Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A lot of work, but a lot of fun Past Review

By (Berea College) - abroad from 12/26/2019 to 01/06/2020 with

KIIS: Paris - Munich Winter Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about the food in Paris and Munich. It was a great experience but it definitely could have been better and I feel like I did not get the best "bang for my buck."

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.

The Cuisine and Culture course that I took was very rigorous. I expected the experience to be more hands on, as we were studying cuisine AND culture, but we mostly just had worksheets on the cuisine that took hours to complete. I spent so much time worrying about of the worksheets and journals that needed to be completed that I barely got to experience the cultures of Paris and Munich.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Both of our living arrangements were nice and clean.

* Food:

The food in Germany was amazing, however Paris was not as appetizing as I expected it to be.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt pretty well integrated since we were able to go out on our own. I liked that we were trusted to be able to navigate the cities on our own.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not need any vaccines for my program, however about half of the participants got some sort of stomach bug while we were in Munich and our professors were very understanding and made sure that everyone was okay.

* Safety:

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? No more than 100 Euros, if that.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Freedom
  • Food
* What could be improved?
  • The amount of work
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how much work we would have to do. I know that I study abroad is not just a vacation, but we honestly had an insane amount of work, especially compared to the other classes that were in the program.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.