Semester at Sea: A Completely Amazing Experience Past Review

By Jena D (Human Communication and Political Science, Trinity University) for

Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus

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

I definitely grew as a person and I learned more about what I want to do in the future. I learned to be more flexible and about so many different cultures around the world. I've definitely become more aware of the world around me and I have more concrete goals for my future.

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.	I really enjoyed learning about things in the classroom and then being able to witness them or apply them to the country we were visiting. To me, that was incredibly valuable. However, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing because much of the experience is going out and learning for yourself in port, but several professors are easier than Trinity.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Semester at Sea was a completely amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone. Students are encouraged to attend sessions about the countries and these were very useful in preparing us for the country, especially so that we could act in more respectful culture-appropriate ways. I really can't come up with many weaknesses. Even though a common complaint about SAS is that you don't get to "immerse yourself in a culture," I have two comments: one, you can still learn about and experience a culture in a few days, depending on what you choose to do and, two, even if you live somewhere for several months, you are still viewed as an American. This program is awesome and introduces you to different cultures all over the world.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Our cabins on the ship were very, very nice, especially for being on a ship, and we were spoiled by amazing cabin stewards who were friendly and kind. Luckily, many things like bedding, towels, and clothes hangers are included in the cabin, so packing is made lighter in that sense.
* Food:	On the ship, they do their best to serve food in many different ways, even though they are limited. While it does get repetitive, the food really is good and I just kept in mind that they are limited because we have to carry all our food with us. In port, food completely depended on where one ate but I had truly great food all over.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Obviously the trips you choose are completely up to the individual but all the SAS trips I did were fantastic and offered different aspects, including cultural but also touristy. Really, just plan what you want to do and go with the flow for the rest--you are going to have a great time regardless.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The health center on SAS would always provide a briefing about health and safety concerns in the upcoming country and, really, while sometimes they could exaggerate things, generally it's good advice to follow. As long as you use common sense, nothing bad will happen to you and if you are are careful about some of the water in countries, you will stay very healthy, too.
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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Umm, this clearly differed by country. Food in many places is much cheaper than it is here and so you can spend a lot less money than you would expect. Personal expenses can be minimized if you sleep on the ship in port and, if money is really stretched, just eat on the ship too--it's free. But, really, save up money and then you can really enjoy the countries. It's not going to be cheap but is more than worth every penny.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make sure to budget! Some people ran out of money very early in the program but, if you set limits for each country, you shouldn't have a problem having a great time everywhere. To save money on laundry on the ship, just do it in your sink and there's a clothesline in the shower to hang the wet clothes.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	All the countries The people you meet and those on the ship So many cultures to experience
* What could be improved?	...
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Be very open to a lot of new and different experiences. This is a program for people who can be flexible and who want to see a lot of the world and who love to travel. Also, be prepared to not sleep very much in port but that's all part of the experience. Other than that, save up your money, because you're going to need it!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Comparative World Religios
Course Department:
Instructor:	Patrick Green
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a very interesting class, especially because religion was so prominent in many of the countries visited. The professor was fascinating but could give very scattered lectures.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ethics and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy
Course Department:
Instructor:	Michael Fowler
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	To me, this class was very interesting because we were forced to think more intently on large-scale foreign policies and then, in some countries, we were able to see the effects of those policies. Dr. Fowler was easy to work with and more than helpful to students who had questions. It's too bad professors and classes change every semester or I would definitely recommend this one!
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Global Studies
Course Department:
Instructor:	Scott Sernau
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class had so much potential and, unfortunately, fell short. I really like the idea of a course that introduces us to the countries we are visiting but this one did not teach us very much, sadly.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Intro to Oceanography
Course Department:
Instructor:	Michel Boudrias
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was interesting but the professor expected the students to have knowledge of ocean things and, since this is an intro course, was much more difficult than it needed to be. Student assessments were very difficult--often the tests and quizzes were too long and we weren't given enough time, besides simply being hard. However, we did learn a lot--it was just tough to do well.
Credit Transfer Issues: