Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I will never experience anything else like this again. Past Review

By (Illinois State University) - abroad from 01/07/2012 to 04/30/2012 with

Canterbury Christ Church University: Canterbury - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The trip was definitely worth my while. I gained an incredibly amount of knowledge from my experience and it was not academic knowledge. I was experiencing a new culture and as cliche as this might sound I really did change abroad. I did things I never thought I would do and I really stepping out of my comfort zone meeting people because I am a very shy person. And I do not know if it was being over there or the fact that I had a few short months there but now that I am back in the USA I feel myself slowly being comfortable in front of people. It was not as drastic as it was in England but to me it is still progress. If I had anything of importance to tell others it would be to go because you are young and only get to experience this particular experience when you are young, it will be completely different when you are older.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found the courses to be very interesting, however I did not feel like the criteria for passing the class was set high. Maybe this was due to the fact that they knew we were not there primarily for studies.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration in my opinion was just okay. I did not need to contact them very often but when I did I felt a delay in response or received and out of office reply back.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I really enjoyed my housing. I liked that I was with living with other students from CCCU. It made the experience so much better.

* Food:

I had to buy my own food, so I just bought basics. Nothing to spectacular on a students budget.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very well integrated because I was living with five other students from around the United Kingdom.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I unfortunately got ill on my trip and the services in Canterbury were very good. They were able to see me same day and got me feeling healthy soon.

* Safety:

I felt safe in the Canterbury area because I was always travelling with people at night and during the day it was always safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Budget was not a huge issue with me because I was prepared to spend money over there. However, by the end I do wish I had been more organized with my spending's and what I used my money for. The conversion rate however was a bit of a damper.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you take out large sums of money, make sure to have a safe place to keep it in your room and note that that will last you the whole week. I had the problem of leaving it in my wallet and just whipping out money whenever I wanted to buy something instead of pacing myself. Also, when going out realize that you do not need to bring your money, debit cards, and credit cards out, that is how I got pick pocketed in Rome.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • Travelling abroad to other countries.
  • The people I got to meet living in student housing.
  • The independence I gained from the experience.
* What could be improved?
  • The preparation for attending classes.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that this would probably be the biggest experience of my life and I wish I had planned a little better for it. And when I say planned, I mean that I wish I had set out certain countries that I would want to visit and make sure to organize my time there to see everything. I even wish I took advantage of day trips to towns outside Canterbury, they would have been amazing to see.