Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Irreplaceable moments and a great opportunity for growth Past Review

By (Business Administration, Management and Operations., SUNY - College at Potsdam) - abroad from 08/20/2014 to 12/23/2014 with

ISEP Exchange: Lulea - Exchange Program at Lulea University of Technology

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
That every culture is different and not in a bad way but also they are all strangely similar.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Loved the quarter system but felt like the intensity was quite low compared to my home university

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a total of 12 people. Had my own room and bathroom and shared everything else. At times is was annoying but overall I wouldn't have done it any differently because we got so close and shared so many memories from having to share a kitchen and living room.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Swedish culture isn't that different than American. If it weren't for the fact that they start every conversation in Swedish until they realize you speak English, I would have never known I was outside the US

* 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)

I had no problem with money- but other exchange friends found it difficult and found sweden to be a lot more expensive than their home countries so they had to budget a lot

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-200 dollars
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? use cash as much as possible. Swiping a card is so easy to do but you often forget how much you've spent and it all adds up quickly

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • location
  • community/culture
* What could be improved?
  • housing distance from university
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? i wish I knew not to take everything for granted because it is such a short period of time. All the times I did nothing out of the ordinary I took for granted but they were still good times with good friends

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 Urbanite
A 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.