Rigorous and Rewarding SEA Semester Past Review

By A student (Neurobiology, Neurosciences, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/05/2015 to 03/19/2015 with

Sea Education Association: The Global Ocean

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I got to learn about a foreign subject matter (the ocean, sailing, New Zealand) through the lenses of multiple disciplines in a totally hands-on , practical environment. Living aboard a ship was also a very valuable, once in a lifetime opportunity. I made friends that I had to lead, be led by, learn alongside, and rely on. This experience was 100% worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)	Living expenses were provided/covered by tuition
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	no

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	Hands-on learning Unique experience Close relationships to shipmates
* What could be improved?	Occasional disconnect between lectures and out of class work
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known to allow myself more time in New Zealand once the program was over.

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 Adventurer The 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:	Leadership in a Dynamic Envrionment
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	Elliot Rappaport
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course had two main components. About half of our time was spent learning practical skills we would need on the ship (navigation, knots, etc.) while the rest of our time was spent studying leadership styles and group dynamics. As someone who has never sailed before, I found the practical skills to be much more challenging and useful. The leadership material was necessary, but I wish we had spent less time on it. We certainly made use of our location once out at sea, applying the skills we had been learning in a real-world/hands-on scenario. I'd say that I participated in this class more than I would have at Middlebury because, in the classroom the teacher called on us at random and because, once we were out at sea, we had no choice but to apply what we had learned in order to keep our ship and shipmates safe. We were assessed via three "case-study" papers, homework assignments, participation, and a practical examination.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I didn't have issues with transferring credit.

Course Name/Rating:	Maritime History and Culture
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	Mary Malloy
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	In this class we basically listened to the professor lecture about Maritime history during class and wrote a research paper on a topic of our choosing outside of class. There was a pretty big disconnect between our papers and the information in lectures, but it was nice to just be able to absorb what the teacher was saying without worrying about being tested on it later. I'd say that writing the research paper was challenging, but we had so much support throughout the program, that it really didn't end up being a big deal. We definitely made use of our New Zealand location because we had to research our papers by talking to locals. I participated less in this class than I would have at Middlebury because our teacher never really called on anyone during lectures. We were assessed by our research paper and various presentations we did on those papers.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I didn't have any issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Sense of Place
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	Mary Malloy
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	In this class we talked about the importance of the environment to human cultures. Our reading was fairly challenging and our class discussions were always interesting. We made good use of our location because in three of our four papers we had to write about New Zealand. The teacher was very knowledgeable and helped facilitate discussion. I participated more in this class than I would have at Middlebury because our classes were almost completely student led. We were assessed via papers and class participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I didn't have any issues

Course Name/Rating:	Oceans and Global Change
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	Chuck Lea
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	In this class we learned about oceanography and climate change. It was challenging for me because I haven't taken any Environmental Science at the college level. We put our location to good use because we analyzed data we collected every hour while at sea. The teacher was very knowledgeable and well prepared. I participated in class about the same as I would have at Middlebury. We were assessed via three take home exams, weekly class presentations, and a final presentation of the data we had collected throughout our journey.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I didn't have any issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Directed Oceanographic Research
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	Chuck Lea
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was pretty much what you made of it. I had a very competent research partner and challenging research topic. The teacher was knowledgeable and well prepared, but let us go our own way with the research. I participated in this class about as much as I would have at Middlebury. We were assessed based on the quality of our research, our research paper, and our final presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I didn't have any issues.