Holycrapitwasawesome! Past Review
By Ely D (Government, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/31/2011 to 05/19/2012 with
CIEE: St. Petersburg - Russian Area Studies
Hell yes it was worthwhile!
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Remember that the quality of the food depends on your host family and had nothing to do with the CIEE program. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Had to get an AIDS test and some shots before I left... no big deal. As for the healthcare system in Russia; I had no need for it. |
| * Safety: |
Safety is boredom. Danger is excitement. In Russia, those who are looking for victims operate by the rules of the jungle: if you show weakness you are asking to be victimized. Refrain from stumbling home in a drunken stupor at 2 in the morning and and don't keep your laptop in a backpack that can easily be unzipped while in a crowed metro. Also remember that Russia is not a litigious society and they don't know what OSHA is... for that I would like to thank them. |
| 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) |
Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT put a credit/ATM card in your sock while celebrating your birthday in a dance club. Getting these things replaced while in Russia is a B*TCH. Other than that, nearly everything except for clothing is cheap in Russia. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Russia is still a cash society. Leave your cards at home and carry tons of change on you. |
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 |
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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? | That conducting essential business with your home bank after losing your ATM card is very, very, very difficult. |
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. |
