Nina's Growth Past Review
By Nina S (Political Science and Government, SUNY - College at Oswego) - abroad from 05/18/2016 to 07/01/2016 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
I learned to not be afraid or intimated of having conversations with adults. I always felt that they did not care what I had to say or my opinion on anything. My boss actually challenged me and he made me realize that I have a hard time explaining myself. I did not realize that I was not open minded to certain things. So when it came time for an explanation I stumbled over my words and could not explain myself. My boss helped me by taking the time to listen to what I had to say and either contributed to my opinion or helped me understand and see other views. This helped me a lot because it helped me to not to be afraid and so reserved. It was worthwhile because it probably would have took me a longer time to realize that I had this problem. It just took that one person to listen to what I had to say and it changed my whole life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a great experience that every student must take advantage of before they graduate from college. The resources for my classes were made available to us without having to spend any money. The professors worked well to make sure their students understood what was expected of them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CAPA site in London was very welcoming, encouraging, and helpful when it came to issues and concerns students faced while abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I honestly couldn't complain about the housing conditions, although I lived in an apartment. If there was an issue with the bathroom, television, or washing machine maintenance was on top of everything. |
| * Food: |
My roommates and I had to cook for ourselves, however the food was great. In London there is an overwhelming amount of varieties of food that you can pick from. So you will never grow tired of eating the same foods in this global city. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel right into the culture because I'm from the city. They are very accepting of anyone even if you do not know anything about an individual's culture. As long as you are willing to listen and learn that's all that matters. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My healthcare was easily accessible although I did not experience any health issues. The CAPA program discussed how to access the healthcare system if you got sick. In addition, any money that you spend to see a doctor you will be reimbursed for. All you have to do is follow the directions. Furthermore, I did not need any shots for going to London because I was up to date. You probably want to check in with your primary doctor to make sure you are up to date with your shots. |
| * Safety: |
I cannot lie London is a very safe city regardless of what is happening in Europe. I felt very safe and protected while walking the streets of London. I did not experience any unsafe incidents while abroad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Oh gosh I will do this again in a heart beat! The one thing I regret is not studying abroad for at least a year. I will do this again because there are things I learned about myself that I had not known about myself while being in America. |
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) |
The one thing I regret while studying abroad is that I wish I had a budget. It is very do- able to have a budget even though I did not do it. I got into a lot of issues because I did not have a budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80.00 every other week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would tell them to save and calculate what they spend. I understand going abroad there is a different currency, however, it is important to know what you spend your money on. Whether you write down your spending or put it on your phone This is very crucial because you will know before hand when you will need more money, or when you need to cut back on spending. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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 |
5 |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | English |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I knew about the international phone service that is provided in the States called Vodafone. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
