First-time Overseas!!! It was amazing! Past Review
By Modest J (Automotive, GateWay Community College) - abroad from 06/08/2016 to 07/01/2016 with
GateWay Community College: Summer in South Korea and Japan: Trade, Culture, Language and Entrepreneurship
I learned to bridge connections and strive for greatness because anything is possible. In both countries, entrepreneurs are recognized so much. Entrepreneurship is encouraged a lot.
Review Photos
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. |
The course was not extremely hard but it also wasn't very easy. As long as you keep up with everything it will be OK. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
For their first time with the program, it was very organized and you were taken out to experience the culture a lot. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were at a hotel for most of our stay in Japan which included breakfast. It was very nice. The dorms in South Korea were also very good, each student got their own room. |
| * Food: |
It took a little getting used to but it was amazing. The food tastes very good, Kimchi is an acquired taste though. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We met a lot of individuals our age mostly. It was very cool to learn about how our cultures differ. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not get medical attention but I did get insurance before we left. |
| * Safety: |
Fukuoka, Japan was amazing. Everyone was so nice and very caring. It was very different from American culture. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I learned so much and was able to meet so many foreign people along the way. We also had time to ourselves to explore the city in the evenings. |
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) |
As long as you save enough, you won't have to worry to much. A lot of the meals in Japan weres provided for the students but food was pricy if I had to buy it myself. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 usd |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Prepare to use about $1,500 for any gifts. |
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 |
Our instructor repeatedly told us to use Japanese while we were in Japan. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | NONE |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Study, study, study!!! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | How much spending money to prepare was tricky to figure out. I wish we were taught more about how much to bring. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
