An incredibly formative experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

You will be provided a good quality light breakfast each morning (breads, yogurt, cereal, fruit) and will have a few communal meals, but will have to fend for yourself for lunch and dinner as there are no dining services.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The first half of the program was taught on the campus of The University of Geneva, but because American and Swiss school systems work differently, the local students were all studying for and taking their winter final exams. Once they were back to a regular class style, we entered the internship phase, and our once-per-week class was taught in the classroom within BU's local office space. I pursued involvement in local groups off-campus as I felt we were in a very distinct group from the local students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had difficulties with obtaining prescribed medications because of faulty information I got from GeoBlue before I left; however, the BU staff went above and beyond in helping me resolve the issue.

The only two times I felt remotely unsafe as a woman (read: was catcalled) were when I left Geneva. However, other Jewish students should be aware that Geneva is a very liberal city and there are cultural pockets of deep antisemitism, so publicly wearing a star of David would likely be a risky move (especially as very few local Jews wear clothing of any kind that indicates they are Jewish, and the country has a very small population of Jews relative to many American cities). Overall, Geneva is the safest city I have ever visited.

This was, without a doubt, the most obviously formative experience I have had, both academically and personally.

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

I found it easy to budget in Switzerland, especially as all item prices are the final price (e.g. an 8CHF sandwich will cost you 8CHF, whereas an $8 sandwich will likely cost you closer to $9 when you add in tax). I also do not eat meat, and meat is very expensive in Switzerland. In addition, I rarely travelled outside of the country.

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

The only course taught in French were the French courses; however, for someone with more than three semesters of French under their belt, this was highly unuseful. In addition, most people in Geneva are multilingual (including English). If you would like to practice French, you need to pursue it on your own.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Sunoor Verma's classes
• how encouraged we were to be independent

• French-language immersion
• Cultural immersion (local)

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer