Home Swede Home (hehe) December 15, 2024
By A student (Sociology; Health: Science, Society, and Policy, Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/17/2024 to 12/13/2024 with
DIS Stockholm Semester
It was incredibly worthwhile; I think it's so important for people (especially Americans) to know that the world is vast and we don't live in isolation. I learned SO much, probably mostly non-academic, though I did learn a lot academically. It was a felt sense of cultural difference that I grew through and keep with me.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I personally had a great experience with my host family! |
| * Food: |
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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? |
N/A, I was lucky enough to not experience health issues |
| * Safety: |
Stockholm is a comparatively safe city, but I did hear of an incident with a fellow student who wasn't well taken care of by the program when they needed it |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I primarily chose the program for the courses pre-approved for the HSSP major. My experiential course was especially interesting, and well-run by the program. |
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) |
Students in host families saved WAY more money on food/expenses than students in dorm/shared housing. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe around $50, but depended on the week |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
English is widely spoken in Sweden and used entirely in the program. Not a problem, since I wasn't looking for that level of immersion in Swedish 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Some Duolingo |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | In a host family, you can likely practice more language at an easy pace. Also, Duolingo or other language learning apps are helpful! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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? | Your Discover card won't work! Lol |
