Multi-Country European experience that completely changed how I see the world and my place in it. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational experience I got through Forum-Nexus was amazing and unique. The classes were taught anywhere from a traditional university in Barcelona or Milan to a hotel conference room in Athens or Paris. However, that's only the beginning of the educational experience as so much more was learned outside the classroom, especially through professional visits. We visited multi-national companies and Fortune-500 companies all over Europe to better understand how international business truly works. The grading system was fair and pretty straight forward and the classes are all taught in English. The grades aren't based on memorizing bolded terms out of a textbook. The teachers don't care if you can memorize the definition of a future option, but rather that you can explain why trading futures can be so profitable and risky. The program and teachers do an amazing job of relating what we learn in the classes to what we see on our professional visits and to what is actually happening in the cities, countries, and world around us. It's all very relevant and we definitely talked about topics that would be taboo in an American university.

On-site administration of your program

Forum-Nexus brought together students from more than 70 universities on my trip alone. Those kind of logistics can be a nightmare but there was always a representative at the airport and the professors and program directors traveled with us on the buses from city to city. We had the same leadership structure the entire trip, so we weren't being passed off to the next person in charge every few days. All of the professors speak at least one additional language, though most are fluent in 3 or 4, which is very helpful. Every time we would pull into a new city, a professor would go over about 10-15 phrases or words that were helpful for basic communications. The program size changes fairly often because Forum-Nexus offers different program lengths to best accommodate every students needs. One week we would have 60 people and the next we would lose a few when their program ended and we would add a few more who were just starting their program. The cool thing about that is that all the students stayed together, even if they were new to the program. It became a family atmosphere very quickly. It is the predujice of experience that bonds us together, and there was never anyone left out. It was amazing to see everyone from different parts of the country, different parts of the world, different ethnicities, different cultures, different social norms, and different religions all come together peacefully to engage in this learning experience. To say the least, Forum-Nexus far exceeded my expectations. The experience goes so far beyond what the website describes, even though that almost sounds too good to be true.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We stayed in 3-star and 4-star hotels across Europe with the exception of Rhodes, Greece, where we stayed in a 5-star hotel. We had double rooms that we shared with another member of our group. Before the trip we filled out a general survey, similar to the one I had to fill out for dorm arrangements. My roommate turned into one of my best friends over those 7 weeks and we've seen each other multiple times since and actually went back last summer and back-packed Europe on our own. That's the type of bond that Forum-Nexus promotes. The hotels were in good neighborhoods from what I could tell; I felt safe. I went for a run most mornings which helped me get used to the area and I never felt threatened though I did get lost in Interlaken, Switzerland. Though that turned into a fun story. The hotels provided a free breakfast and we were always close to a central train station/line.

The hotels provided breakfast for us and had options for everyone.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This is what separates Forum-Nexus from every other study abroad option. This is a focus of Forum-Nexus. We had almost daily "field trips" which were actually professional visits to multi-national corporations as well as upcoming, forward thinking businesses. In each city, the professors and program directors would talk to us about the history of the city and why famous monuments or sites were important and give us a cultural background to the city. They didn't hold our hand and walk us to places, but they very strongly encouraged us to go see them for ourselves. The day we pulled into Paris, the program director told us class was canceled and our only assignment was to go to a museum of our choice in the city and write a one-page reflection paper. They almost force you to experience the culture and the city which is such a big thing from my perspective. Why come to a new city or country to study abroad if you only want the classroom experience and to say you went to country X. Go live it. That's what this program is all about.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program sticks to major cities and reputable hotels. The students generally explore and do everything else in smaller groups. Forum-Nexus provides health insurance to each student and we each got our own card to carry for emergencies which I thought was a very nice thing to have. Though, if you're going to get hurt, do it in Switzerland - their healthcare system is top notch. Forum-Nexus doesn't go anywhere you need a vaccine, so you should be fine with everything you need to live in the dorms and go to school.

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

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