Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Adventure with albatrosses, sunsets, quality food and people! Past Review

By (Oberlin College) - abroad from 01/02/2018 to 03/24/2018 with

Sea Education Association: The Global Ocean

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to manage my time effectively and how to be more present and living in the moment. Definitely would do again, more than 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.

The program was for sure very intensive as far as academics, but that was mostly in Massachusetts which worked well. Being on the Robert C. Seamans (Bobby C), the workload was more focused on hands on research and learning about sailing, so the balance worked out very well.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The cottages in Woods Hole were wonderful and great living spaces except for volume control-if people were too loud it was very noticeable as the walls/floors were pretty thin. On the ship the bunks were cozy and great.

* Food:

Wow the food was so amazing. Our steward (Sabrina) cooked us amazing food every day on the ship, I felt so spoiled eating all her delicious food. And it was great in MA working with housemates to cook meals every week and have home cooked meals.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Woods Hole is small and super safe, and aboard the ship everyone was super aware of how to be safe and the rules regarding that.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved New Zealand and for my interests in mainly cultural and anthropology, this program was a good balance between science research and that.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Hard to say as it varied between MA and New Zealand-in NZ I spent more because of eating out and souvenirs, but in MA I really just spent money on coffee & snacks. So a reasonable amount, but you could definitely not spent a penny of your own if you wanted.

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 ocean!/sunsets/waves/etc
  • The classes
  • The people
* What could be improved?
  • More structured support for students
  • Maybe more research elements in the OGC class
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How SEA Semester attracts such a wide variety of people, and you may clash with them, but that's okay!

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!