Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A nice vacation Past Review

By (Birmingham-Southern College) - abroad from 06/23/2018 to 07/26/2018 with

CEPA Foundation: Strasbourg - EU Studies Semester Abroad Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot being abroad alone, and having freedom in that sense.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics of this program were absolutely atrocious. First class was a basic overview of culture, and essentially learned about the stereotypes held by our instructor. Second class was spent discussing current events and stories about the instructors family.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Everything was very well organized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The Chateau de Pourtales is a fabulous location. It could not have been any better.

* Food:

Breakfast was always excellent, although the sheer amount of bread got old at the end of the trip.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very isolated from local culture at the Chateau. Many of our days were spent sitting in class, which we could have done in the US. I met very few locals.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Other than the facilities this program was essentially worthless educationally. We visited cool places but got grade school level tours. Classes struggled to be relevant.

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)

You can spend as much or as little as you want. Groceries are rather inexpensive, or you can eat out all the time.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? roughly 150-200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Nope

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The location and amenities
  • Strasbourg as a city
  • Food!
* What could be improved?
  • Most things
  • Classes
  • Instructors
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To just vacation instead, although having the credits will be nice.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The 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.