Past Review
By Khaleelah J (English and Environmental Health, The College of William and Mary) for
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
I enjoy it in hindsight.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academics were quite unbalanced: some classes were quite difficult, others very easy. The students were not generally the caliber of William and Mary students; rather, they were more interested in partying, which was hard in the classroom to get a good conversation going. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was quite nice, but often not informed, overall, and very detatched from the student experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Room in a cruise ship- small, cramped, and claustrophobic. |
| * Food: |
At first, very pleased with the caliber of the food, but it got very old after a while- same old pasta and potatoes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Looking back, I enjoyed every country I went to because I enjoyed meeting the people of each country and my experiences within the country- which often occurred alone or in the sole company of my trusty roommate. Most people on SAS are there for the party, very shallow, unable to think deeply and beyond their money. If you go on this trip with a budget, it is very difficult to find a way to fit in and make friends, since most students blow money at every turn and the only way to "get in" with them is to do the same. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The health staff were always great at the pre-ports, recommending and/or discussing preventative health measures for each country. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | DO NOT GO ON THIS TRIP UNLESS YOU ARE VERY FINANCIALLY STABLE. It is VERY difficult to stay in the port cities when all the trips that are offered are generally what most students plan on utilizing. It also seems like many ports of call are quite far from real centers of things to do, so if you do decide to stay in the port city instead of doing the trips, either planned through SAS or just independent, it is still expensive to get around.While you CAN do this on a budget, it is awkward and not fun. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you have a large budget and you're not worried about losing a semester of credits, go for it! |
