If I could live there forever, I would Past Review

By Julia D (Writing, Literature & Publishing, Emerson College) - abroad from 09/13/2012 to 12/11/2012 with

Emerson College: Kasteel Well: The Netherlands

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned more than I've learned in my entire life until now, and I mean that both academically and in terms of life-skills. I learned what type of person I am, what I need to travel comfortably, and what I can do without.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Between my four classes, I had a wide range of intensity and value of classes. Just like any other semester, some teachers and classes will be better than others. One plus was how 3 of my 4 classes involved excursions that helped me connect lessons with Europe. Balancing schoolwork with extracurriculars and traveling turned out to be very difficult, however.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I really can't complain about living in a castle! It was very cold and there was no where to be alone, but those problems can't really be fixed.
* Food:	Loved Nellie and Stefan and Yanto, but the selection got very boring after a while.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I would have loved to meet more locals and have had more planned events with them. The Dutch-American sports night was a good start. I loved learning little bits of Dutch from the women at Everything Under One Roof and meeting people as I biked around Well.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I didn't have any real problems with my health.
* 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)	I spent roughly $200 each weekend, with maybe another $50 over the course of the week, probably less.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	about 250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Save up! Spend money on food and find free things to do in the cities you visit.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* 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?	10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The people The location Everything
* What could be improved?	the food at the castle
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Only that I didn't need as much clothes as I brought! But I honestly would change nothing.

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:	The World Since 1914
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Ralph Trost
Instruction Language:
Comments:	Trost was one of my favorite teachers and this was a wonderful class! So much fun, and I loved learning about European history with a German professor. The excursions he chose for our class were perfect.
Credit Transfer Issues: