A Great Semester in Kazakhstan May 17, 2024
By Erin C (Russian, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/25/2023 to 12/15/2023 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Russian Program in Kazakhstan
I now have friends from different backgrounds and places, and now I have a place to go back to in Kazakstan if I want.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Good academics, amazing professors. On-site administration could be more forthcoming with planning events and support for students abroad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very nice and knowledgable. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Amazing roomate, good dorms, good living situation. |
| * Food: |
Not my taste. But you are abroad and it's the culture, so gotta get used to it! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not very integrated, besides with my roommate. Students all speak English and there aren't a ton of opportunities to integrate with other native students, you have to make the effort yourself, for better or for worse. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Doctor was hard to get a hold of. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt extremely safe. Safer than at home actually. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Met my best friend, got really good at Russian, and met amazing people. |
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) |
Cheap but I bought my groceries, and there was no stipend for that. Cafe food you paid for. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | cook with others |
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 |
Only allowed to speak in Russian |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Russian |
| 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? | Talk to people who don't know English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I knew how great it would be so I could enjoy it before it went away. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Politics |
| Course Department: | Political Science, Russian |
| Instructor: | Sabina |
| Instruction Language: | Russian |
| Comments: | Very good, I learned a lot about the region. Many heavy and long readings though, with very technical terms. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I don't know. Didn't do it for a polisci credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Russian Grammar |
| Course Department: | Russian |
| Instructor: | Melnikova |
| Instruction Language: | Russian |
| Comments: | Challenging, but fun. Good teacher. Wish we went over more complicated grammar structures and went through the material a little more. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Kazakh Histroy and Culture |
| Course Department: | Kazakh Studies |
| Instructor: | Meiramgul Kussainova |
| Instruction Language: | Russian |
| Comments: | Amazing course. Not challenging, but you learn a lot. Very fun, interactive, and we learned and felt immersed in the culture in a variety of ways. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Orientalism in Soviet Culture |
| Course Department: | Literature |
| Instructor: | Julia |
| Instruction Language: | Russian |
| Comments: | Challenging, learned many words, and learned a lot about Soviet culture and its relationship to the east. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
