I'm going back prepared. Past Review
By A student (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 05/31/2012 to 07/13/2012 with
Russian Language and Culture Institute, Saint Petersburg State University: St. Petersburg - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Russian language and cultural knowledge. For me it was worthwhile. I can't comment on the other students' experience, for obvious reasons.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
No apparent effort was made to establish our group within a reasonable radius of each other. As such, most of the group ended up isolated and with little-to-no social interaction outside of class. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being fair this is not the fault of the program, but rather the difficulty in integrating with Russian culture specifically. They know instantly when you're not Russian and will regard you with disdain. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
This is not a safe city. Even being security-conscious, I rarely felt safe walking home at night. It's not even the program's fault, this is just a terribly unsafe city. |
| 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) |
Like it or not, this is one of the most expensive cities for tourists in the world. Bring plenty of cash. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150-200 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Prepare to spend ungodly amounts of money on lunch alone. |
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 |
We were left to our own devices often, which meant we had to communicate in Russian almost constantly. |
| 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? | 2 years |
| 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? | Watch Russian TV and movies. You're learning academic Russian. Most Russians will look at you like you have a third head if you try to speak like you are currently learning in class. Pay attention to colloquialisms from popular tv shows therefore. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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 was more prepared for safety issues. |
