Wales will forever be a "Whale" of a tale! PHENOMINAL! Past Review
By Miya A (Kinesiology and Exercise Science., Brigham Young University) - abroad from 07/01/2013 to 08/17/2013 with
Brigham Young University: Wales - Wales Study Abroad
"Was it worthwhile?!" Of course it was worthwhile and life changing. I never wanted to travel abroad until i got back from my mission in Toronto Canada. I realized upon my return that you learn SOOOO much simply by traveling (and i was only in Canada for heaven's sake!) Had I not been with the study abroad group, i would have learned a ton about the culture, money, people, and lifestyles there. However, with the study abroad group I learned a new language, the entire British History, and i learned a lot about the people i was with and even more so about myself in every way! The best part is that i won't ever know everything that i gained on my experience abroad, but for now, it was just what i needed and so much more!
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. |
The "academic rigor" may not be quite what others define is as, but there was a lot of information, it wasn't easy, there were a plethora of fun and useful resources, and I personally learned a TON! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We didn't have an On-site Administration to my knowledge, but Tom is always "on-sight!" |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Part of the 5 stars was in part due to my extremely low expectations of a negative 3 stars. I went in expecting to share a room with not only another class mate, but with spiders, bugs, and slugs, but I had my own room in a very recently remodeled house lacking any form of creature! The other problems or issues were off-set by the fact we were getting a steal-of-a-deal on the housing price. Besides, they only made for more of an adventure! |
| * Food: |
They have so much great food in Wales! Branch out, try different things, embrace all that is chocolate! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were able to interact a bit with the Young Single Adults and we adored our language tutor and her family! We also took initiative to venture out and meet people! I still would've liked to have met more Welsh people and spent more time with them in a more organized/planned fashion, especially more so with the local Ward members! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We didn't have any serious health issues, but i felt as though they would've been easily remedied if they were to have occurred! |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Cardiff! The people we met were really nice and helpful. I only felt a bit on edge with all the pubs around and your occasional creeper that you run in to. Fortunately, we did not have any serious safety issues! |
| 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) |
I knew going into it that i was wanting to eat out, buy gifts, and do fun things! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $400 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get your plane ticket WAY in advance (3-4 months before you leave) and look everywhere... That alone would have saved me hundreds of dollars. One girl in our group got a ticket for $800 while i ended up paying over $1500 waiting too late. Plan ahead and reserve in advance where you plan to stay/sleep for venturing to or from your program. Get grouped day passes for Trains and buses for personal traveling. Everyone knows that eating with a group from the grocery store saves a lot of money, but to be honest, you'll want to eat out and play so START SAVING NOW!!! |
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 |
We only had 2 weeks of language study toward the end and it wasn't really forced. We all just naturally wanted to learn and use it because it is such an unusual and reviving language! |
| 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? | Look up words you're interested in and use them as much as you can! Check out fun programs online, but make sure they agree with your professor... it's harder to unlearn incorrect things then to learn correct things off the bat! |
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? | We went to a lot of cities where we started off together, but then were let loose. I wish i would've known what there was to see and do in those cities beforehand so that i didn't waste so much time wandering around thinking, where should i go and what should i do only to find out..."Snap! I could've seen/done such and such!" I wish i would've known i was going on this abroad sooner in life so i could have saved up more 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 AdventurerThe 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. |
