A Semester in a European Castle Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think the level of academics fits perfectly into the schedule of the program, meaning it takes into consideration all the weekends the students travel. But if there was not travel the classes would be really easy. It was perfect for me because I went to learn outside the classroom and it was cool because I could learn about an old, european art piece, then go to that country and see it. But I did not go on this program to take classes, I went to travel.

On-site administration of your program

The academic head was not the greatest administrator and I hear he didn't treat Student Affairs that well. The Office of Student Affairs was great though -- really nice people. The Head of the Program was also one of my teachers, and she was really nice. She was very willing to pour her entire self into anything she did. I had no real problems with the Administration there.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I mean, we lived in a Castle...can it get much better??

The food got gross and boring by the end, but it's hard to cook new and interesting delicisous food for that many people over 90 days. Over the weekends they don't make meals so you're on your own if you're not traveling. There is a supermarket in town so its not that big a deal, but it got annoying for people.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I traveled every weekend which was the most amazing part of the trip. It was the reason I went and turned out to be the most educational part of the program. There is really only so much you can learn in a classroom. Traveling teaches you how to be independent, to how get around on your own and deal with problems that arise, it teaches you how to budget and spend money in other currencies, etc. There are so many things I learned. It was truly one of, if not the most, valuable experiences in my life.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There was the H1N1 flew scare that they addressed, which was fine. There was also a doctor in town, but no hospital or school nurse or anything. Its better not to have health issues there at all. As far as safety, at the Castle its so safe. The town of Well is small and secure, and the castle has a lot of security to make sure outside people don't come in. When traveling, its really up to you how safe you are.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was not a language program...I only spoke English.