Magnificent Saint Petersburg Past Review
By MARGARET F (International Relations and Affairs., University of the Pacific) for
CIEE: St. Petersburg - Russian Area Studies
Definitely. Left knowing NOTHING about Russia, still came back with more questions than answers, but with a slight insight into the mystery.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Russian Art, Civilization, and History courses were spectacular. The language course was extremely difficult, and too fast paced. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great administrators, all local or lived there for years, incredibly kind and helpful. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great host family, interesting neighborhood, all very authentic. |
| * Food: |
Great family food. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Peterhof, Hermitage, Novgorod, Moscow, Pskov, Baltica Brewery, the Spring Ball - all AMAZING!! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
It is very safe, especially if you are a woman. The only danger is getting sick and getting frostbite. You cannot take the weather seriously enough. You CAN die from the cold. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25, lunches and metro, significantly more if you go out on the weekends. It's an expensive city. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Watch your spending at the bars, it will catch up to you. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Went in knowing zero Russian, came out knowing a little. But, acquisition of the Cyrillic Alphabet and the ability to read and further my Russian is undeniable. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The program is really great. All aspects: academic, excursions, advisors, teachers, host family, the country, the people, the night life, the food, the weather is crazy but wonderful. I loved it all. |
