Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Study Abroad is What you Make it to be!! Past Review

By (The College of New Jersey) - abroad from 08/24/2013 to 12/21/2013 with

European Study Center: Heidelberg - Study Abroad in the EU

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to become very independent, I'm slightly more organized than I was, and experienced a new culture/people.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

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:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* 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? $80
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan your spending in Advance. Try too avoid spending money on things you'll only use once or twice.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the 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
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • The People I met
  • The many Experiences I had
  • Being able to learn something everyday
* What could be improved?
  • Quality of life things. (more washing machines/free washing machines, maybe optional bikes to use,
  • I wish it was a little less stuctured. As in less required excursion/events. Maybe have a set amount of things one needs to participate in, so there is some choice on where people go and it would bring the numbers down a little bit on each excursion. This is also because though a great many excursions were wonderful, there were four or five that were utterly pointless and I wish I could have avoided. So in the future I hope there is a more open policy on going to excursions so the students can have a bigger say on where they spend their time. The way it is currently set up one has to force their biggest trips on either Fall Break or November since there was no weekend excursions that month.
  • The Integration with the international students needs a severe overhaul. This either means limit the number of those who can come, or just integrate more daily functions with ALL of the students. I lived here for 4 months and would pass by the international students all the time. I feel thats one of the biggest things we missed out on in Heidelberg. Getting to know people from around the world was one of the big draw ins for me, and to not even have any classes or simple activities to get to know people we see everyday anyway is a problem. In the future I hope both groups of students will get to know each other.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The difference in current/voltage, a little bit of German, and how to manage time/money.

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.