A semester that will never be forgotten! Past Review
By A student (Psychology, Truman State University) - abroad from 01/14/2015 to 05/12/2015 with
Missouri Consortium: Missouri Greece Program
Besides gaining lifelong friends, knowledge of a new language and culture, and more independence, I surpassed all expectation I had of myself and really went outside of my comfort zone. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academic difficulty was no harder or easier than what I was used to. The grading scale is a lot different and for most classes, the total grade consisted of one paper and one test. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were administrative aspects of my program that were a little unorganized before the semester started and it made things a little stressful but once I was there and orientation occurred, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The residences are apartment style and they are very nice. My living arrangement was one of the most difficult aspect of my study abroad experience because there were cultural barriers and nobody saw eye-to-eye on a state of cleanliness that needed to be maintained within the apartment. |
| * Food: |
I love Greek food and everything was pretty cheap, both eating out and buying groceries. There is not a lot of variety when eating out - it seems like every restaurant makes all of the same food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the end of the trip, I felt like a local! Everyone is super friendly and I was able to start using some of the phrases I picked up throughout the semester to communicate! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues but there are pharmacies everywhere where medicine can be bought and the pharmacists are very helpful, though not all of them speak good English. If I were to have any problems, my program provided me with what seemed to be a sufficient medical card. |
| * Safety: |
I never had any safety issues or ever felt unsafe. I took public transportation by myself and would walk around by myself with no incident. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
It is important to budget! Greece is not an expensive country compared to the rest of Europe but it is very easy to spend all of your money if you are not careful! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget before you go! |
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 |
I went to an American College so English was the language of instruction but I took a foreign language class and it was encouraged to try and use the language to communicate with the locals. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Do not be afraid of making mistakes! People love when you make an effort to use their language! Once you attempt to speak their language, they will try to speak to you further in that language and it is okay to admit that you do not know how to speak it well yet. |
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? | It is not as scary as it seems. Don't worry! |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
