spend at the cafes on junk food too.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I actually felt pretty separate from the town because the university is its own little thing, but the town is a college town and loves AUBG students! The people really don't speak much English which could be why I felt a little bit separated, but I always went out and experienced the nightlife and local cuisine and restaurants, and did things that the town and country had to offer. I overall felt pretty integrated by the end.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It was readily accessible. There is an on campus health clinic. I had to go to an eye doctor, so they had an English-speaking person with the health clinic that went with me for the language barrier. They gave me a medication that was subscribed to a pharmacy, so it was pretty straightforward. However, I had bought insurance through my home school's recommendation, but also had some form of it through AUBG, which they wanted me to use instead, and had Bulgarian on the student health card. So I didn't really get to use my other insurance but I was required to have it anyway.

I never had any safety problems, but beware of crime. It is definitely different, and just be careful of theft is all that I would warn against, as well as taxi fare ripping you off.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

So easy! Bulgaria is sooo cheap compared to the US. Seriously, if you are looking for a cheap cheap study abroad location this is the one. My room and board and everything cost less than the US and you can get a nice dinner here for like 10 bucks.

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

I had to learn a little Bulgarian outside of my school, but it's not a requirement. The school is English speaking, the country is not.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Travel opportunities for cheap
• Non-English speaking
• American University in non-english speaking country

• Canteen
• roommate-matching
• theft prevention and knowledge