Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic aspect of the program was remarkable. I took two classes for a total of six credit hours during my stay in Bregenz. One class was on the role Vienna played in world history taught by an English professor and the other was on the European enlightenment taught by a Philosophy professor. The classes used our immense travel capacities to our advantage in order to show us the living history of the subjects of our study. The current culture though different than the past we studied served as a reference point to our subjects. The classes had normal load of reading but a diminished amount of lengthy term papers or detailed responses as classes of those types often require. Our main work was done through reading responses and strong class discussion. The professors I had for class were both from my university in Ky.

On-site administration of your program

The small number of participants (24) allowed me to make strong connections with people and never feel isolated. It allowed all classes to have a high faculty to student ratio and increased the level of discussion from all students. The director had a good grasp of our geographical location and significant near by areas. She made use of these locations in group excursions. Everything from the student perspective was nicely scheduled and well planned. Orientations were only offered when necessary and not overly encumbering. My expectations about organization were far exceeded.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The house was amazing and the host kind and pleasant. The home i had was much further away than those of others and I had not prepared well for that and ended up late the first day or two. I lived a mile away from the student center which was not a big deal but, I had class at 8:30 and for the first week it was a rough couple of mornings. The main problem was the lack of English the host spoke to a group with almost no training in German and the lack of internet access which limited connectivity with family and friends.

All dietary restrictions were considered. All meals were of high quality and served twice a day every day. The program restaurant gives a substantial meal for free that can be had any time of day. There are also nearby restaurants that cater to various students in the area offering great discounts.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We toured two cities and several nearby industries. The host families taught us a lot about the local culture and any questions we had were immediately answered byu the director.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Never experienced any crime of any sort in the city. Doctors and dentists were available as well as insurance from the program. I had no health problems other than allergies and all local pharmacists spoke English. It was very manageable and very safe.

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

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Americans