Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A life changing experience. Past Review

By (Business Finance, Trinity University) - abroad from 09/07/2013 to 12/21/2013 with

CIEE: St. Petersburg - Russian Language

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My language abilities improved drastically, and I learned a lot about a culture that I hadn't known much about. It was very worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics were not overly difficult, however they were difficult enough that I still felt as if I was learning at a quick but manageable pace.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Everything was very well organized and it was very helpful to have the administrators dealing with extending our visas.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was a very different culture and took some time to feel like a part of it, but CIEE did a good job helping us assimilate.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

St. Petersburg has all of the safety issues that one should think about when visiting any large city. Overall I just used my good judgement and had no problems.

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)

Pretty easy to live if you prepare a budget and try to stick to it.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~75

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Russian
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Experiencing a different culture
  • Language
* What could be improved?
  • More free time during excursions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had gone in with a better understanding of Russian.

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 Linguist
You 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!