Amazing Past Review
By Jacob Z (Business, Cardinal Stritch University) - abroad from 08/05/2015 to 01/05/2016 with
Østfold University College: Halden - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about myself. I gained more self confidence and respect for other cultures and their traditions.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes only meet once a week, but for much longer than our classes at home. Books were cheap and the library was very useful for most assignments and exams. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Advisors were very involved and there for us if we needed anything. I was one of the only non EU students so they helped me out a lot with my special needs. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
They were brand new and really nice! |
| * Food: |
The school cafeteria was good, just expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Americans are very popular over there so it was fun to teach them about our culture while learning about theirs at the same time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to get screened for tuberculosis, it was completely free and directions to the clinic were provided. |
| * Safety: |
There were no issues at all for any of the students on campus. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved all of this. The locals are very nice and I met some amazing students that were studying abroad too. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes and will always remember this. |
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) |
Rent was very expensive, about $515, groceries were about $100 a week for "college food". Going out to eat or to the bars was very tough because everything out is very expensive. About $25 a meal out. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5,000 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to Sweden and buy groceries there! Also shop at REMA 1000 |
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 |
Everybody spoke English, so it was completely optional to really make an effort to learn the language. |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 0 |
| 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? | Just try to learn from your friends. They'll teach you the most practical stuff. Learn how to read it before speaking it because then you'll be able to shop on your own and navigate alone. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 10+ |
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 expensive it really was to do things |
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. |
