Russian language studies in St Petersburg Past Review
By Philip B (Russian Language and Literature., Trinity University) for
Russian Language and Culture Institute, Saint Petersburg State University: St. Petersburg - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The experience has definitely improved my language skills and was very enjoyable as I made many new Russian and foreign friends. The city of St Petersburg itself is already worth going there.
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. |
The quality of instruction in the most advanced group is excellent. I definitely increased my vocabulary, also in slang and business/legal Russian, the best course. Grammatical nuances that really make the difference between native and fluent speaker were examined thoroughly. Classes have a pleasant atmosphere, participation is encouraged as they were all small seminar groups of 5-10 people. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I enrolled independently, so I dealt with the Institute's administration directly. They were approachable and efficient in doing their jobs. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed with an octogenerian grandmother a short bus ride away from the institute and had my own room. Since she only spoke Russian this was an excellent opportunity to improve Russian vocabulary of household items and everyday life. Everything (sheets, towels, slippers etc ) was provided for. She warmed up greatly to me, inviting some of her friends over to meet me and threw a lavish farewell banquet for me. She even suggested I was husband material for her granddaughter. |
| * Food: |
Even though I hadn't paid for full room and board my hostess took pity on me and decided to fatten me up with an unbelievable array of great homestyle cooking. This is definitely a great option if you are broke but your cholesterol levels will pay a price. A great place for cheap, good food is the fast food chain "Teremok" which serves traditional Russian fare and is ubiquitous in the town. It's much better than fast food but the Russians refer to it as such just because it is self-serve. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I took a private health policy and had a list of American or upscale Russian clinics. If you can pay, you can get great health care in St Petersburg. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget, then spend 3/4 of it so you have a reserve for things as mundane as excess baggage fees. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We were not given any specific Russian partners to practise with, but this wasn't necessary as living in a city of 5 million gives plenty of opportunities to meet Russians, who no matter what age really warm up and love to talk to people who learn their difficult language. Improving language skills can only be achieved by overcoming shyness when speaking and just not caring about the exact right grammar. What helps to improve passive vocabulary is watching Russian movies with Russian subtitles or familiar Western movies in Russian. Do not miss any opportunity to socialize with Russians, they are all curious about America and are eager to hear the real life beyond the Hollywood films everyone has seen. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you enroll independent of an American sponsored program you'll save a ton of money but must know the language at proficient level and be prepared to deal with the red tape yourself, which is not impossible, just stressful. |
