Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

4 Countries in 3 weeks Past Review

By (Psychology and Art and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware) - abroad from 01/06/2013 to 01/24/2013 with

Institute for American Universities (IAU): January Term Traveling Seminars

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a great deal about international relations and the Middle East on my trip. I believe it was eye opening and I enjoyed traveling to a large number of places.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors were a great resource of information, however, it took much coaxing to get them to share all they knew. As the program progressed they opened up more. Overall the course load was light for 3 credits, and not specialized for each of the 4 classes offered. All lectures were the same for everyone and mainly focused on Political Science and International Relations.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The leaders were organized and experienced in navigating each city we stayed in.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

All hotels were good quality (much better than hostels). Occasionally there is Wi-Fi available in the hotels, but do not rely on there being functional Wi-Fi in every hotel. Especially in Morocco.

* Food:

All paid for meals were good, continental breakfast was included at every hotel. If you don't like seafood you will enjoy a majority of the meals much less. However most meals (24) were bought independently.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since there is no language component to this course, you must rely on any prior language education or finding others who speak english to get around. It was generally obvious our group was made up of tourist.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No health issues.

* Safety:

I felt perfectly safe in every city visited.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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? $300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save food from the free continental breakfasts to snack on throughout the day and try to eat cheap when possible.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Visited a lot of cities
  • Learned a lot about the Middle East
  • Got great photographs
* What could be improved?
  • More lectures geared toward each specific class offered
  • Professors could interact more with students
  • More guidance on navigating each city could be provided
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how hands off the professors would be, aside from escorting us to lectures they kept to themselves and rarely interacted with students. There was also limited free time, so I sugest having an agenda of things you would like to see in each city to better structure your time. Don't depend on the program to take you to any landmarks, that must be done independently.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!