A Chance to Study International Conflict Resolution in London and Geneva Past Review
By Stephanie C (Culture and Communications, Ithaca College) for
Boston University: Geneva - International Conflict Resolution, Summer
I gained more knowledge concerning this specific study area, and it'll help me decide what to focus on in graduate school and in my future career.
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. |
The workload was manageable and left time for exploring, although the last week in London was mostly spent writing the research paper. Grading was very much like the American system, since it was based on Boston University. The teaching methods were lecture style, but in a small classroom setting. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Geneva section is low-staffed but very close-knit. The London section is used in many popular programs and has more resources, but doesn't really work one-on-one with the temporary students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The accommodations in Geneva were very centrally located in the middle of town in a very cute townhouse. Class was less than 5 minutes away. The accommodations in London was also nice, in South Kensington, and right beside Hyde Park. They were about an 8 minute walk from the classrooms. Neither is very close to a lot of nightlife, but the tube and cabs are easily accessible in London. The housing in Geneva also has Lake Geneva and numerous parks close by. |
| * Food: |
I have celiac disease and there was reasonable accommodations. I wrote down my experiences in London and Geneva more clearly on my website celiacsatcollege.com |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
A large music festival took place in Geneva while I was there. My program also did a field trip in Geneva to a castle across the lake, and a cruise around Lake Geneva. And in London, I signed up for a trip through my program to go to Bath and Avebury which was fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Both countries were extremely safe, and no one had any problems. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably around one hundred dollars? The food budget gets a bit out of control, and random programs take money out of the account. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely, the food is what takes the most cash, so make sure to create a budget on how much you can spend. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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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? | Any study interested in International Conflict Resolution and International Relations would appreciate this program. |
