Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

New type of student life Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/10/2012 to 12/13/2012 with

Dickinson College: Norwich Center

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made several great friends and was exposed to a beautiful country. I learned that I'm more suited to a small school like Middlebury!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

(Self-provided, with food stipend)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(Never had any health issues)

* Safety:

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? About $120
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a bus card! Shop for 2 weeks of food at one time (buy in bulk).

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • London trip (3 weeks)
  • Cooking my own food!
  • Research paper
* What could be improved?
  • Dickinson class DURING the semester
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I know of a lot of clubs now that I wish I'd known earlier (they would have been fun to join, and I would have met more people).

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

History of Science
Course Department: Science
Instructor: Grant Braught
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A very cool course based in London, using a lot of museum/public resources. Culminated in a research project.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Fossil Fuels
Course Department: Environmental Science
Instructor: Jan Alexander, others
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very interdepartmental look at the issue of fossil fuels (pollution, process of extraction, chemistry and geology of formation, etc).
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Geodynamics: Earth's Engine
Course Department: Environmental Science
Instructor: Jenni Turner, Ricky Herd, Jenni Barclay
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Interesting topics, but lecturing was often difficult to follow/poorly organized.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Intro to Medieval History
Course Department: History
Instructor: Julie Barrau
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very well set up with large lectures by experts and weekly small-group seminars (my seminar leader, Gesine Oppitz-Trottman, was one of the best professors I've ever had!).
Credit Transfer Issues: