Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

New Zealand was beautiful, my shipmates were great and I'm glad that I met them! Past Review

By (Bowdoin College) - abroad from 01/02/2018 to 03/23/2018 with

Sea Education Association: The Global Ocean

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to interact with people a little different than me as well as sail a boat and do research on a ship. It was worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Large learning curve to get used to the boat and do research at the same time. Great resources and professors to help me when needed.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I very much enjoyed the cottages in Woods Hole and the boat in New Zealand. Both were areas that fostered community (although the tight quarters might have been a bit much for some of my shipmates)

* Food:

My housemates and I cooked while in Woods Hole and our Stewardess (Sabrina) was AMAZING at cooking for us while on the boat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

When docked at different ports in New Zealand I was able to meet a few of the locals on my own and interact with the Maori people through program trips.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues, but I felt like they would have been adequately attended to if any had occurred.

* Safety:

All of the leaders were very careful to ensure all of the students were safe on the ship.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would choose the more science intense program (also offered by SEA) because if I were going again, I would likely not need to get Sociology credits for my home institution major.

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)

I could live on less than I did, but not having work while abroad was unusual for me.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100+ when on shore, none when at sea.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy less food. Your steward is amazing.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
  • The animals
  • New Zealand
* What could be improved?
  • more penguins
  • a longer time in New Zealand
  • Everyone getting a chance to shadow the engineers and help cook.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the pants I bought don't fit well on people with leg muscles.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.