Good experience and have achieved more than expected. June 03, 2024
By Ansen G (Computer Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/05/2022 to 05/24/2024 with
Columbia University: Columbia Combined Plan Program
Applicable and transferrable skills to the industries. I was able to lead student organizations at Columbia. Everything was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Very rigorous engineering program. Courses at Columbia are harder compared to Middlebury. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very efficient and professional administrators. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Only first year at Columbia has guaranteed housing, but luckily I am able to get housing through the lottery system in my second year. |
| * Food: |
No complaints. |
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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? |
Insurances through Columbia health are expensive and required for international students. It is comprehensive but I would prefer a more economic option. |
| * Safety: |
Near Harlem, so there are crime reported every day near campus locations. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Middlebury is small and secluded. It was good to get education at a large research based university. I was able to land at a job I desired, attributed to the curriculum that Columbia offered. |
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? | 300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | NYC is expensive. Minimize the number of times you eat out. And cook yourself more! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | Not much since I know a good number of people who enrolled in the program before me. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Analytics on the Cloud |
| Course Department: | IEOR |
| Instructor: | Hardeep Johar |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very applicable material on cloud computing. Not offered at Middlebury. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues. |
