Moscow: The Best but Hardest Time! Past Review
By Megan H (Russian, English, Truman State University) for
College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS): Moscow - Grint Centre for Education and Culture
It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I did it. I learned so much and managed to interact with others in a completely different culture. My knowledge of Russian has deepened and I understand the people more.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My language professor was amazing. She was smart and an excellent teacher. I learned so much and looked forward to class every day. The homework load was relatively light to moderate. Sometimes I would have a short essay to write or a worksheet to do, but I did not feel like homework got in the way of sightseeing. The professor who did the culture/politics was not as enjoyable. He had a very scattered method of teaching and I do not think I came away with too much usable knowledge. However, the culture/literature professor was a joy. Her knowledge of Russian literature and how it relates to Russian culture was fascinating. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
When there was a problem, the administration was very helpful. Planned excursions were well run and very informative, enjoyable outings. I wish I had more opportunities to speak Russian, especially with people my age. I ended up speaking much more English than I would have liked, but I did learn a lot of Russian. More planned excursions would have been nice, but the ones they had were great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was willing to speak Russian with me when she was home, which was great. We watched TV together in the evenings and she would explain unknown words or concepts to me, which allowed us to bond and allowed me to learn. My host family lived a 45 minute walk away from school and about 20-25 minutes' walk away from the subway. I felt fairly safe. My host family mostly treated me like a job. At first, my host mom and I spent lots of time together when I was home, but she started spending more and more time at her dacha. In the last 3-4 weeks, she was only home 5-6 days total. This caused lots of stress for m e because of extenuating circumstances with my roommate that I then was in charge of. When I was having difficulties with my roommate to the point that I told her I was thinking of moving to the dorms, she said she would help me talk to the program, but then decided against it because there are "never problems at her house." There were problems, whether or not she wanted to tell them. Even though she knew the situation, she continued to go to her dacha often, even during the week. |
| * Food: |
I lost a lot of weight there, and I did not have any to afford to lose. The cafeteria food was decent. Breakfast was usually great at the host family's house. Because we were not allowed to cook on our own, I ate a lot of cold cuts and ramen, which was disappointing because I was in a foreign country eating hardly different foods. If you have the chance, spend a little extra some time and go to a Georgian restaurant and eat khatchapuri (cheese bread). It is delicious. Moo-Moo is a chain restaurant and has fabulous borsch and other foods. I highly recommend it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We got to go to Tula and Tolstoy's estate one Saturday. There were plenty of fun excursions, but there was too much free time during the week in this program, so a group of us planned a bunch of our own, which was easy (though we spent countless hours getting lost). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You have to get an HIV test before you can get your visa. I had to walk back alone from the subway at 10-11 pm a few times from program excursions, but since I went in the summer, the sun was still just setting, which made me feel safer. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | My biggest expense was museum entrance fees, then food, then transportation. Obviously with souvenirs you can spend as much or as little as you want. Food there is expensive, and you are on your own for a lot of meals. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I decided last minute to take the TORFL, which is expensive but worth it. My advice is to set a budget, but spend money. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Pay to see the museums, the sights, take the subway. Buy things that remind you of favorite things you saw and did. Take as many pictures as you can. Pay the extra 100-200 roubles to be able to take pictures in museums, it's usually worth it. Don't do anything you'll regret, whether that means spending too much or too little. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Third year Russian language |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Class was the best place for language acquisition. My classmate and professor helped me immensely. I spoke Russian with my host mother, but the other students always spoke English. I was usually able to speak enough Russian to communicate with local people at restaurants, museums, etc. When my host mother was not around, I would watch television in Russian. This was nice because they were not in any way slowing down or modifying their speech because (obviously) television doesn't know you're foreign. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | Know Russian before you come. Be willing to learn, don't shut yourself off. You'll make mistakes, you'll be embarrassed, you'll do amazing things, you'll have the time of your life. |
